The NeuroGeneration: The New Era in Brain Enhancement That Is Revolutionizing the Way We Think, Work, and Heal

Brain science is at the dawn of a new era—and the technologies emerging as a result could forever alter what it means to be human. 

Welcome to what tech pioneer and inventor Tan Le calls "the NeuroGeneration." It will blow your mind. 

The human brain is perhaps the most powerful and mysterious arrangement of matter in the known universe. New discoveries that unravel this mystery and let us tap into this power offer almost limitless potential—the ability to reshape ourselves and our thought processes, to improve our health and extend our lives, and to enhance and augment the ways we interact with the world around us. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it is quickly becoming reality. 

In The NeuroGeneration, award-winning inventor Tan Le explores exciting advancements in brain science and neurotechnology that are revolutionizing the way we think, work, and heal. Join Le as she criss-crosses the globe, introducing the brilliant neurotech innovators and neuroscientists at the frontiers of brain enhancement. Along the way, she shares incredible stories from individuals whose lives are already being transformed by their inventions—an endurance racer paralyzed in a fall, who now walks thanks to neural stimulation and an exoskeleton; a man who drives a race car with his mind; even a color-blind "cyborg" whose brain implant allows him to "hear" colors. 

The NeuroGeneration reveals the dizzying array of emerging technologies—including cranial stimulation that makes you learn faster, an artificial hippocampus that restores lost memories, and neural implants that aim to help us keep up with or even outpace artificial intelligence—that promise to alter the brain in unprecedented ways, unlocking human potential we never dreamed possible. 

Le also explores how these futuristic innovations will impact our world, disrupt the way we do business, upend healthcare as we know it, and remake our lives in wondrous and unexpected ways. As fascinating as it is timely, The NeuroGeneration offers a thrilling glimpse of the future of our species, and how changing our brains can change human life as we know it.

"We're on the cusp of some of the most significant advancements in brain science—and in brain enhancement—in all of human history, and Tan Le has her finger on the pulse of these developments. Her book The NeuroGeneration is a smart, compelling, must-read that will take you on a tour through the most exciting neurotechnologies that will reshape humanity." 

—Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman, World Economic Forum

"Tan Le has reinvented her reality—as an immigrant, an entrepreneur, and a visionary—and now she's reinventing ours . . . This book is an extension of her efforts to further our understanding of how the brain works and deepen our appreciation for the limitless possibilities ahead. And like everything Tan does, it's both exciting and inspiring." 

—Zenia Mucha, chief communications officer, The Walt Disney Company 

"This book should not be missed by anyone with a brain, or by anyone who is curious about the healing power of the brain! The NeuroGeneration offers inspiration and hope for a more powerful mind and sheds light on possibilities that seem like sci-fi but are actually in the works." 

—Roger Craig, three-time superbowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV)

"Our species' future is already scattered in labs and companies around the globe, and Tan Le—an amazing writer, thinker, and entrepreneur—shores up the pieces to reveal a new architecture. This book is a page-turning, electrifying ride into the technology that surrounds us, and how it interfaces with the three-pound organ inside us."

—David Eagleman, neuroscientist at Stanford University, New York Times bestselling author

"Tan Le is one of the great innovators of this generation. She is creating the future and taking us along for the ride . . . The NeuroGeneration is a must-read for those of us who believe that innovation actually is about mind over matter." 

—Jeff DeGraff, "The Dean of Innovation," professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

"As scientists continue to unlock the mysteries of the brain, innovators are developing cutting-edge neurotechnologies that have the potential to reshape humanity. Yet these advances also create serious new challenges our society has never faced before. Tan Le unpacks both sides of this watershed era in the The NeuroGeneration—an exciting book that couldn't be more timely . . . or important."

—Michael McCullough, M.D., M.Sc., founder and president, BrainMind

“We’re on the cusp of some of the most significant advancements in brain science—and in brain enhancement—in all of human history, and Tan Le has her finger on the pulse of these developments. Her book The NeuroGeneration is a smart, compelling, must-read that will take you on a tour through the most exciting neurotechnologies that will reshape humanity.” 

—Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman, World Economic Forum

“Tan Le has reinvented her reality—as an immigrant, an entrepreneur, and a visionary—and now she’s reinventing ours . . . This book is an extension of her efforts to further our understanding of how the brain works and deepen our appreciation for the limitless possibilities ahead. And like everything Tan does, it’s both exciting and inspiring.” 

—Zenia Mucha, chief communications officer, The Walt Disney Company 

“This book should not be missed by anyone with a brain, or by anyone who is curious about the healing power of the brain! The NeuroGeneration offers inspiration and hope for a more powerful mind and sheds light on possibilities that seem like sci-fi but are actually in the works.” 

—Roger Craig, three-time superbowl champion (XIX, XXIII, XXIV)

“Our species’ future is already scattered in labs and companies around the globe, and Tan Le—an amazing writer, thinker, and entrepreneur—shores up the pieces to reveal a new architecture. This book is a page-turning, electrifying ride into the technology that surrounds us, and how it interfaces with the three-pound organ inside us.”

—David Eagleman, neuroscientist at Stanford University, New York Times bestselling author

“Tan Le is one of the great innovators of this generation. She is creating the future and taking us along for the ride . . . The NeuroGeneration is a must-read for those of us who believe that innovation actually is about mind over matter.” 

—Jeff DeGraff, “The Dean of Innovation,” professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

“As scientists continue to unlock the mysteries of the brain, innovators are developing cutting-edge neurotechnologies that have the potential to reshape humanity. Yet these advances also create serious new challenges our society has never faced before. Tan Le unpacks both sides of this watershed era in the The NeuroGeneration—an exciting book that couldn’t be more timely . . . or important.”

—Michael McCullough, M.D., M.Sc., founder and president, BrainMind

Tan Le is recognized as one of the most influential pioneers in the emerging field of brain-computer interface. An inventor, explorer, and entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV, a San Francisco-headquartered neuroinformatics company that is on a mission to improve understanding of the human brain and to develop a platform for researchers, developers, and consumers around the world to be part of a global innovation task force. Her first-of-its-kind "brainwear" reads user's brainwaves, making it possible to control virtual objects with mere thoughts. Her company's brainwear is leading the way to a bold new future, tapping into the power of the human brain and pushing the boundaries of our cognitive powers to open up new possibilities for improving performance and health, and ultimately, to prevent disease.

Born in South Vietnam, Tan migrated to Australia as a refugee with her family in 1981. She began university studies at the age of 16 and went on to complete a bachelor's degree in law (honors) and commerce (honors) in 1998 at Monash University. In 1998, Tan was named Young Australian of the Year, catapulting her into a prominent role as a social activist and public speaker. She was voted one of Australia's 30 Most Successful Women Under 30, and her story was featured in the "Hope" section of the Eternity Exhibition of the National Museum of Australia. Tan was featured in Fast Company's Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010 and Forbes' 50 Names You Need to Know in 2011. She was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2013 and has been honored by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Young Global Leader since 2009. Tan currently serves on the WEF's Global Future Council on the Future of Neurotechnologies and Brain Science. The WEF's Network of Global Future Councils is the world's foremost interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking on the future.