Neuroeconomics: the Odyssey

Armenian origin neuroeconomist, Varoozh Sahakian, holds D.B.A., Ph.D degrees in Economics & a Ph.D in Sociology. His disappointment with thetraditional neoclassical economic theory top-down"macho-biased" approach to homo-economicus, alongwith his belief that homo-sapines choicebehavior & decision-making is limited mainly by his/her biology, or in other words, economics actually is apart of biology science, motivated him to gather deepknowledge about human bilology, brain & nervoussystem, gender differences, genetic and hormonal &chemical functions. The "Female brain unearths the neoclassicaleconomic theory biases/ anomalies, " book is the first oftwo books the author has written about this newborn, yet, burgeoning field of "Neuro-economics, " a highlypromising human science approach to understandingthe neurobiological bases of human choice behaviorand decision-making processes. The author presents a very promising andblossoming scientific field, which portrays a moreaccurate and real & candid picture of human naturethan neoclassical reductionist economic theory.In many aspects, neuroeconomics approach is apositive, constructive one, helping to explain thehuman capacity for kindness and cooperation andthe centrality of fairness to social emotions, morality &norms (by-passed by many Walrasian and neoclassicaladvocates). The book, after all, introduces an economicagent who is not necessarily acquisitive automationconditioned always to narrow self-interest, likeneoclassical economic theory's unisex (macho)or unsex, but can be a female &male, young & olddecision maker. In other words, it introduces a morereal, "whole human:" A 'Homo-Neuro-Economicus.'The most outstanding initiative of the bookis the introduction of a feminist economic theory, its critical approach to the neoclassical economictheory, supported interestingly not only by sociocultural/historical insights but by neuro-biological, psychological, gender, chemical & hormonal evidence, too. The author envisions, that this challengingdiscipline is likely, once for all, to realize Adam Smith & David Hume's dream by providing;"A unified theory of human choice behaviorand decision-making in the forthcoming future."