"Cognitive Science, Literature, and the Arts" is a student-friendly introduction to the uses of cognitive science in the study of literature, written specifically for the non-scientist. It provides a strong foundation of the basic principles of cognitive science.

The rise cognitive science has been one of the most important intellectual developments of recent years, stimulating new approaches to everything from philosophy to film studies. This is an introduction to what cognitive science has to offer the humanities and particularly the study of literature. Hogan suggests how the human brain works and makes us feel in response to literature. He walks the reader through all of the major theories of cognitive science that are important for the humanities in order to understand the production and reception of literature.

"Cognitive Science, Literature, and the Arts provides a much needed critical introduction to the cognitive study of the verbal, visual, and musical arts, basing its claims on the methods and findings of mainstream cognitive science. Written with authority, verve, and above all clarity, Hogan's exciting new book will prove an indispensable guide for those new to the field and a provocative and challenging overview for those already engaged in cognitive criticism and theory." Alan Richardson, Professor of English, Boston College and author of British Romanticism and the Science of the Mind