第一組：大腦總指揮<前言>創造一個總裁腦

(譯文)
額葉是神經系統中最晚演化完成的部份，只有人類的大腦發展出這麼大的額葉（大猿〔great ape〕也有一些），有趣的是，它也是最後一個被認為是重要的大腦部份，即使當我還是醫學院學生時，它仍被稱為「寂靜的腦葉」(the silent lobe)，這是因為它沒有簡單且易於被辨識的功能，像感覺和運動皮質一樣（甚至比不上聯結區〔association area〕），但卻是相當重要。它們是高層次目的行為最重要的一個地區—指認物件、投射目標、編造計畫來達成目的，組織方法使計畫得以執行、監控和判斷結果，以確定達預期目標。
(原文)
The frontal lobes are the latest achievement in the evolution of the nervous system; it is only in human beings (and great apes, to some extent) that they reach so great a development. They were also, by a curious parallel, the last parts of the brain to be recognized as important—even in my own medical student days, they were called “the silent lobes.”“Silent” indeed they may be, for they lack the simple and easily identifiable functions of the more primitive parts of the cerebral cortex, the sensory and motor areas, for example (and even the "association areas” between these), but they are overwhelmingly important. They are crucial for all higher-order purposeful behavior—identifying the objective, projecting the goal, forging plans to reach it, organizing the means by which such plans can be carried out, monitoring and judging the consequences to see that all is accomplished as intended.
(試譯)
額葉是神經系統中最晚演化完成的部份，目前只有人類的大腦額葉發展程度最完全，研究發現巨猿的大腦額葉發展也達到某種程度。和演化時間有著奇妙的巧合，額葉同時也是最晚發覺的大腦重要結構，早在我念醫學院時，額葉尚被稱為「沈默的腦葉」；事實上，額葉的確「沈默」，因為它不像較早演化的大腦皮質結構，具有單純且易辨識的功能，例如感覺和運動皮質區，甚至包括位於兩者間的聯結區，但額葉卻具有相當的重要性，因為它主宰高層次目的行為，包括辨識宗旨、設定目標、訂定計畫、按部就班執行、監控及研判成果，確保達成預訂目標。