Some random bits I learned from the DK Brain Training book

• The occipital lobe handles much of your visual sensing.
• The temporal lobes behind each ear are involved in the organization of speech, sound, memory and emotional response.
• The parietal lobes at the top of the brain handles sensations like temperature, pain, pressure. They also assist in spatial awareness.
• Behind the forehead are the frontal lobes which is the home of the personality. That's where we solve problems, retrieve memories and control impulses. It is not surprising then that that area is more developed in humans than in any other animal.
• The limbic system is made up of the amygdala, hypothalamus, thalamu and hippocampus. 
• The amygdala activates emotional responses from fear to euphoria.
• The hypothalamus is the control region for communication between brain and body, such as the rising of blood pressure.
• The thalamus receives auditory and visual information and relays them to the cerebral cortex, where information is processed.
• The cerebellum, at the back of the brain, controls movement and balance and was the first part of the brain to evolve. It controls involuntary muscle actions.
• The hippocampus is responsible for spatial reasoning. Reading maps can increase its size-its been shown to be larger in cab drivers.