Shankar Vedantam

Bill Mesler

From the New York Times best-selling author and host of Hidden Brain comes a thought-provoking look at the role of self-deception in human flourishing. Self-deception does terrible harm to us, to our communities, and to the planet. But if it is so bad for us, why is it ubiquitous? In Useful Delusions, Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler argue that, paradoxically, self-deception can also play a vital role in our success and well-being. The lies we tell ourselves sustain our daily interactions with friends, lovers, and coworkers. They can explain why some people live longer than others, why some couples remain in love and others don’t, why some nations hold together while others splinter. Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Useful Delusions offers a fascinating tour of what it really means to be human.

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain

H. James Cleaves, II

The epic story of the scientists through the ages who have sought answers to life's biggest mystery: How did it begin?

Science and the Search for the Origin of Life

A Brief History of Creation

An essential history of Western scientific studies into the origins of life examines historical discoveries in the contexts of philosophical debates, political change, and evolving understandings about the complexities of biology.

science and the search for the origin of life

A brief history of creation

The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain

Useful Delusions

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From the small niceties that foster social cohesion to the large claims about the afterlife that allay our fear of mortality, humans constantly engage in forms of deception. The lies we tell each other and ourselves explain why some people live longer than others, why some couples remain in love and others don't. In The Invisible City, Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler show that reason, logic, and data--the language of the rational brain--aren't enough to make us happy or bring meaning to our lives. They argue that stories, symbols, myths, and rituals--the dialects of the ancient "lizard brain"--are fundamental to human achievement as a cornerstone of business success, an effective tool in medicine, a way to bind communities and nations together. Drawing on eye-opening true stories, literature, and wide-ranging studies in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychotherapy, The Invisible City is part journey through cutting-edge science, part roadmap to a happy life.

Bill Mesler

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