Name: Wynter's review of The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett
Item: The Idiot Brain
Rating: 5
Author: Wynter

Dean Burnett

Why do you lose arguments with people who know MUCH LESS than you? Why can you recognise that woman, from that thing... but can't remember her name? And why, after your last break-up, did you find yourself in the foetal position on the sofa for days, moving only to wipe the snot and tears haphazardly from your face? Here's why: the idiot brain. For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. For example, did you know that your memory is egotistical? That conspiracy theories and superstitions are the inevitable effects of a healthy brain? Or that alcohol can actually improve your memory?** In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett tours our mysterious and mischievous grey (and white) matter. Along the way he explains the human brain's imperfections in all their glory and how these influence everything we say, do and experience. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain appears to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to. **Editor's note: please read the book before testing this conclusion.

A Neuroscientist Explains What Your Head is Really Up To

The Idiot Brain

Gem Koeman

Why do you lose arguments with people who know much less than you? Why can you recognise that woman, from that thing ... but can't remember her name? And why, after your last break-up, did you find yourself in the foetal position on the sofa for days, moving only to wipe the snot and tears haphazardly from your face? Here's why: the idiot brain. For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. For example, your memory is egotistical. No, really. Conspiracy theories and superstitions are the inevitable effects of a healthy brain. And alcohol can actually improve your memory. In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett tours our mysterious and mischievous grey (and white) matter. Along the way he explains the human brain's imperfections in all their glory and how these influence everything we say, do and experience. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain appears to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to. Editor's note: please read the book before testing this conclusion.

A Neuroscientist Explains what Your Head is Really Up to

Wynter

Idiot Brain is a great, easily accessible introduction to neuroscience and psychology of human behaviour. If you've never read on the subject I can't think of a better place to start. Dean Burnett is writing in a light-hearted, clear style that is sure to appeal to most readers not looking for an academic tome. Because I've educated myself a little on the topic, I did find some chapters familiar, but a good refresher. If you've ever wondered why people might be irrationally scared of shadows in the dark, or seeing familiar shapes in the clouds, or having a really hard time quitting addictive substances, Idiot Brain has the answers for you. I especially enjoyed the pages that explained why we sometimes give into peer pressure and care so much about negative feedback. 

If the author plans on writing any more books, I know will be checking them out.

A neuroscientist's delightful tour of our mysterious, mischievous, entirely fallible gray matter.

What Your Head Is Really Up to

Idiot Brain

Shrouk Shafie

A really good entertaining and informing book. I had hard time reading it though, many many scientific terms that made my brain go wooooosh. But, overall, I really recommend it. We all need to know how our brains fool us, like most of the times. Thank you Dr. Burnett.

Jeremy Cote

While this book may not be easy to read through, it was well worth the effort. I am sure that neuroscience junkies will enjoy this book. For myself, with only a slight background of this topic, I found the terminology and whatnot to be a little hard to remember, but Burnett excels in bringing analogs to his readers. I love that he compares many of the brain's processes to everyday events. Burnett writes well in the sense that I can always get a chuckle out of reading a chapter. The subjects in the book can be difficult to wrap one's head around, but it was still a very enjoyable read.

*Note: I was given an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley. I think I need to mention that somewhere.

Maryam Mashaly

mia sønderskov

Juliana Matias

SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BOOK AWARD Motion sickness. Nightmares. Forgetting people's names. Why did I walk into this room? For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to.

A Neuroscientist Explains What Your Head Is Really Up To

Mariam Ahmed

The brain may be the seat of consciousness and the engine of all human experience, but it’s also messy, fallible and disorganized. It’s undeniably impressive, but it’s far from perfect, and these imperfections influence everything that humans say, do and experience. In The Idiot Brain, Dean Burnett celebrates the downright laughable things our minds do to us, as well as exposing the fact that people are often way off in their thinking about how the brain works. For example, did you know that your memory is egotistical? stress can actually increase your performance at a task? conspiracy theories and superstitions stem from your brain’s insistence that the world isn’t random? the brain’s limitations mean you really can miss something that’s right under your nose? the way the brain’s processing works means that time really does fly if you’re having fun? alcohol can sometimes improve your memory? Dean Burnett’s unpredictable and entertaining first book explores the unexpected side of everyday life, highlighting where conventional thinking is wrong and how our brains trip us up at every turn. This is lucid, funny and smart: in short, the best kind of popular science.

Zohira ali

Shorouk Mahgoub 

It's happened to all of us at some point. You walk into the kitchen, or flip open your laptop, or stride confidently up to a lectern, filled with purpose and suddenly haven't the foggiest idea what you re doing. Welcome to your idiot brain. Yes, it is an absolute marvel in some respects the seat of our consciousness, the pinnacle (so far) of evolutionary progress, and the engine of all human experience but your brain is also messy, fallible, and about 50,000 years out-of-date. We cling to superstitions, remember faces but not names, miss things sitting right in front of us, and lie awake at night while our brains replay our greatest fears on an endless loop. Yet all of this, believe it or not, is the sign of a well-meaning brain doing its best to keep you alive and healthy. In Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates blind spots, blackouts, insomnia, and all the other downright laughable things our minds do to us, while also exposing the many mistakes we've made in our quest to understand how our brains actually work. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for everyone who has wondered why their brain appears to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to. "

Cecilie Nielsen

Alexandria Ho

Beata Xu

Bibi Bayjikova

Do you want to be happy? If so - read on. This book has all the answers.* In The Happy Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett delves deep into the inner workings of our minds to explore some fundamental questions about happiness. For starters: what does it actually mean to be happy? Where does it come from? And is there a secret to making it last forever? In his research into these questions - and many more besides - Burnett unravels our complex internal lives to reveal the often surprising truth behind what makes us tick. From whether happiness really begins at home (spoiler alert: yes - sort of) to what love, sex, friendship, wealth, laughter and success actually do to our brains, this book offers a uniquely entertaining insight into what it means to be human. * Not really. Sorry. But it does have some very interesting questions, and at least the occasional answer.

Gem Koeman &
The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett

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Gem Koeman &The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett

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Gem Koeman &
The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett