Brain Candy: Science, Paradoxes, Puzzles, Logic, and Illogic to Nourish Your Neurons [Paperback]

Garth Sundem (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 3, 2010

Feed Your Brain
 
Tastier than a twizzler yet more protein-packed than a spinach smoothie, Brain Candy is guaranteed to entertain your brain—even as it reveals hundreds of secrets behind what’s driving that electric noodle inside your skull. 
 
These delicious and nutritious pages are packed with bits of bite-sized goodness swiped from the bleeding edge of brain science (including the reason why reading these words is changing your hippocampus at this very moment!) Shelved alongside these succulent neurological nuggets are challenging puzzles and paradoxes, eye-opening perception tests and hacks, fiendish personality quizzes and genius testers, and a grab bag of recurring treats including Eye Hacks, Algebraic Eight Ball, iDread, Wild Kingdom, and Logic of Illogic.  
 
Should you look between these covers and inhale the deliciously cherry-flavored scents of knowledge within, you will grow your grey matter while discovering:
 
• Why you should be writing bad poetry
• The simple keys to brain training
• What trust smells like 
• The origins of human morality
• Why expensive wine always tastes better
• The truth about brain sweat
• How your diet might be making you dumb
• The secrets of game theory
• Why economists hate psychology
• The mental benefits of coffee and cigarettes
• How to really spot a liar
• Why you can’t make me eat pie
• The benefits of daydreaming
• Four simple secrets to persuasion
• Why your barin’s fzzuy ligoc alowls you to raed this
• How to brainwash friends and family
• The science of body language
• What pigeons know about art
 
…And much, much more.  

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sundem (Geek Logic) serves up irresistible snippets of ˜edutainment' collected for their ability to tickle minds as well as impart knowledge. This assortment of the weird and wacky will keep readers busy not only due to the far-out facts themselves but also their unorthodox organization. There is no index; topics flow gently from start to finish, free from groupings or ties. Items listed in the table of contents are rarely longer than a page. Alert readers will begin to anticipate the idiosyncratic rhythm of the text and enjoy iterations on themes like Wild Kingdom, Zen Mind, Logic of Illogic, and Eye Hack and enjoy the clever cartoon illustrations that headline quotes from famous thinkers. Another theme runs through the book under the title of ˜iDread,' with a cartoon Munch ˜s screamer announcing the scientific names of often obscure phobias (Ephebiphobia: Fear of Teenagers). Icons and images are a key part of the text, used not only as signposts but to convey information in an active way. Throughout, Sundem addresses important yet quirky topics like subliminal advertising, self affirmations, and daydreams. There is nothing a curious brain enjoys more than studying itself. Delicious. Illustrations. (Aug.) (c)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

GARTH SUNDEM is the bestselling author of Geeks’ Guide to World Domination and Geek Logik.  He and his wife live in California with their two kids and a large Labrador. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307588033
• ISBN-13: 978-0307588036
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Garth works at the intersection of math, science and humor, with a background including a growing list of bestselling books, a Magna Cum Laude pre-med/music degree from Cornell University, and math-for-hire for mobile app and tech companies. In addition to conferences, colleges, and bookstores, you may have seen Garth's work on the Science Channel where he's a frequent onscreen contributor, online at his popular blog (scientificblogging.com), or in magazines including Esquire, Wired, Publisher's Weekly, and Congressional Quarterly.

Garth grew up on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where his dad----a former President of the American Accounting Association----taught for 34 years in the UW business school. Garth lives in Ojai, California with his wife, two small kids, and one large Labrador, commonly found shoulder-deep in Ojai's municipal fountain (the dog, not the kids; the kids only go in up to their knees).

Stay tuned for more fun, fascinating and sometimes useful books nestled at the nexus of pop and science.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Amusing Brain Reading August 30, 2010

By David A. Lessnau

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Garth Sundem's "Brain Candy" is an interesting book filled with various snippets of information about the physical and psychological performance of the brain. It's well-written, thought-provoking, and amusing. Better yet, it's written for Everyman, not just for people who study the brain. The tongue-in-cheek, irreverent writing makes the book a real pleasure to read. My only quibble with the book is that the write-up implies a lot of puzzles and quizzes to be solved (at least it did to me). There ARE puzzles and quizzes, but they're minor components of the book. Also, most of them don't give all the information needed to do them. Again, that's only a minor quibble. The factual content of the book and the author's voice are more than enough to overcome that issue. So, overall, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tickling Your Brain September 14, 2010

By Red Pineapple

Format:Paperback

This is one of those books that never gets old, no matter how many times you read it. It also has an almost magical ability to make you feel either really dumb or really smart. I found out things that made my various and very weird idiosyncracies seem justified. Did you know that my fear of teenagers actually has a name? It's called ephebiphobia. And I'm right in thinking that my boyfriend has the handwriting of a serial killer...he matches up well with the Zodiac Killer. And it seems my hours spent daydreaming are actually making me smarter! There are personality tests (I found out that I'm an intelligent, incredibly introverted, absurdly liberal neurotic), intelligence tests (despite the aforementioned personality test that proved my intelligence, I also seem to have a slight case of dementia), puzzles, eye teasers, incredible brain facts, and hundreds of other tidbits that altogether make for hours of kind of depression, often hilarious, and always enlightening fun.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brain Candy....but it's more than mere candy.... August 28, 2010

By Flush Barrett-Browning

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Garth Sundem's 'Brain Candy' is a short, scientific description of the processes that define human brain functioning.

Sudem's book is an entertaining, yet informative, read that should appeal to both the casual reader and the professional because it is solidly based in real science: there are no flights of fancy and speculation devoid of an empirical basis. 'Brain Candy' consists of numerous small-scale vignettes, typically a half-page or page in length, describing how and what specific part of the brain influences memory, emotion, sensation, and other psychological processes. It discusses game theory, thinking, and other issues in cognition and evolutionary processes as well.

Although complex and precise enough to appeal to students of physiological psychology or neurology, the book, nevertheless, provides a friendly, entertaining guide to the complexity of the brain: Sudem makes it accessible to the nonscientist without either patronizing or pandering to those who crave the exotic. He also includes numerous short examples of quizzes, thought problems, and hand-drawn illustrations. Further, every vignette of research is scrupulously referenced at the end of the book. This includes classics like the memory loss of H.M., the Einstellung (mechanization in problem solving), false memories, and famous illusions.

The bottom line: Five stars! Should appeal to both popular non-fiction readers who want to learn a bit more about the brain and professionals and students who need a smile.