Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life [Paperback]

Sam Wang (Author), Sandra Aamodt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2008

The popular, myth-busting guide to the neuroscience of everyday life, by two high-profile neuroscientists.

In this lively book, Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang dispel common myths about the brain and provide a comprehensive, useful overview of how it really works. I n its pages, you’ll discover how to cope with jet lag, how your brain affects your religion, and how men’s and women’s brains differ. With witty, accessible prose enhanced by charts, trivia, quizzes, and illustrations, this book is great for quick reference or extended reading.

Both practical and fun, this book is perfect whether you want to impress your friends or simply use your brain better.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neuroscientists Aamodt, editor-in-chief of Nature Neuroscience, and Wang, of Princeton University, explain how the human brain—with its 100 billion neurons—processes sensory and cognitive information, regulates our emotional life and forms memories. They also examine how human brains differ from those of other mammals and show what happens to us during dreams. They also tackle such potentially controversial topics as whether men and women have different brains (yes, though what that means in terms of capabilities and behavior, they say, is up in the air) and whether intelligence is shaped more by genes or environment (genes set an upper limit on people's intelligence, but the environment before birth and during childhood determines whether they reach their full genetic potential). Distinguishing their book are sidebars that explode myths—no, we do not use only 10% of our brain's potential but nearly all of it—and provide advice on subjects like protecting your brain as you get older. The book could have benefited from a glossary of neurological terms and more illustrations of the brain's structure. Still, this is a terrific, surprisingly fun guide for the general reader. B&w illus. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Welcome to Your Brain is a delightful and engaging romp through neuroscience by two of its leading lights -- a marvelous collection of facts and findings that answer the questions we all have about our own minds. If the human brain came with an owner's manual, it might well look like this." --Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness

"Welcome To Your Brain is a lucid and fascinating journey into the inner life of the mind, an essential manual for one of nature's most amazing technologies. You'll never think about yourself -- or think about thinking -- quite the same way again." --Steven Johnson, author of Mind Wide Open and The Ghost Map

"People need to know how the brain works. How else can you competently serve on a jury, or vote for what the government should spend money on, or decide what to make of your child having trouble learning to read? But here's the problem: lots of people find science difficult. Welcome to Your Brain is a great solution. Written by two top neuroscientists, it's great on the facts--accurate, up to date, focuses on all the important topics--AND it's crystal clear and witty and irreverent and wonderfully written. This is a terrific book." --Robert Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

"If all scientists could write like this, professional science writers would be out of a job.  Welcome to Your Brain is clear, understandable, entertaining and fascinating.  A description of how, in a noisy room, to hear a caller on your cell phone is just one of the many good reasons to buy this book." --Sandra Blakeslee, co-author, The Body Has a Mind of its Own

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596915234
• ISBN-13: 978-1596915237
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brainy, fascinating fun, March 21, 2008

By 

Amy Tiemann "creator of www.MojoMom.com" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life (Hardcover)

"Welcome to Your Brain" examines the kinds of questions that got me interested in neuroscience 20 years ago when I was a college student fascinated by Oliver Sacks.

The tour of our mental landscape is presented in very short chapters that are punctuated by "Did you know?" "Practical tip" and "Myth" pullout boxes. The scientifically-accurate, up-to-date information covers details about how the brain works, while also providing a plethora of fun dinner-table conversation starters.

"Welcome to Your Brain" provides a great entry point for curious students and anyone interested in learning more about science. It's unusual to find a book that covers both the biological details as well as the science and society issues related to the brain.

So if you are curious why you can't tickle yourself, what the Dalai Lama thinks about reaching enlightenment through "artificial" means like drugs or surgery, and how brain function is related to prejudice, you'll want to check out "Welcome to Your Brain."

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dispelling myths about the brain, March 20, 2008

By 

M. Feller (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life (Hardcover)

This book by two neuroscientists is an outstanding, fun and smart introductory guide to the function of the brain . They explain how the brain does all sorts of cool things for us (what makes you a morning person vs. a late-night person, how your brain complicates trying to lose weight). The books also explains the origin of common myths (do you really only use 10% of your brain? can a knock the head restore memories?) and whether they are true (in these cases, they are not). The great and unusual thing about this book is that they do this based on real neurobiology but they make it accessible to all adults, no matter their educational background.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Demystifing a complex subject with humor and real insight, April 5, 2008

By 

Colin E. England "Colengland" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life (Hardcover)

As a sufferer of Parkinson's disease, one of many Neurological diseases suffered today by millions world wide, I found this book both interesting and informative. It is written with real knowledge -as confirmed by my Neurologist, and with humor and just a little smugness at their debunking many of the myths we have held near and dear.
It is at once informative and interesting and really easy to read. It certainly exceeded my expectation. I have recommended it to many people from my Neurologist and other health professionals, to my fellow Parkinson's sufferers and other interested people.
Unfortunately I still can not remember where I put my car keys, and according to my kids, I have also forgotten how to drive.