Cognitive Neuroscience

Psychologists and neuroscientists struggle with how best to interpret human motivation and decision making. The assumption is that below a mental "surface" of conscious awareness lies a deep and complex set of inner beliefs, values, and desires that govern our thoughts, ideas, and actions, and that to know this depth is to know ourselves. In this profoundly original book, behavioral scientist Nick Chater contends just the opposite: Rather than being the plaything of unconscious currents, the brain generates behaviors in the moment based entirely on our past experiences.

A revolutionary new understanding of identity, showing how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behavior—and how these shared identities can inspire both personal change and social movements. If you're like most people, you probably believe that your identity is...

Named a best book of the year by The Guardian and The Telegraph Why do some people become radicalized? How do ideologies shape the human brain? And how can we unchain our minds from toxic dogmas? In The Ideological Brain, Leor Zmigrod reveals the deep connection between political beliefs and the...

From the author of Proust and the Squid, a lively, ambitious, and deeply informative epistolary book that considers the future of the reading brain and our capacity for critical thinking, empathy, and reflection as we become increasingly dependent on digital technologies. A decade ago, Maryanne...

“A practical, heartfelt manual for anyone who needs to change minds and actions. Lisa Cron shares the art of practical empathy with leaders who care enough to make a difference.”—Seth Godin, author of The Practice A step-by-step guide to using the brain’s hardwired need for story to...

A kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius behind the definitions of colors we use today, from the beloved author of Word by Word begonia (n.): 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer...

A powerful new theory of human nature suggests that our secret to success as a species is our unique friendliness “Brilliant, eye-opening, and absolutely inspiring—and a riveting read. Hare and Woods have written the perfect book for our time.”—Cass R. Sunstein, author of How Change...

The Great Brain is Tom D. Fitzgerald, aged ten. The story is told by J.D., a sometimes confounded but always admiring younger brother. Such people as Mr. Standish, the mean schoolmaster, regret the day they came up against The Great Brain. But others, like the Jensen kids lost in Skeleton Cave...

Sommes-nous vraiment capables de distinguer le génie visionnaire de l'imbécile chanceux ? Pourquoi nous obstinons-nous à vouloir trouver des messages sensés dans des évènements dus au seul hasard ? Et n'aurions-nous pas une fâcheuse tendance à ordonner le réel selon une routine mentale biaisée, plutôt que de le voir tel qu'il est, avec toute son incertitude ?

A “meticulously researched and buoyantly written” (Esquire) look at what happens when we talk to strangers, and why it affects everything from our own health and well-being to the rise and fall of nations in the tradition of Susan Cain’s Quiet and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens “This...

This “smart and fun read, and a valuable way to revitalize your life” (Walter Isaacson) deftly explains how disrupting our well-worn routines, both good and bad, can rejuvenate and reset our brains for the better. Have you ever noticed that what is exciting on Monday tends to become boring...

We’ve all been told that thinking rationally is the key to success. But at the cutting edge of science, researchers are discovering that feeling is every bit as important as thinking. You make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to eat for breakfast to how you should invest, and not one...

A noted neurologist challenges the widespread misunderstanding of brain disease and mental illness. How the Brain Lost Its Mind tells the rich and compelling story of two confounding ailments, syphilis and hysteria, and the extraordinary efforts to confront their effects on mental life. How does...

*Nominated for the 2016 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award* *An NBC News Notable Science Book of 2015* *Named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2015* *A Book of the Month for Brain HQ/Posit Science* *Selected by Forbes as a Must Read Brain Book of 2015* *On Life Changes...

In politics, when reason and emotion collide, emotion invariably wins. In this landmark book, scientist and psychologist Drew Westen shows how electorates vote not with their heads but with their hearts, and how the marketplace that matters most is the marketplace of emotion - filled with values, images, analogies, moral sentiments, and moving oratory.

Have you ever wished you could reprogram your brain, just as a hacker would a computer? In this 3-step guide packed with mind hacking techniques, learn how to take charge of your mind and start reprogramming thought patterns to banish negative thoughts, habits, and anxiety—in just a 21-day...

Is change possible? Everyone who has tried and failed, wished they could be happier, or has been told they were too old to learn something, has wondered why we just seem to be stuck with ourselves. But this amazing and hopeful audiobook shows us that it is not only possible for us to control our...

In the vein of the international bestselling Freakonomics, award-winning journalist Matthew Syed reveals the hidden clues to success—in sports, business, school, and just about anything else that you’d want to be great at. Fans of Predictably Irrational and Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping...

Explore how it is we are able to express and understand emotions; acquire and use language; learn, remember, and plan; and how consciousness and unconscious experiences are shaped by the brain. Build a foundation of biological knowledge, understand the functions of various areas of the brain, and learn how these relate to developmental disorders and mental health problems, as well as the effects of brain damage.

Your brain responds in a predictable way when it encounters new or difficult tasks. This unique book teaches you concrete techniques rooted in cognitive science that will improve the way you learn and think about code. Learn how to optimize your brain’s natural cognitive processes to read code more easily, write code faster, and pick up new languages in much less time. This book will help you through the confusion you feel when faced with strange and complex code, and explain a codebase in ways that can make a new team member productive in days!