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Brain Candy Science. Paradoxes. Puzzles. Logic. and Illogic to Nourish Your Neurons.jpg
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. "From the Trade Paperback edition."
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2010
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798 people want to read
About the author
Garth Sundem
46 books27 followersGarth 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 4, 2019
This is most definitely a dip-into occasionally book. There are some interesting snippets and references to brain activity/development and memory.
It is overly flippant at times and I found some explanations of relatively simple phenomena overly complicated and in a couple of occasions, downright confusing. The layout of the book I found difficult to deal with too, but that's probably more about me than a fault with the book.
However, an entertaining read!
It is overly flippant at times and I found some explanations of relatively simple phenomena overly complicated and in a couple of occasions, downright confusing. The layout of the book I found difficult to deal with too, but that's probably more about me than a fault with the book.
However, an entertaining read!
August 3, 2010
Um, I don't know much about this book but I heard it's really, really good.
November 11, 2012
Just about what it says on the tin: a mixed bag of interesting facts, paradoxes to consider, puzzles, and logic problems to sharpen your brain on. Probably not the best time to choose to read this, as I appear to have flu right now, but it was pretty interesting. It's presented fairly badly, though, everything all mixed up together, and you're always flipping back and forth to the back of the book. Something to dip into more than to sit down and read through, I suppose.
June 25, 2021
From science writer and TED-Ed speaker Garth Sundem comes a Pandora’s box of brain taffy to stuff somewhere in your hippocampus, the bulk of which you’ll probably lose all recollection of shortly after consumption. In a quixotic attempt to ward off this neurological misdemeanor, I’ll take some moments to queue up any residual anamnesis I still have of Garth Sundem’s vat of brain confectionery.
In some ways, I enjoyed Brain Candy, but not in the ways I normally enjoy a book. Also 'book' is not perchance the proper term (something that would not have come as a surprise had I leafed through it pre-purchase rather than spasmodically tossing it in my Amazon shopping cart). Brain Candy is a mixed bag of trivia, brain trials, and interactive questionnaires, spiked with adages about the brain and the latest research, all divvied up into small chunks in more or less random sequence. As such, it's more of an entertaining coffee table accoutrement, or something you'd place within short reach of the lavatory, its viscid morsels laced in such a way that you don't linger too long.
As someone who has scoffed down every crumb tucked between the bindings, I can say it’s meant to be approached in episodes, committed to near-term memory and put aside until a later instance warrants its re-attention. The pages lurch from one topic to the next in such rapid-fire fashion that you’re forced to switch up your train of thought just as it is building speed. No need to overload your cerebrum; I’d hate to see you hopped up on all those sweets anyway. But you want more.
Surface treatment is the enemy of all enemies. And indeed, many topics simply do not sit well with this format. Dissecting the extent to which human and non-human behavior is genetic or environmentally conditioned requires more than a family of paragraphs (p. 90). Probing how human empathy is continuous with other primates and prosocial animals is not an area you can properly canvass in a sub-two-page serving (p. 149). Deconstructing addictive behavior and its underlying neural substrates does not go hand in hand with brevity (p. 125). The differential brain states of those with and without religious convictions is simply not something that can be paraphrased in a sectioned-off word salad (p. 142). Neuroethics? Free will? Don’t even bother.
Alas, this is not recommended for obsessive-compulsives or for those magnetized to detail. Yes, people like yours truly. The narrow snippets prefacing each study are embarrassingly, tantalizingly terse and frequently left me with more questions than answers. Are some people better at thought suppression than others? When interrogating a potential suspect, how does one determine what is and is not an extraneous detail? Is Mr. Sundem available for a Skype Q&A?
A soothing reprieve to the madcap formula served up here is that full citations are provided for many of the excerpts in the back of the book. If one of the topics in particular seizes your interest, you can always follow up with the original research paper. Brain Candy hence registers as a depthless collation priming you for the main entree, if you’re so inclined. Of course, there’s no reason the ADHD types won’t gobble this up. If hastily digestible chestnuts are more your speed, Brain Candy‘s a fine recipe.
There are other treats Sundem crams onto the dinner table. The book is chock full of brain teasers, psychometric and other pop-personality tests, and further topped with visual illusions and “eye hacks” that will infuriate your occipital lobe. Some of the brain teasers are worthwhile, while others barely rise to the level of time-wasters. And missing entirely is the crowning glory of all brain twisters: four men in hats. No excuse for its absence.
The optical legerdemain, moreover, consists of illusions you’ve probably seen before if you’ve had any exposure to the internet. Along the way you’ll also be forced to slurp down a glossary of phobias that I have my doubts are even real. (Automatonophobia—who knew we had created a word for people frightened by ventriloquist dummies?) Some might call much of this filler. Those people would be right. Any more, and I would have unhesitantly slapped on two stars.
Lastly, I cannot close out this review without mentioning the most savory bite in the book. Sundem enumerates a few hapless men who found themselves with nails (yes, nails) and other pointy objects lodged in their brain (p. 60). One man was found to have a two-inch nail embedded in his skull for twelve years before symptoms prompted him to consult a doctor. Another’s suicidal run-in with a nail gun backfired after having twelve nails plunged into his skull. What did he do except stroll into his local hospital complaining of a "mild headache?" Yet another nail gun incident involved a construction worker unbeknowingly firing a four-inch nail through the roof of his mouth, which penetrated clean through to the brain, stopping directly behind his right eye. The man gathered he had a toothache, which he sat on for six days before seeking help from one profoundly bemused dentist. And many of these men recovered with no neurological deficits whatsoever. Extraordinary.
Closing Thoughts
With neuroscience some twenty years or more behind genetics and other interoperable disciplines, it takes some effort to enlist the reader on an empirically sound, up-to-date voyage of the field. Brain Candy may well have been formed with other goals or target audiences in mind, and that’s fine, too. As a mere intellectual stimulant, it gets the job done.
I’m hesitant to label this ‘pop'-science, given the aforementioned citations and scholarly references abutting much of the synopses. But it sure reads like it. Sundem’s an entertaining writer, to be sure, but he leaves too much to the imagination, culminating in a book that’s long on fun and short on substance, like a hyper-condensed Radiolab podcast. There’s also a lot of dull filler that could have, to great benefit, been replaced by meatier exposés on the less permeable topics.
I’m just one taste-tester, however. If a heavily staccatoed collection of brain facts and toothsome studies, logic puzzles, and neurovisual tricks appeals to you, Brain Candy might be the perfect complement to your reading or living room décor.
Note: This review is republished from my official website.
In some ways, I enjoyed Brain Candy, but not in the ways I normally enjoy a book. Also 'book' is not perchance the proper term (something that would not have come as a surprise had I leafed through it pre-purchase rather than spasmodically tossing it in my Amazon shopping cart). Brain Candy is a mixed bag of trivia, brain trials, and interactive questionnaires, spiked with adages about the brain and the latest research, all divvied up into small chunks in more or less random sequence. As such, it's more of an entertaining coffee table accoutrement, or something you'd place within short reach of the lavatory, its viscid morsels laced in such a way that you don't linger too long.
As someone who has scoffed down every crumb tucked between the bindings, I can say it’s meant to be approached in episodes, committed to near-term memory and put aside until a later instance warrants its re-attention. The pages lurch from one topic to the next in such rapid-fire fashion that you’re forced to switch up your train of thought just as it is building speed. No need to overload your cerebrum; I’d hate to see you hopped up on all those sweets anyway. But you want more.
Surface treatment is the enemy of all enemies. And indeed, many topics simply do not sit well with this format. Dissecting the extent to which human and non-human behavior is genetic or environmentally conditioned requires more than a family of paragraphs (p. 90). Probing how human empathy is continuous with other primates and prosocial animals is not an area you can properly canvass in a sub-two-page serving (p. 149). Deconstructing addictive behavior and its underlying neural substrates does not go hand in hand with brevity (p. 125). The differential brain states of those with and without religious convictions is simply not something that can be paraphrased in a sectioned-off word salad (p. 142). Neuroethics? Free will? Don’t even bother.
Alas, this is not recommended for obsessive-compulsives or for those magnetized to detail. Yes, people like yours truly. The narrow snippets prefacing each study are embarrassingly, tantalizingly terse and frequently left me with more questions than answers. Are some people better at thought suppression than others? When interrogating a potential suspect, how does one determine what is and is not an extraneous detail? Is Mr. Sundem available for a Skype Q&A?
A soothing reprieve to the madcap formula served up here is that full citations are provided for many of the excerpts in the back of the book. If one of the topics in particular seizes your interest, you can always follow up with the original research paper. Brain Candy hence registers as a depthless collation priming you for the main entree, if you’re so inclined. Of course, there’s no reason the ADHD types won’t gobble this up. If hastily digestible chestnuts are more your speed, Brain Candy‘s a fine recipe.
There are other treats Sundem crams onto the dinner table. The book is chock full of brain teasers, psychometric and other pop-personality tests, and further topped with visual illusions and “eye hacks” that will infuriate your occipital lobe. Some of the brain teasers are worthwhile, while others barely rise to the level of time-wasters. And missing entirely is the crowning glory of all brain twisters: four men in hats. No excuse for its absence.
The optical legerdemain, moreover, consists of illusions you’ve probably seen before if you’ve had any exposure to the internet. Along the way you’ll also be forced to slurp down a glossary of phobias that I have my doubts are even real. (Automatonophobia—who knew we had created a word for people frightened by ventriloquist dummies?) Some might call much of this filler. Those people would be right. Any more, and I would have unhesitantly slapped on two stars.
Lastly, I cannot close out this review without mentioning the most savory bite in the book. Sundem enumerates a few hapless men who found themselves with nails (yes, nails) and other pointy objects lodged in their brain (p. 60). One man was found to have a two-inch nail embedded in his skull for twelve years before symptoms prompted him to consult a doctor. Another’s suicidal run-in with a nail gun backfired after having twelve nails plunged into his skull. What did he do except stroll into his local hospital complaining of a "mild headache?" Yet another nail gun incident involved a construction worker unbeknowingly firing a four-inch nail through the roof of his mouth, which penetrated clean through to the brain, stopping directly behind his right eye. The man gathered he had a toothache, which he sat on for six days before seeking help from one profoundly bemused dentist. And many of these men recovered with no neurological deficits whatsoever. Extraordinary.
Closing Thoughts
With neuroscience some twenty years or more behind genetics and other interoperable disciplines, it takes some effort to enlist the reader on an empirically sound, up-to-date voyage of the field. Brain Candy may well have been formed with other goals or target audiences in mind, and that’s fine, too. As a mere intellectual stimulant, it gets the job done.
I’m hesitant to label this ‘pop'-science, given the aforementioned citations and scholarly references abutting much of the synopses. But it sure reads like it. Sundem’s an entertaining writer, to be sure, but he leaves too much to the imagination, culminating in a book that’s long on fun and short on substance, like a hyper-condensed Radiolab podcast. There’s also a lot of dull filler that could have, to great benefit, been replaced by meatier exposés on the less permeable topics.
I’m just one taste-tester, however. If a heavily staccatoed collection of brain facts and toothsome studies, logic puzzles, and neurovisual tricks appeals to you, Brain Candy might be the perfect complement to your reading or living room décor.
Note: This review is republished from my official website.
April 23, 2013
I went through every page in this book reading the studies, doing some of the personality tests and skipping all the logic problems. I checked it out of the library because it quoted a study that said drinkers are less likely to develop dementia. Has some beautiful handwriting samples.
September 8, 2012
The puzzles are simple and worn, the stacattoed sound bites too inconsistent (and done better in other books) and the Zen moments patently absurd.
Weak effort. Should be one star, but it might entertain some.
Weak effort. Should be one star, but it might entertain some.
December 29, 2019
A cute little book full of bits and pieces you might find in headlines, or in the pages of your favorite magazine. Not quite sure everything rang true, and it could have been set up better (not having little bits cross over two pages, having the answers in the back more organized (and complete)
August 10, 2021
I was hoping for more puzzles and paradoxes, so this isn't quite the book I was expecting. It is mostly phychology with a fair amount of psychiatry, zoology, sociology and neuroscience. A fairly heavy diet, and I have my doubts about some of the conclusions.
February 10, 2022
DNF as I felt like he was making ridiculous sweeping statements from one study often times. I looked at reference section and each chapter was just his summary of one article often.
March 8, 2023
This was fun!
April 21, 2016
For starters, this had one of the most amazingly on the nose titles I have ever seen associated to a book. I mean, the metaphor goes deep. This book is essentially junk food for the mind, a collection of succulent facts (?) that grab your attention but you quickly forget about as you consume more and more. You know its bad for you, it's wrong, but you just keep going for one more bite, and hey look! another puzzle. I found that the premise did a good job of putting the book above reproach by specifically mentioned the need for skepticism while reading. As a scientist, I personally enjoy being skeptical about claims.
That said, his way of formatting everything into these bite-sized snippets resulted in some pretty poorly constructed explanations. I was personally disturbed when he proposed using logical fallacies to use as arguments in a discussion. The whole point of these things is that they are a sign of a poorly constructed argument! Yes, that might be good advice for messing with a hotheaded teenager, but to anyone who knows anything about logic, you'll just seem like an idiot.
Also, he presented some puzzles that were so poorly formulated as to be inaccurate (or unsolvable), which, as anyone knows, can get very frustrating. Example (spoiler?): one problem involves meeting your mother between your two homes to pass off a dog, and the problem includes the statement "You live an hour's drive apart, at 7:30 a.m you'll both start driving...you want to get back as soon as possible. Should you leave a little earlier or later than 7:30?" and then the answer goes "if you mash the pedal at 5:30, you could make it home by 6:15". What. The. Hell. Why don't I just leave the night before? or take my jetpack. And by what magic did a 2 hour trip turn into a 45 minute road race? The whole point of meeting in the middle was that it wouldn't take more than an hour's drive in the first place. If the aim of this puzzle was to provoke the reader into enumerating all the things that are wrong with it, then I tip my hat to you, sir, it worked.
A lot of his little brain hacks didn't seem to work, either. Chewing while using scissors? really?
After having (almost) finished my BA in psychology, I can safely say to have heard about the great majority of his brain/psych facts (the ones involving references). A good deal were well consolidated pieces of information, but others needed a bit more critical thinking on his part. The self test quizzes started getting on my nerves, essentially since they were nothing more than a horoscope using pop psy terms.
All in all, I thought the premise was interesting, it gave me quite a few conversation starters, but poor execution.
That said, his way of formatting everything into these bite-sized snippets resulted in some pretty poorly constructed explanations. I was personally disturbed when he proposed using logical fallacies to use as arguments in a discussion. The whole point of these things is that they are a sign of a poorly constructed argument! Yes, that might be good advice for messing with a hotheaded teenager, but to anyone who knows anything about logic, you'll just seem like an idiot.
Also, he presented some puzzles that were so poorly formulated as to be inaccurate (or unsolvable), which, as anyone knows, can get very frustrating. Example (spoiler?): one problem involves meeting your mother between your two homes to pass off a dog, and the problem includes the statement "You live an hour's drive apart, at 7:30 a.m you'll both start driving...you want to get back as soon as possible. Should you leave a little earlier or later than 7:30?" and then the answer goes "if you mash the pedal at 5:30, you could make it home by 6:15". What. The. Hell. Why don't I just leave the night before? or take my jetpack. And by what magic did a 2 hour trip turn into a 45 minute road race? The whole point of meeting in the middle was that it wouldn't take more than an hour's drive in the first place. If the aim of this puzzle was to provoke the reader into enumerating all the things that are wrong with it, then I tip my hat to you, sir, it worked.
A lot of his little brain hacks didn't seem to work, either. Chewing while using scissors? really?
After having (almost) finished my BA in psychology, I can safely say to have heard about the great majority of his brain/psych facts (the ones involving references). A good deal were well consolidated pieces of information, but others needed a bit more critical thinking on his part. The self test quizzes started getting on my nerves, essentially since they were nothing more than a horoscope using pop psy terms.
All in all, I thought the premise was interesting, it gave me quite a few conversation starters, but poor execution.
July 1, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and Amusing Brain Reading
August 30, 2010
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.
Interesting and Amusing Brain Reading
August 30, 2010
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.
September 20, 2010
This was a fun book. It is a collection of short little facts/stories/studies about the brain (none of them more than a few paragraphs). The format made it easy to read in small chunks, which was nice. When I started it, I kept thinking how it was like reading a bunch of mini episodes of RadioLab. Funny enough, the book actually ended up referencing the "Parasites" episode, and there were several other stories/studies along the way that I remembered also hearing on RadioLab. You will probably feel a little smarter after you read this book and there are lots of moments that make you say "whoah!"
March 30, 2011
One Sweet Cerebellem
You need some brain power? Brain Candy by Garth Sundem is one nutritious book. Learn about parts of the brain, phobias, optical illusions, and another grab bag of goodies. Enjoy a fun way to boost your IQ.
Country music causes suicide, ways to win any conversation, carrot math? In each subject- it shows you what you're brain does and how. There was once a prince who thought he was a cow! Also- a King who's horse was a Preist and Consul! Fun facts and good thinking.
So, if you love the brain as much as I do, then you need to read this book. It makes learning fun. Enjoy!
You need some brain power? Brain Candy by Garth Sundem is one nutritious book. Learn about parts of the brain, phobias, optical illusions, and another grab bag of goodies. Enjoy a fun way to boost your IQ.
Country music causes suicide, ways to win any conversation, carrot math? In each subject- it shows you what you're brain does and how. There was once a prince who thought he was a cow! Also- a King who's horse was a Preist and Consul! Fun facts and good thinking.
So, if you love the brain as much as I do, then you need to read this book. It makes learning fun. Enjoy!
July 12, 2014
This is a wonderful book, filled with science, facts, puzzles, visual illusions... I liked this book so much, I went out and bought it. And have since re-read it twice. The very best part of the book is the beginning chapter where it discusses trepanation. WOW. I personally got some odd looks because of the snort-laughter it caused to erupt out of me while I was waiting for my laundry to finish. The author has a great wit about him which turns a somewhat dry subject into one that is thoroughly enjoyed.
March 31, 2012
Potentially a really interesting book, with lots of random facts about how our brains work. However, I found the format of the book really hard to follow and the topics not all that interesting. Might be a book to check out from the library as I can't validate if you will find it interesting or not. And I usually love these types of books with lots of facts about our brains!
July 24, 2012
Brain Candy, by Garth Sundem, is an eclectic collection of statistics, studies, and stories about how our brains work. Sundem haphazardly arranges the minutiae of cognitive facts in an almost 300 page deluge. Some of this stuff is actually super interesting and would make for great conversation topics, but the book wore on me as I neared the ending.
July 1, 2016
Brain Candy is a collection of scientific facts and logic puzzles that seem to be geared towards the ‘those who read on the toilet club’ (of whom I do not count myself a member). There are some interesting tid-bits of information to be found, but the brevity with which each topic is covered doesn’t lend itself to depth. Moderately interesting.
August 17, 2011
Full of interesting tid-bits and studies, it is certainly an entertaining read. Though it may not let you in on any deep knowledge of neuroscience or anatomy it does offer interesting info about what makes us "tic." Good for light reading when you have time to spare.
October 13, 2011
I bought this book by accident and I loved it. It is a compilation of short stories, facts and puzzles related to the brain. I found it really fun and somehow I learned a lot of stuff about the brain.
August 23, 2010
Loved it!!! Filled with fun brain facts and logic puzzles.
November 29, 2010
Ok bathroom book...a few interesting items and a lot of uninteresting ones.
October 21, 2010
While generally interesting, there's not much book there and much of the thin volume is filled with credits and attributions.
April 28, 2011
I learned that coffee and cigarettes make you smarter! I dislike both of those things, but I might try them, just for the experience. The coffee, I mean. Hehe.
September 30, 2011
fun, lots and lots of tidbits and things I was not in the know of regarding science, which is rare, recommended table top or page by page for stimulating past-time
October 31, 2011
have seen before
December 4, 2011
A good filler, with a nice mix of anecdotes and puzzles.
August 17, 2014
not what i thought it was going to be....
August 18, 2012
This book was a lot of fun to read. I recommend it to anyone who likes to learn useless yet interesting/knowledgeable information. I learned a lot.
September 12, 2012
When it was the puzzles/games, it was tons of fun. The other half of the book was dull.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews