Brain Trust: 93 Top Scientists Reveal Lab-Tested Secrets to Surfing, Dating, Dieting, Gambling, Growing Man-Eating Plants, and More!

by Garth Sundem

Blind Them…with SCIENCE! How much better would your life be if you had an army of Nobel Laureates, MacArthur ‘geniuses’ and National Medal of Science winners whispering tips in your ear about your body language, or how to resist that impulse purchase you’ll regret tomorrow, or when to sell your car—or even helping you trick your spouse into doing the dishes?  With this mighty little tome, you can have the next best thing--because Brain Trust is packed with bite-sized scientific wisdom on our everyday challenges, hand-delivered to you direct from the galaxy’s biggest brains.  Based entirely on interviews with an incredible lineup of luminaries from the fields of neuroscience, economics, anthropology, music, mathematics, and more, Brain Trust is full of cutting-edge science that’ll help you see the real world better—and smarter.     --what advanced math can teach you about getting all your chores done today --how creating a ‘future self’ can help you shop smarter at the grocery store--what prairie voles can teach us about love--how the science of happiness can help you trick lawyers into doing charity work --the components of gullibility, and how they can help you scam-proof yourself--the secrets to building your very own army of cyborg beetles --how memetic information can help you exploit altruism for good…or evil--why eating for eight hours can help you lose weight--the behavioral economics behind selling your junk for big bucks on eBay--how to get more plasure for less price…And much, much more.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Reference, Audiobook, Brain

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

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.

Reviews

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewing this book is conflicting. On the one hand, it provides insight into behavioral choices and evolutionary patterns. This alone promises the knowledge of being able to better understand and thus manipulate undesirable situations into more favorable outcomes. I'm positive that this alone is what drew so many readers to pick up this book and start reading. And certainly, some of the essays deliver such acumen. However, this book attempts to wrap complex concepts into a book that is insultingly dumbed down and does not provide the understanding behind theories, making the reader wonder what leads to such wide postulations.

First, this book is terribly written. Forget the weak sentence structures and questionable verb choices. What makes the essays painful to read is that the author tries to be funny with side quips in essays where such a personal characteristic is probably lacking. I wondered why the guy was trying to be funny in this book -- I picked it up to engage in cognitive science, not hoping for something along the lines of David Sedaris. What the quips do is fill the pages with extraneous information, rather than getting to the point.

Second, the essays are too short and barely scratch the surface, mostly providing the reader a roadmap as to the conclusion. To then believe it because some "scientist" deemed it true in a lab is to engage in dogma. To do the opposite is to be frustrated at not being able to engage further in an idea. I find these two options insulting and infuriating. Does Garth Sundem think that by not having a science background, his readers can't understand a thorough explanation and should therefore just accept it as truth? Perhaps he thinks we are not going to understand, but that should be decided by the reader presented with a soundly argued theory. Just read any New York Times article on decision making -- it's articulated clearly so as to leave a reader (without a science background) with a cogent understanding. What I'm saying is that it CAN be done. If Wikipedia can explain concepts like quantum gravity and Hawking's work in the field, surely a book on better decision making can do the same. This book, after all, tries to make science more accessible to non-scientists. Yet, it should do so without asking readers to engage in ignorant acceptance.

But alas, this book is not a one star. A reader can walk away with at least a handful of tips to employ on their next trip to the supermarket or maybe have something interesting to discuss at a cocktail party. And that, perhaps, is enough.

[EeeJay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly one of the best books I've read this year (and the year's just started, yay!) - What I loved about this book is it's ability to suck you in right away in it's folds. I am a scientist and obviously this book made a lot of sense to me since I'm one of those people who question their lot in life. (If you wanna see my queries, here you go )But, I can also see people from all walks of life benefiting from this book. There's scientific info about health, wealth, love and life which would appeal to any thinking person combined with examples which are easy to understand and interesting. An obvious comparison for this scientific study is of course the book 'Freakonomics', except this book is MUCH more data-sturdy. It doesn't just say one thing. It proves it. I can't wait to discuss the related material with my folks. They'll eat this sort of info up and debate it with respect to their own experiences.

The Beef: I'm sorry, I'm not from a country where gambling's popular (or baseball or car racing) - so the sports portion of it was pretty much wasted (as well as speed-dating...Oh, well!) - Info on Cricket was good, though.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, entertaining summary of applicable scientific discoveries.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pop science books aren't usually my thing, but this one had its interesting points. Brain Trust consists of many little essays relating science to problem-solving. It definitely doesn't go into very much detail, but usually the author included some information that you could use to Google the science further if you were so inclined. I enjoyed my read, but I don't think a lot of the knowledge in the book will stick with me; maybe the parts about body language when flirting or eating within the span of 12 hours, but I can't say things like how to fold the perfect paper airplane are really that relevant to my life. That being said, there are such a wide variety of subjects covered in this book that I'm sure different parts will find their place in the consciousness of different people. Above all, it is entertaining.

Sometimes I like books that are divided in lots of little parts because I can pick them up and put them down pretty easily and don't feel too guilty leaving them to sit for a few weeks before resuming my read. This book took me over a month to finish because I did just that. It would probably make a great addition to the bookshelf of a classroom or make an interesting read on a vacation, where you could regale your friends with tidbits of knowledge as you wait to board planes or sit around in a hotel room. It just didn't capture my interest very much.

[Dwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for Christmas. Was a bit slow in starting it but, once I did, I found it most interesting. There are lots of insights into many of the things we do in everyday life. Tends to make you think differently about a lot of them. The book has puzzles every so often. I brushed them over and didn't really consider any of them. When I got to the end of the book I found all the puzzles answered and, in looking them over, I rather wished I had taken the time to try to figure them out as I went along. If you are thinking of reading it, don't make the same mistake. Think of it as a nice change of pace and enjoy yourself.

[Rick Bavera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Brain Trust does a good job of talking about "trivial" things, like making paper airplanes, the colors needed on a map, delayed gratification, or how to scam-proof yourself. The items are "useful" trivia, and the author talks to various "experts" on the subjects he deals with, approximately 100, so that he can get the "scoop" on how to implement the ideas he explores.
The book also contains 18 puzzles/brain teasers, with solutions at the back of the book.

Good exercise in exercising your brain with some fun yet useful trivia.

This book review is for a Goodreads/First Reads book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book series that I enjoyed reading in the past was Imponderables, and this book reminded me a lot of those books with the added benefit of having studies back up the information that it provides. I found myself sharing much of the information I learned with my friends and family. If you enjoy learning random facts and information I highly recommend this book. I received this book as a first reads win.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like books like this every once in awhile. I feel like I'm learning soooooo much. Unfortunately, no sooner than I close the book, I manage to forget everything, almost.
I am then left with a vague, almost dream like memory of useless facts.

But because of my ever present optimism, I know that this time, I am over 100% smarter after reading this book.

Truth be told, this a great and fun read. I would recommend this book to all.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when somebody that is very very good at something gives you adice over the thing he knows better? You'd probably have a book like this, full of many interesting advices and tips or only informations that could make your life easier!
THANKS TO NEGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE FOR THE PREVIEW

[Stray]

I am really looking forward to this one!

[Yawar]

read it

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like the spazzy kid on the train in the Polar Express rattling facts off at you. Half the time the ideas were cool, but then not expanded on. In the end I don't even know what I learned. I think this book should have been more of a blog, but I suppose books can make one more money.

[Joshua McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a 5/5!
Absolutely loved it.

Here's a short video review:
https://youtu.be/dQqof00t134

[Shreyas Gokhale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Out of the 93 things, I found less than a handful to be useful. Wouldn't recommend at all!

[Mary Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I'm enjoying the wide variety of introductions to expert opinion on a vast degree of disciplines.
Provides many areas of study and labs.to look into further.
There is mild advertising.

[Alex Boyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because I found it sitting on a shelve in my dad's bedroom. And the cover looked fairly new so I looked at the date it was published; 2011. I felt in luck. I had been seeking for something that was published in 2011 or 2012.

As you guessed, Brain Trust fits under the category; 'A book written in 2011 or 2012' This category is interesting as you can compare the different ages of novels with each other. And see how some themes are more popular at different times. But I didn't have the time to do that.

My favorite quote from this paperback was the title of one of the sections in it; "Eat more to eat less" because I liked the sound of it. It turns out that if you think of eating a lot you will feel like you've already eaten.And resist the urge to eat more. I guess it's like more talk less action. It explains how I keep saying I'll study but it takes me a while to get into it. Because I kept thinking about studying.

Something new I learnt from this book was it is easiest to steal things when in plain sight(Of course I wouldn't really do that). As less people notice when it's in plain sight than they do when someone is sneakily doing it behind them.

There aren't really any characters or settings in this novel as it is non-fiction and about science. But I must say some of the scientists were pretty awesome! One can even make you a third robotic arm if you want.

Overall, I'd give this novel a 2 out of 5. BECAUSE some of the titles were misleading as it wouldn't exactly teach you how to build a robotic 3rd arm. (disappointing, but realistic)

[Specialk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I mean, what was this?

Mini-essays on how to do certain things better using science. And okay, some of the science was sort of cool, but do you know how much is applicable to your life? Almost none. When talking about how to get better at Scrabble, we get one pseudo-usable piece of information (think about the value of the letters your leaving and what letters you might pull), but really, most hardcore Scrabble players are already doing this to some level. The other option? Memorize this list of 40 words, plus a couple of 'Bingos' (7 letter words in Scrabble). A) Not science B) Not happening.

Want to be better at basketball? Bust out your protractor from grade school.

This was a disappointment, and the only thing I think it got me to improve on was my accuracy at slamming books down in disgust.

Wait. Nope. Not even that. Did this on audio. Where the author reads. Why do authors always insist on reading their own books? I mean it's cost effective, but really, there's a reason you're an author and not a voice actor.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a total science geek, so I was really happy when I won Brain Trust on Goodreads. There were parts of this book that blew my mind, including "Eat for Eight Hours, Lose Weight", "How & When to Overrule Choice", Might As Well Face It: Addicted to Love". A couple of the sections were a little difficult to understand, but that's probably because I've got a non-scientific pea brain rather than any flaw of the author. In fact, I was in awe that he could explain such complicated scientific findings in a clear & consise way. The puzzles interspersed throught the book were fun too. I wish the book was organized a little better, with sections to do with biology, anthroplogy, economics, etc. as it was a little spastic to read at times. Otherwise than that, this was a fun & extremely informative read. I highly recommend it!!

[Long Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable casual read, with doses of the author's personality popping into the writing every now and again. Perhaps a little too often at times, but that's hardly a penalty when moving between interesting topics. Perhaps the best way to be read is in small doses, which the short sections lend themselves to quite nicely.

Although the theories and research presented is very summarized, the topics discussed are readily available for the most part online should any one choose to dive deeper. It is presented for a general audience to get acquainted with, so anyone with a deeper understanding of a certain topic may be a little put-off by the style. But they should remember that one point, they too were unfamiliar, and it was a book such as this one that prompted them to further discovery, and possibly a passionate love of the field.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another addition to the pop "brain science" books I've been enjoying this year. This is a series of 1-5 page essays based on interviews with brilliant scientists. I did not know that behavioral economics was a field! There's a nice mix of psych and behavior with more physical sciences, and it is really fascinating. The author has a nice, self-deprecating sense of humor, and brings it all down to laymen's terms. From eating to speed dating, to making a goal in soccer or folding a world record paper airplane, this book is full of neat facts and insights into the process of being human.

[Zahir · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entertaining, but also kind of overly simplistic read. More than anything, reading this book felt more like reading someone's personal blog.

Have to give the author credit for exploring scientific studies in the areas of behavioral science, physics, etc. and then trying to explain the concepts in plain English to lay people. Instead what he winds up doing is making snarky comments and what he believes are witty quips. The scientific concepts are interesting, but many for many of them his explanation is confusing and doesn't come across clearly. At times it felt like a book meant for middle schoolers.

Overall entertaining, but entirely forgettable.

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stuff.
This book is fast paced, sometimes funny, and most important...interesting. It jumps fast from one topic to the next...from neurology to mathematical puzzles to aerodynamics of paper airplanes...and back to serious stuff in psychology.
If any of the mentioned facts interest you, the author included searchwords by which you can find pertinent data or videos on the internet. If some facts bore you...no worries...the next chapter will come soon.
All in all...well written, if a bit simplistic broad-spectrum book of facts...I would recommend it to people with many points of interest...or to those just begining to dabble in science.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really enjoyable read. The author has a very humorous writing style that helped make the reading funny and entertaining. Some of the "secrets" were really interesting to read about. Some were a little over my head and I didn't really care for. But you can't like everything. Also, the secrets were in very short sections (usually only a couple pages long at most) so it easy to read one more section quick before a class or during a commercial break on my TV show. Definitely an interesting book.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book full of live short vignettes about things that various scientists have discovered. I found several of them intersting, but a very few of them applicable to my life. The most interesting one to me was one about the captchas (little oddly printed words that you have to type when creating a new account for something on the internet) and how they are being used to decode old texts. Several of the vignettes were about gambling or other things that I'll never do. But there is also some interesting social science in there about how people behave in various situations.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it looks like that the author is just collecting random experiments to let us know that science can be applied in all situations. But I don't think that's what the author wanted. I wouldn't try to escape tickets by fawning the police using probability and psychology. But after reading this book you do have a brand new idea about how things could be done differently. With the mathematical way of shooting, you can possibly made up that 0.1 foot disadvantage in a game. I do recommend this book for people interested in science and people who are a bit closed-minded.

[Metta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of life hacks that are supported by scientific experiments. You learn the different tips and tricks to handling different issues in your life. There are many lifestyle hacks that got to do with keeping yourself healthy, and helping you lead a better life.

Sundem also explained many psychological effects that are very commonly used in marketing and policies today. The book is a very condense and simplified guide to the many curious things in life that is happening around us. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious and just wants to know more about the world.

[Velvet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with nuggets of information, little bite-sized articles, which make it great for sharing with others and is addictive enough that it's impossible to put down. I made the mistake of loaning it out before I was finished with it, and these two friends (one an English teacher and the other a math teacher)have enjoyed it so much, I can't get them to return it. I received this as a Goodreads giveaway, but I think I'm going to have to PURCHASE another copy just so I can finish it.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a blast reading this book and learned a bunch of information about new topics I'd never even considered before. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that a couple of the essays Seemed like throwaways. The puzzles were fun and I'll definitely be referencing the notes I made!

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband and I enjoyed the book overall. Of course, the evolutionary bias was obvious, hence the 3 star rating. It was actually obvious to us that what was attributed to evolution just reaffirmed the design of the Creator. Some topics made total sense while others were surprising. If you like random facts, this book is right up your alley.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wont this book as a goodreads giveaway and as a person who loves random facts this book really drew me in. Although I wouldn't recommend reading this book cover to cover it is great in short bursts. So if you like random fact please do read on.