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New Scientist: Instant Expert
How Your Brain Works: Inside the most complicated object in the universe
WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU?
Ever wondered what's going on inside your head? The brain has long been a source of fascination. In 1819, the radical thinker and surgeon William Lawrence put it like this: "It is strongly suspected that a Newton or Shakespeare excels other mortals only... by having an extra inch of brain in the right place."
Today, many such suspicions are certainties. We understand the structures of the brain, minor and major, and their roles in making us who we are. We can record electrical signals from individual brain cells or networks of them. Imaging technology lets us see both snapshots of the brain and also videos of it in action. We can follow connections within the brain and watch them reform after an injury.
How Your Brain Works explores what's going on inside your head, and what makes you, you. It looks at techniques for controlling the brain using electric and magnetic fields, as well as investigating the latest technologies that allow you to control the outside world using your mind alone.
ABOUT THE SERIES
New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.
Ever wondered what's going on inside your head? The brain has long been a source of fascination. In 1819, the radical thinker and surgeon William Lawrence put it like this: "It is strongly suspected that a Newton or Shakespeare excels other mortals only... by having an extra inch of brain in the right place."
Today, many such suspicions are certainties. We understand the structures of the brain, minor and major, and their roles in making us who we are. We can record electrical signals from individual brain cells or networks of them. Imaging technology lets us see both snapshots of the brain and also videos of it in action. We can follow connections within the brain and watch them reform after an injury.
How Your Brain Works explores what's going on inside your head, and what makes you, you. It looks at techniques for controlling the brain using electric and magnetic fields, as well as investigating the latest technologies that allow you to control the outside world using your mind alone.
ABOUT THE SERIES
New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 22, 2017
As ever with the New Scientist books, this is a great introduction to a topic — and in this case, it’s a fairly narrow topic: the brain, and how it works. It’s not just a collection of stuff that’s appeared in the other collections, although I think a few of the info boxes and so on did come from other New Scientist publications originally. It’s also based on one of their Instant Expert courses, a great series of events that I do recommend if they cover a topic you’re interested in.
For me, even without my degree, this was a fairly simplistic view of the brain — “instant expert” isn’t quite what you’d become from reading it, I’d feel. “Instantly more informed and able to understand further information with a good foundation,” perhaps.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
For me, even without my degree, this was a fairly simplistic view of the brain — “instant expert” isn’t quite what you’d become from reading it, I’d feel. “Instantly more informed and able to understand further information with a good foundation,” perhaps.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
July 10, 2021
I learned a lot! It's interesting to know that female brain is vulnerable to mental illnesses and male brain is prone to develop autism. The book makes aware of what is going on with myself. I'm in my 20s. This book informs that my brain is at the stage of "quietly learning to focus on the good things in life." Stress is normal for people of my age.
I also learn that people age 65 and above remember negative experience less that young people. So, chill everyone! We will get through this negative experiences and won't bother much about it when we're about to die.
I also learn that people age 65 and above remember negative experience less that young people. So, chill everyone! We will get through this negative experiences and won't bother much about it when we're about to die.
July 5, 2017
"Instant expert", I now know why people have tendency to fight research with single-random-events and meta-analyses with single research in discussions - they probably believe in "instant" fast thought system things to be the answer for anything :-D Well, that's also probably one of reasons we still have religions... :(
OK, back to book, it wouldn't make you ant instant "expert", there are much more in-depth books that lead to new "aha" moments.
OK, back to book, it wouldn't make you ant instant "expert", there are much more in-depth books that lead to new "aha" moments.
October 5, 2017
I love brain stuff so much
February 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, not as much a fiction stories but I learned so much from this book. I am taking a psychology class right now and it has me so interested on what goes on in our head. This book dumbed down the basics, I’ll be learning of it soon enough for nursing so really enjoyed learned about it all. I highlighted and bookmarked so many pages in this book that I hope to come back to one day! I recommend this book to everyone!
November 14, 2025
The book is a very good introduction to how our brain works starting from what it is made from to its functions. I learned a lot specially that it’s research based and talks about the evolution of neurology research to understand the brain! It also gave me an understanding of how I can deal with my brain and emotions. If you are not into scientific research. This book is not for you.
October 23, 2017
This book is a good collection of various topics in neuroscience. It is well organized, nevertheless, I did not find anything new.
May 30, 2020
I’ve really enjoyed my journey with this book. It wasn’t a light reading indeed. The subject itself is very complicated which is why I took a long time to comprehend it even though I’m a biology student. I’m giving it 4 stars because I think it could have been presented in a simpler way by providing more illustrations or a cheat sheet. The last few chapters are fairly easier but I didn’t get enough of them since they provided merely theories and predictions of the future.
Nevertheless, I still would recommend it for people who are new to the subject and want to start with a good book.
Nevertheless, I still would recommend it for people who are new to the subject and want to start with a good book.
May 1, 2021
Brief summaries of a few topics regarding the brain, the chapters average around 20 pages and include titles like 'memory', 'intelligence', 'emotions', 'consciousness', 'sleep', etc. There's a few interesting anecdotes in here and honestly that's why I decided to pick it up when it was on offer in a local bookshop so I can't complain about it being more of an introduction. Not really for those that already know a reasonable amount about the brains workings.
May 5, 2017
Quick read, yet comprehensive enough to cover most of the bases. Well done.
June 7, 2022
Try reading about the brain in wikipedia and watch a few short videos of neuroscience in youtube instead of wasting your time reading this book.
June 15, 2022
This book was put into the last monthly meeting of my book club. No one seemed interested so I took it to read. But I didn't finish this. Which is most unusual for me. But some time ago I decided that if a book hadn't grabbed me by page 80 or up to 100, then sorry, moving on. And you would think the topic of the brain written in plain-as English, with diagrams, easily relevant anecdotes, it would be very accessible and easy to read. And it was, but there are lot of words that don't actually tell you very much. The chapters are short, each one a different topic but the surface is barely touched on any of the subjects. I kept wanting to know more - three pages on the senses ? Four pages on emotional intelligence? Maybe we are supposed to take on the suggested titles in the bibliography. Overall I felt like I was reading articles from a weekend newspaper magazine supplement, or a lifestyle type magazine.
April 19, 2018
Full review at https://bronzelock619.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-your-brain-works-inside-most.html.
Even though this book claimed to help its readers learn about how our brains work, much of the science of how brains work, such as the different parts and the process of signal transduction, only occupy around 20 percent of the book. It as interesting to read, as it had a lot of fascinating facts, such as how some animals, like dolphins and seals, sleep with half their brain asleep and half awake, the differences in the brain in the different stages in our lives, why 8 hours became the magical number for sleep, and more. It also included things like Five things for kids, Ten quotes, and Five jokes, all of which I just find to be really corny.
Most of the book, though, were theories on controversial subjects, such as the purpose of emotion, if the IQ of the human population is indeed declining, and the differences between male and female brains, with experiment results that were contradictory and in the end, rather inconclusive.
While this book is quite informative, and quite good for some light reading, it is not meant to be used as an educational textbook.
Even though this book claimed to help its readers learn about how our brains work, much of the science of how brains work, such as the different parts and the process of signal transduction, only occupy around 20 percent of the book. It as interesting to read, as it had a lot of fascinating facts, such as how some animals, like dolphins and seals, sleep with half their brain asleep and half awake, the differences in the brain in the different stages in our lives, why 8 hours became the magical number for sleep, and more. It also included things like Five things for kids, Ten quotes, and Five jokes, all of which I just find to be really corny.
Most of the book, though, were theories on controversial subjects, such as the purpose of emotion, if the IQ of the human population is indeed declining, and the differences between male and female brains, with experiment results that were contradictory and in the end, rather inconclusive.
While this book is quite informative, and quite good for some light reading, it is not meant to be used as an educational textbook.
May 4, 2020
الكتاب مجملًا يعتبر جيد، لكن كنت أعتقد أن يكون أسلوب الكتابة أسلوب قصصي، والذي اتضح لي، أنه يعتبر مجلة علمية أكثر من كتاب، بسبب تجميع المعلومات ومحاولة حشرها في
صفحات قليلة.
ينفع الكتاب للأشخاص اللي أول مره يقرون في هذا المجال، بينما المنغمسين فيه، أنا متأكد أن معلومات هذا الكتاب معروفة.
في النهاية يعتبر كتاب ثري بالمعلومات التي قد تفيد القارئ في هذا المجال.
صفحات قليلة.
ينفع الكتاب للأشخاص اللي أول مره يقرون في هذا المجال، بينما المنغمسين فيه، أنا متأكد أن معلومات هذا الكتاب معروفة.
في النهاية يعتبر كتاب ثري بالمعلومات التي قد تفيد القارئ في هذا المجال.
May 21, 2020
I expected thia book to be easy to read-book. But i was wrong. There's so many explanation about researches in this book, and i find quite hard for me to understand it
Maybe it's a good book for some people,but it's not my cup of tea
Maybe it's a good book for some people,but it's not my cup of tea
August 14, 2017
a nice one to reads less technical torturous
I found lot of books about brain are so technical and one point of time, it resembles as if..... You are reading a text book
This one was awesome
I found lot of books about brain are so technical and one point of time, it resembles as if..... You are reading a text book
This one was awesome
October 21, 2017
I loved every page of it.
October 27, 2017
it shows you all the possible "point of views" , but somehow doesn't get you to a conclusion .
December 14, 2017
It is a great book based on cutting edge researches. I like how chapters organized. Also,this book is amazing because they conclude visual figures, statistics and interviews.
November 13, 2018
Interesting and easy to read.
February 21, 2019
Good for a quick skim overview of brain science
April 8, 2019
Great book. I think I am going to read it again and take some notes this time. I should have done that the first time. Interesting read and a good intro to the topic.
March 1, 2022
well explained concepts. very easy to connect with what author is trying to explain. above all lot of useful tips.
October 24, 2023
Decentish primer. Lots of info great starting point. Good read.
April 8, 2024
Very interesting read and informative to how the brain works and medical sciences improvements over the last 200 years
April 25, 2024
Great facts about the overall topic of the brain & mind. Very glad I read this to understand a lot of basics and really learned a lot, while not getting bored at all.
June 11, 2024
v simple neuroscience read about anatomy, consciousness and disorders
October 30, 2024
Book about the brain but a great reminder to keep our whole body moving. 💪🧠
March 18, 2025
Really fun. Informative and easy to digest.
August 12, 2026
very oversimplified and just not that interesting tbh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews