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Facts Visually Explained
How the Brain Works: The Facts Visually Explained
Have you ever asked yourself why you can't remember anything from before the age of three, why people experience deja vu, or how a bundle of cells in our heads can produce the remarkable phenomenon that is human consciousness? Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, this visual guide makes the hidden workings of the human brain simple to understand.
How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. From anatomy, it moves on to function, explaining how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate processes such as heartbeat and breathing and how it collects information from the external world to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication.
There's also a guide to the brain's disorders, including physical problems such as tumors and strokes and psychological and functional disorders, ranging from autism to schizophrenia.
Illustrated with bold graphics and step-by-step illustrations and peppered with bite-size factoids and question-and-answer features, this is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the human brain.
How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. From anatomy, it moves on to function, explaining how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate processes such as heartbeat and breathing and how it collects information from the external world to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication.
There's also a guide to the brain's disorders, including physical problems such as tumors and strokes and psychological and functional disorders, ranging from autism to schizophrenia.
Illustrated with bold graphics and step-by-step illustrations and peppered with bite-size factoids and question-and-answer features, this is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the human brain.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published March 10, 2020
258 people are currently reading
1486 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,125 books2,072 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 5, 2021
The most precious thing that a person possesses in his life is his brain, which is distinguished from all other organs by features that exceed the imagination of man himself. This book is a journey in this imagination in its organic existence and its inorganic aspects. They are its malfunctions, how the brain connects us internally and externally, how memory works to learn from the past through our experiences and thinking about it, we practice awareness of it, the present and ourselves from within, to draw the future when we know how to provide us with organs that have been disrupted by damage and we treat with awareness the multiple brain disorders that contribute to Disruption of individual and social life
March 23, 2021
Everything you need to know about the brain and nervous system. And then some! Excellently organized and illustrated.
October 31, 2020
I gave this book one of my very rare five star ratings, more so for the interesting nature of the content maybe than the how or style it was written in. But that was not shabby either. This is one of those graphical magazine format information books on a topic you see out there so much. Topics like Physics, Chemistry, History, etc. This one of course the brain.
If there is something more fascinating then the brain I don't know what that would be. I suppose some might say the cosmos or religion. But the brain is something we all live with, literally, no pun intended. In "my mind" nothing more complex or intriguing. From the way it controls and regulates our bodily functions to the mysterious complexities of the mind this book covers all facets in a very informative and graphical way that I found a most interesting read. No it does not go into great depth on any particular sub-topic, but it covers just about everything in a significant and understandable way.
From the mechanics to the psychological each topic weaves its way into an overall picture of just how complex and amazing this mass of gray matter that sits on top of us is. Try as we might, and we do, we are trying to replicate the brain with our computer technology. In fact we seem to be hard at work trying to make our phones one day replace that organ. You see this everyday with folks driving around more occupied with it then the road. Yet we are still way, way away from duplicating this most superior biological machine. We will no doubt make great strides in the decades ahead but will we ever replicate it completely, doubtful. And we certainly should ask do we really want that.
The book concludes with advancements in biological engineering that is beginning to tap into implantation and assistance to the brain. And finally concludes with what can go wrong. And that is truly sobering. For those looking to get a nicely detailed overview of this far reaching subject, it is highly recommended. And this should lead to exploring other related topics to this amazing subject through many other books of related interest.
If there is something more fascinating then the brain I don't know what that would be. I suppose some might say the cosmos or religion. But the brain is something we all live with, literally, no pun intended. In "my mind" nothing more complex or intriguing. From the way it controls and regulates our bodily functions to the mysterious complexities of the mind this book covers all facets in a very informative and graphical way that I found a most interesting read. No it does not go into great depth on any particular sub-topic, but it covers just about everything in a significant and understandable way.
From the mechanics to the psychological each topic weaves its way into an overall picture of just how complex and amazing this mass of gray matter that sits on top of us is. Try as we might, and we do, we are trying to replicate the brain with our computer technology. In fact we seem to be hard at work trying to make our phones one day replace that organ. You see this everyday with folks driving around more occupied with it then the road. Yet we are still way, way away from duplicating this most superior biological machine. We will no doubt make great strides in the decades ahead but will we ever replicate it completely, doubtful. And we certainly should ask do we really want that.
The book concludes with advancements in biological engineering that is beginning to tap into implantation and assistance to the brain. And finally concludes with what can go wrong. And that is truly sobering. For those looking to get a nicely detailed overview of this far reaching subject, it is highly recommended. And this should lead to exploring other related topics to this amazing subject through many other books of related interest.
November 20, 2023
This book should receive zero stars. Trash. Sexist. Ableist. Lots of Outdated terms. Offensive. And often completely wrong.
November 17, 2021
How the Brain Works: The Facts Visually Explained published in 2020 by DK Media was written by John McCrone. Although the book itself did not win any awards, McCrone is a thirteen-time Australia Publisher of the Year Award winner. I honestly rate this book five stars.
It is a nonfiction/research book about the human brain. It draws on neuroscience's most recent research and explains how it processes in different situations by splitting up into five parts: Communication; Memory, Learning, & Thinking; Consciousness and the Self; The Brain of the Future; and Disorders. One reason I give it such a high rating is that because although it may look a little juvenile because of the imagery, it is incredibly informative and uses visual components to simplify the complexity of the human brain- something that the general public really doesn’t know much about even though they should.
Obviously I’d recommend this book to people interested in neuroscience that want to expand their knowledge and get a stronger base for understanding the topic, but also definitely anyone who is even remotely interested in learning about the brain.
Once again, this is a really fascinating and informative book! I think my review is trustworthy because I’m interested in the topic it covers and wouldn’t give it such a good rating if it didn’t expand my knowledge to the extent that it did. Also, it is very hard to be biased about because it is literally a book full of facts.
It is a nonfiction/research book about the human brain. It draws on neuroscience's most recent research and explains how it processes in different situations by splitting up into five parts: Communication; Memory, Learning, & Thinking; Consciousness and the Self; The Brain of the Future; and Disorders. One reason I give it such a high rating is that because although it may look a little juvenile because of the imagery, it is incredibly informative and uses visual components to simplify the complexity of the human brain- something that the general public really doesn’t know much about even though they should.
Obviously I’d recommend this book to people interested in neuroscience that want to expand their knowledge and get a stronger base for understanding the topic, but also definitely anyone who is even remotely interested in learning about the brain.
Once again, this is a really fascinating and informative book! I think my review is trustworthy because I’m interested in the topic it covers and wouldn’t give it such a good rating if it didn’t expand my knowledge to the extent that it did. Also, it is very hard to be biased about because it is literally a book full of facts.
August 2, 2025
Wow, it's been roughly a decade since I read two other books from the "How X Works" DK series, being the food and body ones, both of which I have fond memories of.
I love biology, especially neurology, but the first 60% of this book felt like a slog to get through, as it all just felt like set up, with so many strange names to keep in mind. Then, the next 30% was a good groove of interest. The pace picked up, but then died right down in the last 10% of this book.
I read this because I think it is really important to understand the organ that houses/creates the metaphorical soul, and I think this book did a decent job and filling in that picture for me. I just don't think I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how the brain works.
Throughout this book, I found a bunch of info(graphic) bubbles with very discreet information, but without much context around them, or just really don't say much; for such limited space they've provided themselves for writing, as it's mostly pictures, they really don't say too much. Oversimplifying things in this book, for me, seemed to have sucked the life out of the beauty of the brain.
Like, for example, there was a side text bubble on page 2016, which says, "Can changes in diet help people with ADHD?" The answer was, "...there is no clear evidence that ADHD is caused by diet or nutritional issues." For starters, that doesn't answer their own question; secondly, what was the point of this???
What is also noticeable is that they talk about Freud's theory of consciousness, but failed to talk about Carl Jung, or about the subconscious. But this is largely irrelevant, but is important to me.
I'm sorry, there is a few nuggets of hold in here, but I found this book either mildly infuriating, really boring, or sometimes intriguing on the surface.
I love biology, especially neurology, but the first 60% of this book felt like a slog to get through, as it all just felt like set up, with so many strange names to keep in mind. Then, the next 30% was a good groove of interest. The pace picked up, but then died right down in the last 10% of this book.
I read this because I think it is really important to understand the organ that houses/creates the metaphorical soul, and I think this book did a decent job and filling in that picture for me. I just don't think I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how the brain works.
Throughout this book, I found a bunch of info(graphic) bubbles with very discreet information, but without much context around them, or just really don't say much; for such limited space they've provided themselves for writing, as it's mostly pictures, they really don't say too much. Oversimplifying things in this book, for me, seemed to have sucked the life out of the beauty of the brain.
Like, for example, there was a side text bubble on page 2016, which says, "Can changes in diet help people with ADHD?" The answer was, "...there is no clear evidence that ADHD is caused by diet or nutritional issues." For starters, that doesn't answer their own question; secondly, what was the point of this???
What is also noticeable is that they talk about Freud's theory of consciousness, but failed to talk about Carl Jung, or about the subconscious. But this is largely irrelevant, but is important to me.
I'm sorry, there is a few nuggets of hold in here, but I found this book either mildly infuriating, really boring, or sometimes intriguing on the surface.
February 2, 2024
DK Publishing's nonfiction book, “How The Brain Works" informs a lot of how the brain system works. This book explores all the different parts of the brain and breaks it down for a good understanding.
In “How The Brain Works” is put into different sections, and is a different piece of the brain on every page. Some of the sections that stood out to me were, Page 10 when it tells what the brain does. Page 22 when tells about the nervous system in the brain. The last page that stood out to me was page 40 because it shows an MRI scan and how they scan and image the brain.
After reading this book I really liked it because I wanted to learn more about the human brain and learn about it in more specific and detailed ways. I liked how this book organized the brain into 7 sections, One The physical brain, the Second one being Brain Functions and the senses, the rest being communication, Memory learning, thinking consciousness and self, the brain of the future, and last Disorders. I liked to learn about the nervous system and how that whole thing works. And the last thing that was cool and stuck out to me was the brain chemicals and neurotransmitters.
In this book, the author uses a lot of descriptive words to show the meaning of different parts of the brain.
I would recommend this book for any age trying to learn more about the human brain and the qualities it has.
In “How The Brain Works” is put into different sections, and is a different piece of the brain on every page. Some of the sections that stood out to me were, Page 10 when it tells what the brain does. Page 22 when tells about the nervous system in the brain. The last page that stood out to me was page 40 because it shows an MRI scan and how they scan and image the brain.
After reading this book I really liked it because I wanted to learn more about the human brain and learn about it in more specific and detailed ways. I liked how this book organized the brain into 7 sections, One The physical brain, the Second one being Brain Functions and the senses, the rest being communication, Memory learning, thinking consciousness and self, the brain of the future, and last Disorders. I liked to learn about the nervous system and how that whole thing works. And the last thing that was cool and stuck out to me was the brain chemicals and neurotransmitters.
In this book, the author uses a lot of descriptive words to show the meaning of different parts of the brain.
I would recommend this book for any age trying to learn more about the human brain and the qualities it has.
July 16, 2023
Đây là cuốn sách thứ 2 mình đọc trong bộ How the thing works. Và tiếp tục là một cuốn sách 5 sao nữa hoàn toàn xứng đáng với khối lượng đồ sộ kiến thức mà nó cung cấp. Mình nghĩ mn có thể vừa đọc vừa note/ tóm tắt lại thông tin mn nhớ được hoặc tt thấy hay sau mỗi chương để có thể đọc sách hiệu quả hơn. Mn có thể đọc cuốn này sau khi đọc cuốn How the body works vì có rất nhiều thông tin sẽ được giải thích kĩ hơn trong cuốn này. Và bởi vì thông tin mới trong cuốn này được liên kết với những gì các bạn đã biết trước đó (trong cuốn How the body works) sẽ giúp bạn nhớ lâu hơn và thích thú hơn khi đọc.
Một điều quan trọng nữa là bởi vì cuốn sách này khá nặng về thông tin (mặc dù chúng đã được minh hoạ và thể hiện rất dễ hiểu) nhưng bạn vẫn cần một tinh thần thực sự tò mò và hứng thú đến cấu trúc não bộ, cách các bộ phận não bộ hoạt động, cách trí nhớ và cảm xúc vận hành … nói rộng ra là quan tâm đến sinh học và sức khoẻ thì mình nghĩ sẽ có trải nghiệm đọc tốt hơn. Nói cách khác là cuốn sách này cần bạn đọc tiếp cận chủ đề trên một cách chủ động.
Tóm lại là một cuốn sách hay, bổ ích, thú vị và ko hề dễ chán như các tựa sách hàn lâm khác về chủ đề này. Vô cùng đáng đọc. xoxo
Một điều quan trọng nữa là bởi vì cuốn sách này khá nặng về thông tin (mặc dù chúng đã được minh hoạ và thể hiện rất dễ hiểu) nhưng bạn vẫn cần một tinh thần thực sự tò mò và hứng thú đến cấu trúc não bộ, cách các bộ phận não bộ hoạt động, cách trí nhớ và cảm xúc vận hành … nói rộng ra là quan tâm đến sinh học và sức khoẻ thì mình nghĩ sẽ có trải nghiệm đọc tốt hơn. Nói cách khác là cuốn sách này cần bạn đọc tiếp cận chủ đề trên một cách chủ động.
Tóm lại là một cuốn sách hay, bổ ích, thú vị và ko hề dễ chán như các tựa sách hàn lâm khác về chủ đề này. Vô cùng đáng đọc. xoxo
November 29, 2020
How the Brain Works: The Facts Visually Explained is a pictorial explanation of how the most important organ in the body operates all the systems that keeps people alive. There are two sets of tables of contents; one dealing with the physical brain and one dealing with brain functions and the senses. A most revealing series of chapters discuss how memories are formed and how they are retrieved. There is a suggestion that the best way to retrieve information that has been just learned is to take a nap! This is a way of moving the information into the memory centers thus solidifying if easy retrieval. Learning and language are covered and describe why it is easier to learn languages at an early age than after adulthood though it is stressed that it is not impossible. How the Brain Works: The Facts Visually Explained also covers how Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, dyslexia, Parkinson's and other abnormalities happen and how some can be treated.
October 21, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated encyclopedia about the brain. It covers topics such as brain anatomy, intelligence, language, consciousness, and disorders. This book was the perfect level for a novice at neuroscience like me. I loved all the drawings and diagrams. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the brain but doesn't want to be overloaded by too many technical details.
February 7, 2024
Wonderful book with engaging visuals that explain what scientists know about the human brain. I take it as a starting point for understanding and having conversations with professionals if needed.
For example it provides a great definition for emotions. “physiological responses to external events..They evolved to push us away from danger and toward reward.”
I find that many people who I encounter don’t know what they are feeling. And I sometimes have to include me on that.
For example it provides a great definition for emotions. “physiological responses to external events..They evolved to push us away from danger and toward reward.”
I find that many people who I encounter don’t know what they are feeling. And I sometimes have to include me on that.
November 7, 2021
Graphics are fun but info is a bit dated, politically biased, and doesn’t keep up with where field of neuroscience currently is (or even was 5 years ago). Reads more like a HS textbook from the 1990s with a lot of over generalizations/ stereotypes than an up to date overview of what is currently known.
March 26, 2023
It is a super interesting and informative book that is simple and easy to understand on how our brain functions. It provides a good explanation on the hormone, which I am very interested in learning at the moment.
Plus, the last chapter has a clear and precise, brief explanation about various disorders.
Highly recommended!
Plus, the last chapter has a clear and precise, brief explanation about various disorders.
Highly recommended!
July 20, 2024
52 Books, 2023 Edition: Book you meant to read last year
DK always makes great books, but I'm not convinced of the utility of such books these days. Brain science is changing so quickly, the internet is really a better source.
Perhaps the physical book in a home with children? I used to get lost in people's Time Life books when I was a teenager. But, again, that was pre-internet.
DK always makes great books, but I'm not convinced of the utility of such books these days. Brain science is changing so quickly, the internet is really a better source.
Perhaps the physical book in a home with children? I used to get lost in people's Time Life books when I was a teenager. But, again, that was pre-internet.
May 19, 2021
Love infographic books and this one did not disappoint. All the functions of the brain from exploring the senses and different diseases. Lots of information about how we tick. Would recommend as a coffee table book because there is SO much information.
February 13, 2022
This book is exactly what I was looking for! Lots of colors, diagrams, and short/detailed descriptions as to how and why the brain works the way it does.
Highly recommend if you are a visual learner and are looking to get a brief yet detailed overview of all things brain!
Highly recommend if you are a visual learner and are looking to get a brief yet detailed overview of all things brain!
November 29, 2022
Understanding how our brain works helps us evaluate our own thought processes, and why we behave in certain ways. This improves your self-understanding, and thereby enhance wellbeing and eliminate mental barriers.
April 17, 2024
WORDS ARE HARD TO READ
I really would liked to give this book 5 stars instead of 3. There is no way to adjust the letter size. I can pinch and expand each page separately, but there are over 200 pages in this book.
I really would liked to give this book 5 stars instead of 3. There is no way to adjust the letter size. I can pinch and expand each page separately, but there are over 200 pages in this book.
January 27, 2025
Another good DKE read. I found the first quarter to third to be surprisingly detailed - so much so that it may be difficult or boring for young readers. But the last half was full of interesting nuggets.
October 5, 2020
I liked it. Very simple, though still confused as it if this is for adults or for children!
April 1, 2021
Excellent - visual displays... great resource for those of us needing quick reviews and magnified diagrams.
July 5, 2022
Very good refresher for what all the different parts of the brain do. A little too much like reading a textbook though.
December 24, 2022
Great book by DK. I fell in love human body and especially the brain or neuroscience. This book has enough material to understand the basic understanding of the brain.
January 28, 2023
Amazing book! Super helpful and wonderfully illustrated. I definitely will be using it in my future counseling courses.
February 2, 2023
Good high level and very picture oriented overview of the brain. Although many could learn something from this, it seems like it is geared more towards a teen with interest in the brain.
August 14, 2023
Soooo good. super up my alley neuro wise :)
December 26, 2023
Wow... it worked! We explore the brain system and its disease.
March 2, 2024
always enjoy visual book like this. Helped me to understand better
December 23, 2024
so comprehensive, engaging and informative
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews