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Brains Explained: How They Work Why They Work That Way
Curious about how billions of neurons make up your consciousness? How anxiety hijacks your body? Why Freud was such a weirdo? Whether AI will replace your therapist? This witty, enlightening book, written by a brilliant neuroscientist and clinical therapist duo, uncovers the stunningly-intricate universe of the human brain in fun, awe-inspiring detail.
Neuroscientist Alie Caldwell and clinical therapist Micah Caldwell created the YouTube channel Neuro Transmissions in 2015 with a singular mission in mind: explain the brain . . . simply! Whether it's delving into the neuroscience of street drugs or illustrating the psychology of cat behavior, Alie and Micah break down that impossibly complex organ living in your head without all the jargon. Their first book will expose the fascinating, often shocking stories about the brain and have you ditching the dusty textbooks.
This book scrutinizes the sometimes-dubious history of brain science from a modern perspective, wanders through explanations about how your senses trick you into believing some wild things, speculates about whether we'll be able to upload our consciousness to the Matrix, and so much more.
With two exceptional authors and an unbelievable number of intriguing and educational brain facts, Brains Explained is sure to be one of the most cherished popular science titles on your bookshelf for years to come.
Neuroscientist Alie Caldwell and clinical therapist Micah Caldwell created the YouTube channel Neuro Transmissions in 2015 with a singular mission in mind: explain the brain . . . simply! Whether it's delving into the neuroscience of street drugs or illustrating the psychology of cat behavior, Alie and Micah break down that impossibly complex organ living in your head without all the jargon. Their first book will expose the fascinating, often shocking stories about the brain and have you ditching the dusty textbooks.
This book scrutinizes the sometimes-dubious history of brain science from a modern perspective, wanders through explanations about how your senses trick you into believing some wild things, speculates about whether we'll be able to upload our consciousness to the Matrix, and so much more.
With two exceptional authors and an unbelievable number of intriguing and educational brain facts, Brains Explained is sure to be one of the most cherished popular science titles on your bookshelf for years to come.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2021
20 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 1, 2021
Full Disclosure: I was provided with an advance copy of this book because like the authors I have been making science videos on YouTube for years. That said, I am so happy I received a copy because I 100% would have bought it myself otherwise. The two writers, Allie and Micah Caldwell, hold a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and an M.S in Clinical Mental Health Counseling respectively, so this is one of the few books I've seen that takes a comprehensive approach to what's between our ears. It's so satisfying to have one book that explains the biological inner-workings of the brain on one page and shares insights into why it works that way on the next.
The book also takes a fascinating look at how brains and our understanding of them have evolved over the years. It turns out some of the greatest minds in history put forward some theories that look utterly ridiculous in hindsight, and while we've moved on from many of them, some still persist in our collective consciousness. This book does a great job of dismantling some of the biggest misconceptions people have relating to neuroscience and psychology (like left or right brain dominance and the implications of the Stanford prison experiment), so the next time the topic comes up at a cocktail party you'll be ready to add some new information to the discourse that is sure to entertain and delight other guests. Yes, I am saying this book will make you more popular at parties.
If left out on a coffee table at said party it's a conversation starter in and of itself. The hardcover I received is simply gorgeous, with colors and illustrations that pop. It's a very inviting book, and once you're in it it's easy to stay because of the fun and casual tone. It's a pleasant change from the dense and daunting scientific jargon usually found in other books on the subject matter (or should I say gray matter?).
If you have ever had the slightest curiosity about your brain, you cannot pass up this book. It's insightful, surprising, and utterly charming. Getting this one is a real no-brainer.
The book also takes a fascinating look at how brains and our understanding of them have evolved over the years. It turns out some of the greatest minds in history put forward some theories that look utterly ridiculous in hindsight, and while we've moved on from many of them, some still persist in our collective consciousness. This book does a great job of dismantling some of the biggest misconceptions people have relating to neuroscience and psychology (like left or right brain dominance and the implications of the Stanford prison experiment), so the next time the topic comes up at a cocktail party you'll be ready to add some new information to the discourse that is sure to entertain and delight other guests. Yes, I am saying this book will make you more popular at parties.
If left out on a coffee table at said party it's a conversation starter in and of itself. The hardcover I received is simply gorgeous, with colors and illustrations that pop. It's a very inviting book, and once you're in it it's easy to stay because of the fun and casual tone. It's a pleasant change from the dense and daunting scientific jargon usually found in other books on the subject matter (or should I say gray matter?).
If you have ever had the slightest curiosity about your brain, you cannot pass up this book. It's insightful, surprising, and utterly charming. Getting this one is a real no-brainer.
December 17, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed it front to back. It has nice visuals but the book isn't a children's book in the sense the information is for kids. One small critique is maybe they could have added numbers next to the description of sections of the brain in the hearing and seeing chapters so that we read the descriptions in order of how the information is processed in the brain, otherwise its a jumble. Otherwise, this is definitely going on my coffee table.
September 2, 2023
Since I’m already a psychologist this book helped me refresh many things I already knew from class. I think it’s such a fun and refreshing psychology book. Is digestible so pretty much anybody can read it and it’s very science based. Loved it!
January 21, 2023
I don't know the authors who supposedly have a pretty popular YouTube channel, but the book intrigued me, especially with its modern/fun branding and nice cover. The content is very beginner friendly, and it's very well designed - similar to DK books.
However, three major issues made me dislike the book. First, it's misleading in its content. I was expecting neuroscience, but a lot of it is actually psychology, which was disappointing. And very basic psychology at that. If you have read any psychology at all, most of it will very familiar already.
Second, this type of book, because of its graphic art and overall structure, is very well suited for children and teenagers that want to learn about the brain. And yet the book has several sexual references which were completely unnecessary. It's it was a very, very dumb decision. ~
Lastly, while overall, the content is solid, I noticed several errors or inaccuracies. As some examples:
- It claims that creatine has no cognitive benefit (did they even bother to look at a single study about it?)
- It states that intelligence is a worthless metric with no prediction power (again, did they even read any research about using intelligence as a predictor psychometric?)
- It mentions the God helmet as if it was a legit and simple explanation to some religious experiences, failing to mention how controversial it is and the countless failed replications.
Overall it's an OK book, but these shortcomings bothered me. It's annoying that it could have been much better with just some extra care and oversight.
However, three major issues made me dislike the book. First, it's misleading in its content. I was expecting neuroscience, but a lot of it is actually psychology, which was disappointing. And very basic psychology at that. If you have read any psychology at all, most of it will very familiar already.
Second, this type of book, because of its graphic art and overall structure, is very well suited for children and teenagers that want to learn about the brain. And yet the book has several sexual references which were completely unnecessary. It's it was a very, very dumb decision. ~
Lastly, while overall, the content is solid, I noticed several errors or inaccuracies. As some examples:
- It claims that creatine has no cognitive benefit (did they even bother to look at a single study about it?)
- It states that intelligence is a worthless metric with no prediction power (again, did they even read any research about using intelligence as a predictor psychometric?)
- It mentions the God helmet as if it was a legit and simple explanation to some religious experiences, failing to mention how controversial it is and the countless failed replications.
Overall it's an OK book, but these shortcomings bothered me. It's annoying that it could have been much better with just some extra care and oversight.
October 2, 2024
I love this book!
It's a great introduction to psychology, providing the history of the field, the current theories and developments, and the possible future. The format is colorful but not distracting enough to allow the information to shine, and it hits a large range of topics. Only a small nitpick however, you can tell it was written in this era, with some acronyms and some jokes that just made me cringe a little. All in all, it makes for a good read and is entertaining as well. Give it a chance, you will learn a lot!
It's a great introduction to psychology, providing the history of the field, the current theories and developments, and the possible future. The format is colorful but not distracting enough to allow the information to shine, and it hits a large range of topics. Only a small nitpick however, you can tell it was written in this era, with some acronyms and some jokes that just made me cringe a little. All in all, it makes for a good read and is entertaining as well. Give it a chance, you will learn a lot!
November 18, 2021
It's solidly fine, but lacks depth and the tone is odd throughout. Too much focus on psych and not enough on cutting edge neuroscience. A real zennial book.
December 25, 2021
Would get a sooid 4 or 4.5 stars without annoying and irrelevant social justice commentary. No sequitor. eg “most prominent scientists during enlightenment were “rich white dudes””. Seriously?!
November 12, 2022
Enjoyable to read and look at. The text was incredibly tiny in some pages.
October 20, 2024
Made learning easy and fun
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews