The Brain and Mind discussion

bookcover:What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite|11437838]
New book, read the review at New York Journal of Books:
http://nyjournalofbooks.com/review/wh...

I recommend 'The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business' by Charles Duhigg, and 'The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion' by Jonathan Haidt. The first is about the psychology of habits and their importance in our personal lives, the groups and organizations of which we are a part, and successful social movements. The second book is about the psychology of our moral, political and religious sentiments. I have written executive-style summaries of both books at newbooksinbrief.wordpress.com

Cheers,
Aaron,
The Book Reporter

Just finished reading 'The Social Conquest of Earth' by legendary biologist E.O. Wilson. The book charts the biological and cultural evolution of our species from the time we branched off from the chimps to the dawn of civilization. The evolution of our psychology and behavior is the major theme throughout. It was really excellent. I've published a full and comprehensive summary of the book at newbooksinbrief.wordpress.com if you are interested in this topic.

Cheers,
Aaron

These are all great summations of how we think and the biases that filter reality for us.


How We Decide

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Just finished this. Very interesting. It ties into the type of books like How We Decide that deal with the unconscious/conscious parts of behavior. Free Will is a argument between the two.

I recommend something slightly different: Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?: The Net's Impact on Our Minds and Future It's a collection of thoughts by authors, scientists, psychologists, philosophers and everything in between on how the internet has changed society and the mental processes in our brains.

For those wondering how we ended up with so much Angst, there is an evolutionary theory. We still have ancient herd instincts that promoted sociable behavior, only now when we defy them with Reason they speak to us through anxiety and depression. Oxford U Press. Angst: Origins of Anxiety and Depression
Thanks!
Angst: Origins of Anxiety and Depression

See blog: "Proof of Heaven: a Neurosurgeons Journey into the Afterlife.
http://www.loveslit.blogspot.com/2013...
Is the topic more valid or scientific because it comes from a nuerosurgeon?

Xox wrote: "No, he didn't use scientific thinking when he wrote this bullshit.
Sorry to be blunt. See Sam Harris dissing this book."

De-lurking to say an ironic "Amen!" ;)
I agree that science had nothing to do with it - other than being a prop.

http://www.amazon.com/Incognito-The-S...

Anything by Oliver Sacks is a good read too

justjoined the group i recommend v s ramachandran for anyone who is interested in neuroscience writes in clear and lucid language topics ranging from phatom limbs to freewil,from autism to art

Enjoying my recent dive into the Goodreads gymnasium. The study of mind is quite interesting, although the field is littered with redundant and conflicting information.

I do like anything by Antonio Damasio particularly "Self Comes to Mind". The book "On Intelligence" was write back in 2005, so it isn't new, yet I thought it offered a fabulous layman's view of the brain by Jeff Hawkins.

Currently, I'm reading "The Believing Brain" by Shermer. He manages to cover a large range on topics in the area of "Confirmation Bias" and other evolved brain deceptions. I think this book is prescient in today's lock step world.

Another insightful source of state-of-the-art brain science is the http://brainsciencepodcast.com/. Dr. Ginger Campbell is an emergence room physician who has made a hobby out of interviewing the leading brain scientists.

I'm glad to have found this group and have begun to build up my Goodreads compatriots.

dgp

Just finished reading the new book by Chip Walter called Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived. The book makes use of the latest fossil finds and DNA analysis to chart the evolution of our species from chimp to the present. It's an excellent account of our evolutionary story, and is heavy on the evolution of our psychology. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2013/02/26...

Cheers,
Aaron

Hi, I am new here and happy to find the group. I would like to recommend Braintrust by Patricia Churchland. She is a neuro-philosopher and so she works in the area where cognitive science and philosophical study intersect. This book discusses the biological underpinnings of morality and attachment. This area is becoming increasingly more exciting as fMRI, and other living brain study options, open doors we could not even approach until now.

D.A. wrote: "Hi, I am new here and happy to find the group. I would like to recommend Braintrust by Patricia Churchland. She is a neuro-philosopher and so she works in the area where cognitive science and ph..."
I second your recommendation. While I found it a bit dry in places, Churchland's book fascinated me (I'm a neuropsychologist), informing important ideas in my book as well as my work with patients.

D.A., Patricia Churchland gave an interview on the Brain Science Podcast some years back. Here is the link:

http://brainsciencepodcast.com/bsp/20...

Dr. Lucas, your book looks quite engaging.

I met Patricia at a book signing for Braintrust. She was lovely and approachable. I am not a scientist, but a fiction writer, and she was gracious enough to give me advice on authentic dialogue for a character I'd written who was a neuroscientist. She has a new book coming out some time soon.
I will check out that podcast now. Thanks.

If anyone wants to read on really weird psychological experiments people used to do before ethics, I would recommend Alex Boese - Elephants on Acids. It's an entertaining read.

I Loved The Ravenous Brain by Danieal Bor.

Just finishing The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Science . A good reference book dealing with the history, of the most current developments and research in cognitive science. Very interesting if you want to know how the science is approaching to understand how the mind works. See my review

I'm currently reading Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us - it is a great companion to the much more popular The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, and in many ways surpasses it. Informative, thorough, attempts to be impartial, and it's fun to read. Highly recommended.

Sandra wrote: "I'm currently reading Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us - it is a great companion to the much more popular [book:The Righteous Mind: Why Good People ..."

Don't know why I missed this when it came out, and I've now ordered it. Unfortunately it's not available through Kindle so I've had to order the hard-back (always do that anyway for a book that I want to live with me), meaning that because of the way I travel I won't meet up with the book for a couple of months. Having looked at the reviews and excerpts, however, I can't resist a few opening comments, and will return to the subject once I have got the book.

No-one should worry about biological determinism, which includes the provision that we have two legs each and such elementary social necessities at the level of the brain as empathy. It is perfectly feasible that there are correlations between personality types and political orientation; but the first rule of statistical study is that correlation does not imply causation; there often can be, and indeed usually is, an external factor lying behind two or more linked phenomena. In the case of the left/right dichotomy and personality, that may be genetic predisposition, but it may also be the childhood socialization process. Identical twin studies are often brought forward to rule out the latter, but again, there can be exogenous factors such as the well-attested paranormal linkages between twins or the social circumstances in which separation takes place. It is seldom that identical twins are separated to different countries or cultures.

None of that is to deny that different types of people resulted from evolution, it is just to say that the association of personality types with the interplay between 'tribalism, inequality, and differing perceptions of human nature' as put forward by the author seems to attribute them to a late stage of human socialization. The formation of human personality, that is to say, the differentiation between more or less empathetic characters, kinder or crueller people, stronger or weaker personalities, took place at an early stage of human evolution, when people were learning to live in social groups. There was no 'economy' at that time, before language by the way, in any sense of the modern term, and certainly no economic inequality. Until a very late stage of social development, the individual, in today's sense, did not exist. She was a member of the group, and all of her attitudes, fears, hopes and behaviours were expressions of her group membership.

So my problem with the book is founded on a worry that it is inappropriate to try to match today's political stereotypes, being expressions of a very recently emerged individualism, to any aspect of our ancestors' personalities, at least until all other causative factors have been ruled out, and that is very far from being the case.

And in case you think that I am not completely off-beam, you can find my ideas fully expounded in my book: "Agent Human: Consciousness At The Service Of The Group" on Kindle. It exists in paper-back (sorry!) and I will send you a free copy if you ask me for it (mgbell@agenthuman.com).

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

I really enjoyed this book! It was quirky and full of interesting scientific explanations of really bizarre questions!

It's a bit off topic from psychology/neuroscience, but I think anyone who enjoys non-fiction/science would love this!

Idk if it's been mentioned yet but Sam Kean's the dueling neurosurgeons? Crazy awesome book and he's an incredible writer

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm always hunting for new things to read and, rather unfortunately, I find them. I have another pile of new books!

David wrote: "Thanks for the recommendation. I'm always hunting for new things to read and, rather unfortunately, I find them. I have another pile of new books!"

Sounds like a classic case of Tsundoku. ;)

I read Collective Mind last month and I think the author's idea of AI is really interesting. There are no technical details but lots of philosophical arguments. Anyone of you read this book?

Anna wrote: "I read Collective Mind last month and I think the author's idea of AI is really interesting. There are no technical details but lots of philosophical arguments. Anyone of you read t..."
I have not read it but i have read a few mentions/comments/quotes out of certain books that explains how the brain is not like a computer. which makes me wonder what your book is about.

I am new here to GoodReads, and stumbled upon this group quite by accident.
I didn't post this to promote my book, but most of you might be interested in "yes, I do exist" which is the story of the only person ever to achieve a perfect score on the ASVAP.
I look forward to reading the books recommended here when time permits.