I have to agree with Adam Grant’s comment on the front of this book. It’s the smartest, clearest and funniest book I’ve ever read about the brain.
This book is such a wonderful introduction to neuroscience and it is written in such an accessible way. There are chapters about how the left and right sides of the brain function, how chemicals help your brain function, and how different parts of your brain coordinate to give you flexibility in how you function. The second part of the book talks about specific brain functions including focus, how we adapt, how we navigate and explore the world, and how we connect with others.
Prat explains that brains are terrific storytellers, and different brains create different story lines, even when they are focused on the same “ground truth”. She demonstrates how your brain’s design features shape its storytelling processes.
The book includes some of the questionnaires and activities that are used in scientific experiments so that you can try them out and compare your results with what the researchers’ found. The author has a real skill for explaining complex scientific experiments in a way that a layperson can understand. She also gives you practical applications for some of the findings that you can use in your own life.
This book will help you understand more about yourself and the way your particular brain works. It will also help you understand why other people think differently.
The book isn’t expressly about conflict, or about emotions, but it covers a lot of material that is extremely useful in understanding both. I especially found the section titled How Curiosity and Threat Compete to Shape Behaviours at the Edges of Knowing to be powerful for my work supporting people in conflict.
This book makes neuroscience and brain research accessible, interesting and entertaining. It’s a must read for anyone who has a brain! 😀
