Mental Brain

Are we "noble in reason"? Perfect, in God's image? Far from it, says New York University psychologist Gary Marcus. In this lucid and revealing book, Marcus argues that the mind is not an elegantly designed organ but a "kluge", a clumsy, cobbled-together contraption. He unveils a fundamentally new way of looking at the human mind - think duct tape, not supercomputer - that sheds light on some of the most mysterious aspects of human nature.

Remember that time you screwed up simple math or forgot the name of your favorite song? What if someone told you that such embarrassing "brain farts" are actually secret weapons, proof of your superiority to computers and AI? In Scatterbrain, we learn that boredom awakens the muse, distractions spark creativity, and misjudging time creates valuable memories, among other benefits of our faulty minds. Throughout, award-winning neuroscientist Henning Beck's hilarious asides and brain-boosting advice make for a delightful account of the most cutting-edge neuroscience.

Alva Noë is one of a new breed - part philosopher, part cognitive scientist, part neuroscientist - who are radically altering the study of consciousness by asking difficult questions and pointing out obvious flaws in the current science. In Out of Our Heads, he restates and reexamines the problem of consciousness, and then proposes a startling solution: Do away with the 200-year-old paradigm that places consciousness within the confines of the brain.

Do you want to learn how to stop worrying, eliminate anxiety, stress, and procrastination, use meditation and hypnosis for positivity thinking? If yes, then keep reading. A lot of us sometimes will overanalyze and overthink things in our minds. That is normal as we are human beings, and it is a part of our daily living. But, if overthinking turns out to be a repetitive activity, it may be the right time for you to take action to avoid it from controlling your life.

From ADHD and dyslexia to autism, the number of diagnosis categories listed by the American Psychiatric Association has tripled in the last fifty years. With so many affected, it is time to revisit our perceptions of people with disabilities. Psychologist and educator Thomas Armstrong illuminates a new understanding of neuropsychological disorders. He argues that if they are a part of the natural diversity of the human brain, they cannot simply be defined as illnesses. Armstrong explores the evolutionary advantages, special skills, and other positive dimensions of these conditions.

Beatriz and Albert Sheldon have spent the last twenty years developing the novel therapeutic paradigm called Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems. They have pioneered a new methodology for "reading" and assessing emotional states using their patients' carefully observed psychophysiological phenomena as empirical evidence. Translating academic, scientific, and clinical research and successful training courses into a reference work that you can savor at leisure, the Sheldons have produced an approachable, intriguing, yet comprehensive milestone in psychotherapeutic literature.

An empowering journey through the mechanisms of the mind from one of the world’s leading mental health experts.

Ever notice that all watch ads show 10:10 as the time? Or that all fast-food restaurants use red or yellow in their logos? Or that certain stores are always having a sale? You may not be aware of these details, yet they’ve been influencing you all along. Every time you purchase, swipe, or click, marketers are able to more accurately predict your behavior. These days, brands know more about you than you know about yourself. Blindsight is here to change that.

Nowadays, more than 85 percent of people in the world suffer from unhappiness and every day stress. So, there is a great chance that you are in that 85 percent range as well. What are the main reasons for that? Is it society? Is it a lack of money? Is it an unsuccessful relationship? Is it the job? Probably, the main cause of it are all these reasons. People work their 9 to 5 jobs, don’t have enough money to enjoy their life, they perform habits of poor people, their relationships are struggling and eventually they are unhappy.

In The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We all have a duty to affect others - from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? It turns out that many of our instincts - from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control - are ineffective because they are incompatible with how people's minds operate.

Do you feel a tightness in your chest and a racing heart anytime you have to speak up for yourself, whether in a large group or small? Does the very idea that others could perceive you as looking uncomfortable or frightened make those symptoms even worse? Do you vigilantly avoid potential panic triggers, and always think the worst is bound to happen? If so, you may be one of the 40 million Americans who suffer from anxiety. Symptoms run the gamut from mildly embarrassing but tolerable to persistent and debilitating.

Licensed therapist and mental health writer Dr. Kathleen Smith offers a smart, practical antidote to our anxiety-ridden times. Everything Isn't Terrible is an informative and practical guide—featuring a healthy dose of humor—for people who want to become beacons of calmness in their families, at work, and in our anxious world. Everything Isn't Terrible will inspire you to confront your anxious self, take charge of your anxiety, and increase your own capacity to choose how you respond to it.

Nurturing Our Humanity offers a new perspective on our personal and social options in today's world, showing how we can build societies that support our great human capacities for consciousness, caring, and creativity. It brings together findings—largely overlooked—from the natural and social sciences debunking the popular idea that we are hard-wired for selfishness, war, rape, and greed. Its groundbreaking new approach reveals connections between disturbing trends like climate change denial and regressions to strongman rule.

Parker describes the discovery of tetrahydocannbinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, and the further discovery of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. She explains that the brain produces chemicals similar to THC, which act on the same receptors as THC, and shows that the endocannabinoid system is involved in all aspects of brain functioning.

Bestselling author Leonard Shlain explores the life, art, and mind of Leonardo da Vinci, seeking to explain his singularity by looking at his achievements in art, science, psychology, and military strategy (yes), and then employing state of the art left-right brain scientific research to explain his universal genius. Shlain shows that no other person in human history has excelled in so many different areas as Da Vinci and he peels back the layers to explore the how and the why.

Human brains and behavior are shaped by genetic predispositions and early experience. But we are not doomed by our genes or our past. Neuroscientific discoveries of the last decade have provided an optimistic and revolutionary view of adult brain function: People can change. This revelation offers hope to therapists and to couples seeking to improve their relationship. Loving With the Brain in Mind explores ways to help couples become proactive in revitalizing their relationship.

How do two languages coexist in the same brain? Why is it possible to forget a language? What are the advantages and challenges of being bilingual? Over half of the world's population is bilingual, and yet this fascinating, complex ability is understood by few. In The Bilingual Brain, leading expert Albert Costa explores the science of language through a wide range of cutting-edge studies and examples from South Korea to Spain and Canada.

Living with anxiety, depression or struggling with low self worth can feel like you’re constantly exhausted. Like the challenges of everyday life just leave you depleted. Over time it gets easier to feel trapped by these feelings, and trapped by the automatic negative thoughts they create. But what if it wasn’t just our feelings that caused our thoughts, it was our thoughts that caused our feelings? This question is the core of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, one of the most widely researched and evidence backed therapies available today.

The ReWired Brain offers a clear framework for understanding our brains and the decisions we make, showing how certain fears and instincts drive unhealthy emotional dysfunctions and related behavioral patterns in the most important areas of life. This book shows how to reframe negative experiences, overcome fears, experience emotional and spiritual healing, and ultimately rewire our brains, empowering us to be free and to live fearlessly.

In this practical yet powerful guide, psychologist and neuroscience expert Catherine Pittman—author of Rewire Your Anxious Brain—introduces fifty new ways to work with your brain's neural connections to find lasting, effective relief from your worst anxiety symptoms. The chapters of this book can be used in any order, as needed, to give you the information you need to act now, whether you're at home or on the go. Also included are quick skills to help you soothe an anxious or stressed-out brain through physical movement, identifying what you care about, and banishing toxic thinking.