The Accidental Mind
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Author | : David J. Linden |
Publisher | : Harvard University Press |
Total Pages | : 361 |
Release | : 2012-10-01 |
Genre | : Medical |
ISBN | : 0674076613 |
Download The Accidental Mind Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
You've probably seen it before: a human brain dramatically lit from the side, the camera circling it like a helicopter shot of Stonehenge, and a modulated baritone voice exalting the brain's elegant design in reverent tones. To which this book says: Pure nonsense. In a work at once deeply learned and wonderfully accessible, the neuroscientist David Linden counters the widespread assumption that the brain is a paragon of design--and in its place gives us a compelling explanation of how the brain's serendipitous evolution has resulted in nothing short of our humanity. A guide to the strange and often illogical world of neural function, The Accidental Mind shows how the brain is not an optimized, general-purpose problem-solving machine, but rather a weird agglomeration of ad-hoc solutions that have been piled on through millions of years of evolutionary history. Moreover, Linden tells us how the constraints of evolved brain design have ultimately led to almost every transcendent human foible: our long childhoods, our extensive memory capacity, our search for love and long-term relationships, our need to create compelling narrative, and, ultimately, the universal cultural impulse to create both religious and scientific explanations. With forays into evolutionary biology, this analysis of mental function answers some of our most common questions about how we've come to be who we are.
Author | : David Linden |
Publisher | : Basic Books |
Total Pages | : 265 |
Release | : 2020-09-29 |
Genre | : Science |
ISBN | : 1541698878 |
Download Unique Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Inspired by the abundance of unique personalities available on dating websites, a renowned neuroscientist examines the science of what makes you, you. David J. Linden has devoted his career to understanding the biology common to all humans. But a few years ago he found himself on OkCupid. Looking through that vast catalog of human diversity, he got to wondering: What makes us all so different? Unique is the riveting answer. Exploring everything from the roots of sexuality, gender, and intelligence to whether we like bitter beer, Linden shows how our individuality results not from a competition of nature versus nurture, but rather from a mélange of genes continually responding to our experiences in the world, beginning in the womb. And he shows why individuality matters, as it is our differences that enable us to live together in groups. Told with Linden's unusual combination of authority and openness, seriousness of purpose and wit, Unique is the story of how the factors that make us all human can change and interact to make each of us a singular person.
Author | : David J. Linden |
Publisher | : Penguin Books |
Total Pages | : 274 |
Release | : 2016-01-26 |
Genre | : Medical |
ISBN | : 0143128442 |
Download Touch Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
The "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Compass of Pleasure" examines how our sense of touch is interconnected with our emotions Dual-function receptors in our skin make mint feel cool and chili peppers hot.
Author | : David J. Linden |
Publisher | : Harvard University Press |
Total Pages | : 287 |
Release | : 2012-11 |
Genre | : Medical |
ISBN | : 0674076591 |
Download The Accidental Mind Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Linden sets the record straight about the construction of the human brain; rather than the “beautifully-engineered optimized device, the absolute pinnacle of design” portrayed in many dumbed-down text books, pop-science tomes, and education televisions programs, Linden’s organ is a complicated assembly of cobbled-together functionality that created the mind as a by-product of ad-hoc solutions to questions of survival. His guided tour of the glorious amalgam of “crummy parts” includes pit-stops in the histories and fundamentals of neurology, neural-psychology, physiology, molecular and cellular biology, and genetics.
Author | : Alan Lightman |
Publisher | : Vintage |
Total Pages | : 108 |
Release | : 2014-01-14 |
Genre | : Science |
ISBN | : 0307908593 |
Download The Accidental Universe Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
The bestselling author of Einsteins Dreams explores the emotional and philosophical questions raised by recent discoveries in science with passion and curiosity. He looks at the dialogue between science and religion; the conflict between our human desire for permanence and the impermanence of nature; the possibility that our universe is simply an accident; the manner in which modern technology has separated us from direct experience of the world; and our resistance to the view that our bodies and minds can be explained by scientific logic and laws. Behind all of these considerations is the suggestion--at once haunting and exhilarating--that what we see and understand of the world is only a tiny piece of the extraordinary, perhaps unfathomable whole.
Author | : David J. Linden |
Publisher | : Penguin |
Total Pages | : 242 |
Release | : 2012-04-24 |
Genre | : Science |
ISBN | : 0143120751 |
Download The Compass of Pleasure Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a "hugely entertaining" (NPR.org) look at vice and virtue through cutting-edge science As he did in his award-winning book The Accidental Mind, David J. Linden—highly regarded neuroscientist, professor, and writer—weaves empirical science with entertaining anecdotes to explain how the gamut of behaviors that give us a buzz actually operates. The Compass of Pleasure makes clear why drugs like nicotine and heroin are addictive while LSD is not, how fast food restaurants ensure that diners will eat more, why some people cannot resist the appeal of a new sexual encounter, and much more. Provocative and illuminating, this is a radically new and thorough look at the desires that define us.
Author | : David J. Linden |
Publisher | : Yale University Press |
Total Pages | : 399 |
Release | : 2018-04-24 |
Genre | : Science |
ISBN | : 030023547X |
Download Think Tank Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Essays that explore quirky, counterintuitive aspects of brain function and “make us realize that what goes on in our minds is nothing short of magical” (Scientific American). Neuroscientist David J. Linden approached leading brain researchers and asked each the same question: “What idea about brain function would you most like to explain to the world?” Their responses make up this one-of-a-kind collection of popular science essays that seeks to expand our knowledge of the human mind and its possibilities. The contributors, whose areas of expertise include human behavior, molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and comparative anatomy, address a host of fascinating topics ranging from personality to perception, to learning, to beauty, to love and sex. The manner in which individual experiences can dramatically change our brains’ makeup is explored. Professor Linden and his contributors open a new window onto the landscape of the human mind and into the cutting-edge world of neuroscience with a fascinating, enlightening compilation that science enthusiasts and professionals alike will find accessible and enjoyable. “Scientists who can effectively communicate science are rare, but here are forty of the best, describing with clarity and enthusiasm the latest in brain research and its impact on our lives.” —Gordon M. Shepherd, co-editor of Handbook of Brain Microcircuits
Author | : Mark Levy |
Publisher | : Berrett-Koehler Publishers |
Total Pages | : 208 |
Release | : 2010-08-09 |
Genre | : Business & Economics |
ISBN | : 1605096512 |
Download Accidental Genius Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
A new and thoroughly revised edition of marketing and positioning genius Mark Levy, which helps readers unleash their inner creativity, problem solving skills, while also generating content. This is The Artist's Way for business people and social media people. Accidental Genius uses a similar methodology of freewriting to create business plan, find solutions, and generate new content. Over 10,000 of the original edition sold.
Author | : Dinty W. Moore |
Publisher | : Algonquin Books |
Total Pages | : 221 |
Release | : 1997-01-10 |
Genre | : Philosophy |
ISBN | : 1565128516 |
Download The Accidental Buddhist Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
THE ACCIDENTAL BUDDHIST is the funny, provocative story of how Dinty Moore went looking for the faith he'd lost in what might seem the most unlikely of places: the ancient Eastern tradition of Buddhism. Moore demystifies and explains the contradictions and concepts of this most mystic-seeming of religious traditions. This plain-spoken, insightful look at the dharma in America will fascinate anyone curious about the wisdom of other cultures and other religions. "Sure of foot in complex terrain, and packing a blessedly down-to-earth sense of humor, Dinty Moore is the perfect scout for the new frontiers of American Buddhism."--Rodger Kamenetz, author of THE JEW IN THE LOTUS and STALKING ELIJAH.
Author | : Joan Stiles |
Publisher | : Harvard University Press |
Total Pages | : 452 |
Release | : 2008-02-28 |
Genre | : Medical |
ISBN | : 9780674026742 |
Download The Fundamentals of Brain Development Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
In a remarkable synthesis of the research of the last two decades, a leading developmental neuroscientist provides psychologists with a sophisticated introduction to the brain—the system that underpins the functions that they study. In clear terms, with ample illustrations, Joan Stiles explains the complexities of genetic variation and transcription, and the variable paths of neural development, from embryology through early childhood. She describes early developmental processes from gene expression to physiology to behavior. Sections on clinical correlations show the consequences for later physiological, neurological, or psychological disturbances in neural development. As Stiles shows, brain development is far more complex and dynamic than is often assumed in debates about nature vs. nurture, nativism vs. cultural learning. Inherited and experienced factors interact constantly in an ever-changing organism. The key question is, what developmental processes give rise to particular structures or mechanisms? A landmark of synthesis and interdisciplinary illumination, The Fundamentals of Brain Development will enrich discussion of developmental processes and more rigorously define the terms that are central to psychological debates.