A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives

A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives

Author: Cordelia Fine

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2008-06-17

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0393343006

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"Provocative enough to make you start questioning your each and every action."—Entertainment Weekly The brain's power is confirmed and touted every day in new studies and research. And yet we tend to take our brains for granted, without suspecting that those masses of hard-working neurons might not always be working for us. Cordelia Fine introduces us to a brain we might not want to meet, a brain with a mind of its own. She illustrates the brain's tendency toward self-delusion as she explores how the mind defends and glorifies the ego by twisting and warping our perceptions. Our brains employ a slew of inborn mind-bugs and prejudices, from hindsight bias to unrealistic optimism, from moral excuse-making to wishful thinking—all designed to prevent us from seeing the truth about the world and the people around us, and about ourselves.


Book Synopsis A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives by : Cordelia Fine

Download or read book A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives written by Cordelia Fine and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-06-17 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Provocative enough to make you start questioning your each and every action."—Entertainment Weekly The brain's power is confirmed and touted every day in new studies and research. And yet we tend to take our brains for granted, without suspecting that those masses of hard-working neurons might not always be working for us. Cordelia Fine introduces us to a brain we might not want to meet, a brain with a mind of its own. She illustrates the brain's tendency toward self-delusion as she explores how the mind defends and glorifies the ego by twisting and warping our perceptions. Our brains employ a slew of inborn mind-bugs and prejudices, from hindsight bias to unrealistic optimism, from moral excuse-making to wishful thinking—all designed to prevent us from seeing the truth about the world and the people around us, and about ourselves.


A Mind of Its Own

A Mind of Its Own

Author: David M. Friedman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2008-09-04

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 1439136084

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Whether enemy or ally, demon or god, the source of satisfaction or the root of all earthly troubles, the penis has forced humanity to wrestle with its enduring mysteries. Here, in an enlightening and entertaining cultural study, is a book that gives context to the central role of the penis in Western civilization. A man can hold his manhood in his hand, but who is really gripping whom? Is the penis the best in man -- or the beast? How is man supposed to use it? And when does that use become abuse? Of all the bodily organs, only the penis forces man to confront such contradictions: something insistent yet reluctant, a tool that creates but also destroys, a part of the body that often seems apart from the body. This is the conundrum that makes the penis both hero and villain in a drama that shapes every man -- and mankind along with it. In A Mind of Its Own, David M. Friedman shows that the penis is more than a body part. It is an idea, a conceptual but flesh-and-blood measuring stick of man's place in the world. That men have a penis is a scientific fact; how they think about it, feel about it, and use it is not. It is possible to identify the key moments in Western history when a new idea of the penis addressed the larger mystery of man's relationship with it and changed forever the way that organ was conceived of and put to use. A Mind of Its Own brilliantly distills this complex and largely unexamined story. Deified by the pagan cultures of the ancient world and demonized by the early Roman church, the organ was later secularized by pioneering anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci. After being measured "scientifically" in an effort to subjugate some races while elevating others, the organ was psychoanalyzed by Sigmund Freud. As a result, the penis assumed a paradigmatic role in psychology -- whether the patient was equipped with the organ or envied those who were. Now, after being politicized by feminism and exploited in countless ways by pop culture, the penis has been medicalized. As no one has before him, Friedman shows how the arrival of erection industry products such as Viagra is more than a health or business story. It is the latest -- and perhaps final -- chapter in one of the longest sagas in human history: the story of man's relationship with his penis. A Mind of Its Own charts the vicissitudes of that relationship through its often amusing, occasionally alarming, and never boring course. With intellectual rigor and a healthy dose of wry humor, David M. Friedman serves up one of the most thought-provoking, significant, and readable cultural works in years.


Book Synopsis A Mind of Its Own by : David M. Friedman

Download or read book A Mind of Its Own written by David M. Friedman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether enemy or ally, demon or god, the source of satisfaction or the root of all earthly troubles, the penis has forced humanity to wrestle with its enduring mysteries. Here, in an enlightening and entertaining cultural study, is a book that gives context to the central role of the penis in Western civilization. A man can hold his manhood in his hand, but who is really gripping whom? Is the penis the best in man -- or the beast? How is man supposed to use it? And when does that use become abuse? Of all the bodily organs, only the penis forces man to confront such contradictions: something insistent yet reluctant, a tool that creates but also destroys, a part of the body that often seems apart from the body. This is the conundrum that makes the penis both hero and villain in a drama that shapes every man -- and mankind along with it. In A Mind of Its Own, David M. Friedman shows that the penis is more than a body part. It is an idea, a conceptual but flesh-and-blood measuring stick of man's place in the world. That men have a penis is a scientific fact; how they think about it, feel about it, and use it is not. It is possible to identify the key moments in Western history when a new idea of the penis addressed the larger mystery of man's relationship with it and changed forever the way that organ was conceived of and put to use. A Mind of Its Own brilliantly distills this complex and largely unexamined story. Deified by the pagan cultures of the ancient world and demonized by the early Roman church, the organ was later secularized by pioneering anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci. After being measured "scientifically" in an effort to subjugate some races while elevating others, the organ was psychoanalyzed by Sigmund Freud. As a result, the penis assumed a paradigmatic role in psychology -- whether the patient was equipped with the organ or envied those who were. Now, after being politicized by feminism and exploited in countless ways by pop culture, the penis has been medicalized. As no one has before him, Friedman shows how the arrival of erection industry products such as Viagra is more than a health or business story. It is the latest -- and perhaps final -- chapter in one of the longest sagas in human history: the story of man's relationship with his penis. A Mind of Its Own charts the vicissitudes of that relationship through its often amusing, occasionally alarming, and never boring course. With intellectual rigor and a healthy dose of wry humor, David M. Friedman serves up one of the most thought-provoking, significant, and readable cultural works in years.


The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

The Body Has a Mind of Its Own

Author: Sandra Blakeslee

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2008-09-09

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1588368122

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In this compelling, cutting-edge book, two generations of science writers explore the exciting science of “body maps” in the brain–and how startling new discoveries about the mind-body connection can change and improve our lives. Why do you still feel fat after losing weight? What makes video games so addictive? How can “practicing” your favorite sport in your imagination improve your game? The answers can be found in body maps. Just as road maps represent interconnections across the landscape, your many body maps represent all aspects of your bodily self, inside and out. In concert, they create your physical and emotional awareness and your sense of being a whole, feeling self in a larger social world. Moreover, your body maps are profoundly elastic. Your self doesn’t begin and end with your physical body but extends into the space around you. This space morphs every time you put on or take off clothes, ride a bike, or wield a tool. When you drive a car, your personal body space grows to envelop it. When you play a video game, your body maps automatically track and emulate the actions of your character onscreen. When you watch a scary movie, your body maps put dread in your stomach and send chills down your spine. If your body maps fall out of sync, you may have an out-of-body experience or see auras around other people. The Body Has a Mind of Its Own explains how you can tap into the power of body maps to do almost anything better–whether it is playing tennis, strumming a guitar, riding a horse, dancing a waltz, empathizing with a friend, raising children, or coping with stress. The story of body maps goes even further, providing a fresh look at the causes of anorexia, bulimia, obsessive plastic surgery, and the notorious golfer’s curse “the yips.” It lends insights into culture, language, music, parenting, emotions, chronic pain, and more. Filled with illustrations, wonderful anecdotes, and even parlor tricks that you can use to reconfigure your body sense, The Body Has a Mind of Its Own will change the way you think–about the way you think. “The Blakeslees have taken the latest and most exciting finds from brain research and have made them accessible. This is how science writing should always be.” –Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D., author of The Ethical Brain “Through a stream of fascinating and entertaining examples, Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee illustrate how our perception of ourselves, and indeed the world, is not fixed but is surprisingly fluid and easily modified. They have created the best book ever written about how our sense of ‘self’ emerges from the motley collection of neurons we call the brain.” –Jeff Hawkins, co-author of On Intelligence “The Blakeslees have taken the latest and most exciting finds from brain research and have made them accessible. This is how science writing should always be.” –Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D., author of The Ethical Brain “A marvelous book. In the last ten years there has been a paradigm shift in understanding the brain and how its various specialized regions respond to environmental challenges. In addition to providing a brilliant overview of recent revolutionary discoveries on body image and brain plasticity, the book is sprinkled with numerous insights.” –V. S. Ramachandran, M.D., director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego


Book Synopsis The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by : Sandra Blakeslee

Download or read book The Body Has a Mind of Its Own written by Sandra Blakeslee and published by Random House. This book was released on 2008-09-09 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this compelling, cutting-edge book, two generations of science writers explore the exciting science of “body maps” in the brain–and how startling new discoveries about the mind-body connection can change and improve our lives. Why do you still feel fat after losing weight? What makes video games so addictive? How can “practicing” your favorite sport in your imagination improve your game? The answers can be found in body maps. Just as road maps represent interconnections across the landscape, your many body maps represent all aspects of your bodily self, inside and out. In concert, they create your physical and emotional awareness and your sense of being a whole, feeling self in a larger social world. Moreover, your body maps are profoundly elastic. Your self doesn’t begin and end with your physical body but extends into the space around you. This space morphs every time you put on or take off clothes, ride a bike, or wield a tool. When you drive a car, your personal body space grows to envelop it. When you play a video game, your body maps automatically track and emulate the actions of your character onscreen. When you watch a scary movie, your body maps put dread in your stomach and send chills down your spine. If your body maps fall out of sync, you may have an out-of-body experience or see auras around other people. The Body Has a Mind of Its Own explains how you can tap into the power of body maps to do almost anything better–whether it is playing tennis, strumming a guitar, riding a horse, dancing a waltz, empathizing with a friend, raising children, or coping with stress. The story of body maps goes even further, providing a fresh look at the causes of anorexia, bulimia, obsessive plastic surgery, and the notorious golfer’s curse “the yips.” It lends insights into culture, language, music, parenting, emotions, chronic pain, and more. Filled with illustrations, wonderful anecdotes, and even parlor tricks that you can use to reconfigure your body sense, The Body Has a Mind of Its Own will change the way you think–about the way you think. “The Blakeslees have taken the latest and most exciting finds from brain research and have made them accessible. This is how science writing should always be.” –Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D., author of The Ethical Brain “Through a stream of fascinating and entertaining examples, Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee illustrate how our perception of ourselves, and indeed the world, is not fixed but is surprisingly fluid and easily modified. They have created the best book ever written about how our sense of ‘self’ emerges from the motley collection of neurons we call the brain.” –Jeff Hawkins, co-author of On Intelligence “The Blakeslees have taken the latest and most exciting finds from brain research and have made them accessible. This is how science writing should always be.” –Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D., author of The Ethical Brain “A marvelous book. In the last ten years there has been a paradigm shift in understanding the brain and how its various specialized regions respond to environmental challenges. In addition to providing a brilliant overview of recent revolutionary discoveries on body image and brain plasticity, the book is sprinkled with numerous insights.” –V. S. Ramachandran, M.D., director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego


A Mind of Its Own

A Mind of Its Own

Author: Ruth Dowling Bruun

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13:

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The authors have purposely chosen to portray a relatively mild case of TS since the majority of cases are mild, yet the more severe symptoms of TS are also introduced in the course of the story. Much of the value of the story lies in the way it presents Tourette's syndrome and its associated disorders in the context of everyday experience.


Book Synopsis A Mind of Its Own by : Ruth Dowling Bruun

Download or read book A Mind of Its Own written by Ruth Dowling Bruun and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1994 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors have purposely chosen to portray a relatively mild case of TS since the majority of cases are mild, yet the more severe symptoms of TS are also introduced in the course of the story. Much of the value of the story lies in the way it presents Tourette's syndrome and its associated disorders in the context of everyday experience.


The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

Author: Richard Restak

Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13:

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Neurologist and best-selling author Richard Restak puts readers in touch with the latest scientific findings about the most complex and inscrutable object in creation--the human brain. "By all means let Richard Restak take you on this lively journey to the very roots of our being. Along the way you will gain new understanding of consciousness, dreams, drugs, emotions, memory loss, and many kindred subjects."--William Warner Line drawings.


Book Synopsis The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own by : Richard Restak

Download or read book The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own written by Richard Restak and published by Three Rivers Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neurologist and best-selling author Richard Restak puts readers in touch with the latest scientific findings about the most complex and inscrutable object in creation--the human brain. "By all means let Richard Restak take you on this lively journey to the very roots of our being. Along the way you will gain new understanding of consciousness, dreams, drugs, emotions, memory loss, and many kindred subjects."--William Warner Line drawings.


The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

Author: Jeremy Holmes

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781913494032

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"Psychotherapy is a practice in search of a theory. Recent advances in relational neuroscience and attachment research now offer convincing avenues for understanding how the 'talking cure' helps clients recover. Drawing on Karl Friston's Free Energy Principle and contemporary attachment theory this book shows how psychotherapy works. This pioneering text provides a deep theoretical explanation for how psychotherapy helps sufferers overcome trauma, redress relationship difficulties and ameliorate depression. Neuroscience validates the psychoanalytic principles of establishing a trusting therapeutic secure base; using ambiguity to bring pre-formed assumptions into view for revision; dream analysis, free association and playfulness in extending clients' repertoire of narratives for meeting life's vicissitudes; and re-starting the capacity to learn from experience. Holmes demonstrates how psychotherapy works at a neuroscientific level, making complex ideas vivid and comprehensible for a wide readership."--Publisher marketing.


Book Synopsis The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own by : Jeremy Holmes

Download or read book The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own written by Jeremy Holmes and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Psychotherapy is a practice in search of a theory. Recent advances in relational neuroscience and attachment research now offer convincing avenues for understanding how the 'talking cure' helps clients recover. Drawing on Karl Friston's Free Energy Principle and contemporary attachment theory this book shows how psychotherapy works. This pioneering text provides a deep theoretical explanation for how psychotherapy helps sufferers overcome trauma, redress relationship difficulties and ameliorate depression. Neuroscience validates the psychoanalytic principles of establishing a trusting therapeutic secure base; using ambiguity to bring pre-formed assumptions into view for revision; dream analysis, free association and playfulness in extending clients' repertoire of narratives for meeting life's vicissitudes; and re-starting the capacity to learn from experience. Holmes demonstrates how psychotherapy works at a neuroscientific level, making complex ideas vivid and comprehensible for a wide readership."--Publisher marketing.


The Mouth with a Mind of Its Own

The Mouth with a Mind of Its Own

Author: Patricia L. Mervine

Publisher: Speaking of Speech.Com., Incorporated

Published: 2014-05-01

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 9780692202319

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With a blend of humor, fact, and whimsy discover Matthew's problem. His brain says one thing but his mouth says another.


Book Synopsis The Mouth with a Mind of Its Own by : Patricia L. Mervine

Download or read book The Mouth with a Mind of Its Own written by Patricia L. Mervine and published by Speaking of Speech.Com., Incorporated. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a blend of humor, fact, and whimsy discover Matthew's problem. His brain says one thing but his mouth says another.


Mind Your Mindset

Mind Your Mindset

Author: Michael Hyatt

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2023-01-31

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 1493433970

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Do you trust the voice in your head? Our brains are remarkable. They subconsciously translate the events around us into meaningful storylines that inform what we think and how we live. The problem is, the stories our minds feed us as facts aren't always true. Worse, these stories turn into false beliefs about others, the world, and ourselves that keep us from our true potential. These limiting beliefs confront us all. But what if you could harness your brain's operating system to tell a new story? Not just any story. A true story that empowers you to overcome limitations and surpass your goals. Drawing upon the latest insights in performance psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, as well as case studies from their own clients, New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller outline a framework anyone can follow to test their own assumptions and start living better, truer stories that shape superior outcomes in business and life.


Book Synopsis Mind Your Mindset by : Michael Hyatt

Download or read book Mind Your Mindset written by Michael Hyatt and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2023-01-31 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you trust the voice in your head? Our brains are remarkable. They subconsciously translate the events around us into meaningful storylines that inform what we think and how we live. The problem is, the stories our minds feed us as facts aren't always true. Worse, these stories turn into false beliefs about others, the world, and ourselves that keep us from our true potential. These limiting beliefs confront us all. But what if you could harness your brain's operating system to tell a new story? Not just any story. A true story that empowers you to overcome limitations and surpass your goals. Drawing upon the latest insights in performance psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, as well as case studies from their own clients, New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller outline a framework anyone can follow to test their own assumptions and start living better, truer stories that shape superior outcomes in business and life.


The Book of Minds

The Book of Minds

Author: Philip Ball

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2022-06-28

Total Pages: 513

ISBN-13: 0226822044

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Popular science writer Philip Ball explores a range of sciences to map our answers to a huge, philosophically rich question: How do we even begin to think about minds that are not human? Sciences from zoology to astrobiology, computer science to neuroscience, are seeking to understand minds in their own distinct disciplinary realms. Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and where to find them—including in plants, aliens, and God—Philip Ball pulls the pieces together to explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the universe. In so doing, he offers for the first time a unified way of thinking about what minds are and what they can do, by locating them in what he calls the “space of possible minds.” By identifying and mapping out properties of mind without prioritizing the human, Ball sheds new light on a host of fascinating questions: What moral rights should we afford animals, and can we understand their thoughts? Should we worry that AI is going to take over society? If there are intelligent aliens out there, how could we communicate with them? Should we? Understanding the space of possible minds also reveals ways of making advances in understanding some of the most challenging questions in contemporary science: What is thought? What is consciousness? And what (if anything) is free will? Informed by conversations with leading researchers, Ball’s brilliant survey of current views about the nature and existence of minds is more mind-expanding than we could imagine. In this fascinating panorama of other minds, we come to better know our own.


Book Synopsis The Book of Minds by : Philip Ball

Download or read book The Book of Minds written by Philip Ball and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-06-28 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Popular science writer Philip Ball explores a range of sciences to map our answers to a huge, philosophically rich question: How do we even begin to think about minds that are not human? Sciences from zoology to astrobiology, computer science to neuroscience, are seeking to understand minds in their own distinct disciplinary realms. Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and where to find them—including in plants, aliens, and God—Philip Ball pulls the pieces together to explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the universe. In so doing, he offers for the first time a unified way of thinking about what minds are and what they can do, by locating them in what he calls the “space of possible minds.” By identifying and mapping out properties of mind without prioritizing the human, Ball sheds new light on a host of fascinating questions: What moral rights should we afford animals, and can we understand their thoughts? Should we worry that AI is going to take over society? If there are intelligent aliens out there, how could we communicate with them? Should we? Understanding the space of possible minds also reveals ways of making advances in understanding some of the most challenging questions in contemporary science: What is thought? What is consciousness? And what (if anything) is free will? Informed by conversations with leading researchers, Ball’s brilliant survey of current views about the nature and existence of minds is more mind-expanding than we could imagine. In this fascinating panorama of other minds, we come to better know our own.


MindReal

MindReal

Author: Robert Ornstein

Publisher:

Published: 2010-08-27

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781953292254

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This is a book that shows, in simple detail, one of the most startling findings of modern science: We don't experience the world as it is, but as virtual reality. And while much of the latest scientific work demonstrates this, as do many of the classical psychological illusions, it is an important meeting point for students of the mind, brain, philosophy and religion because, as we can now see in light of this book, all these disciplines begin at the same place. This is not an abstruse treatise, but part graphic novel and part direct address. It allows the reader a breakthrough understanding of the mind which is not available anywhere else. It is, in part, a summa of Dr. Ornstein's research and writing of the past 35 years (with pieces and references to many of his works) as well as a seminal introduction to new readers.


Book Synopsis MindReal by : Robert Ornstein

Download or read book MindReal written by Robert Ornstein and published by . This book was released on 2010-08-27 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book that shows, in simple detail, one of the most startling findings of modern science: We don't experience the world as it is, but as virtual reality. And while much of the latest scientific work demonstrates this, as do many of the classical psychological illusions, it is an important meeting point for students of the mind, brain, philosophy and religion because, as we can now see in light of this book, all these disciplines begin at the same place. This is not an abstruse treatise, but part graphic novel and part direct address. It allows the reader a breakthrough understanding of the mind which is not available anywhere else. It is, in part, a summa of Dr. Ornstein's research and writing of the past 35 years (with pieces and references to many of his works) as well as a seminal introduction to new readers.