"How magicians exploit the natural functioning of our brains to astonish and amaze us. How do magicians make us see the impossible? The Illusionist Brain takes you on an unforgettable journey through the inner workings of the human mind, revealing how magicians achieve their spectacular and seemingly impossible effects by interfering with your cognitive processes. Along the way, this lively and informative book provides a guided tour of modern neuroscience,...

"A groundbreaking exploration of the parental brain that untangles insidious myths from complicated realities, Mother Brain explodes the concept of "maternal instinct" and tells a new story about what it means to become a parent. Chelsea Conaboy delves into the neuroscience to reveal unexpected upsides, generations of scientific neglect, and a powerful new narrative of parenthood"--

"A neurologist regales readers with extraordinary stories of the brain under siege. Our brains are the most complex machines known to humankind, but they have an Achilles heel: The very molecules that allow us to exist can also sabotage our minds. Here are true accounts of unruly molecules and the diseases that form in their wake, from total loss of inhibitions to florid psychosis to compulsive lying. Cognitive neurologist Sara Manning Peskin demystifies...

"Psychologists and neuroscientists struggle with how best to interpret human motivation and decision making. The assumption is that below a mental "surface" of conscious awareness lies a deep and complex set of inner beliefs, values, and desires that govern our thoughts, ideas, and actions, and that to know this depth is to know ourselves. In this profoundly original book, behavioral scientist Nick Chater contends just the opposite: rather than being...

We all have a rage circuit we can't fully control once it is engaged. The headlines are filled with examples of rational people with no history of violence or mental illness suddenly snapping in a domestic dispute, barroom brawl, or road-rage attack. We all wish to believe that we are in control of our actions, but the truth is that the right trigger in the right circumstances can unleash a fit of rage in almost anyone. Neurophysiologist R. Douglas...

"From Dr. Erik Hoel, The World Behind the World delves into the quest for a theory of consciousness that will trigger a paradigm shift in neuroscience and beyond"-- A fascinating exploration into how the brain creates our conscious experiences—potentially revolutionizing neuroscience and the future of technology—from a Forbes 30 Under 30 scientist.Throughout history, two perspectives on the world have dueled in our minds: the extrinsic—that...

No reader curious about our "little grey cells" will want to pass up Harvard neuroscientist John E. Dowling's brief introduction to the brain. In this up-to-date revision of his 1998 book Creating Mind, Dowling conveys the essence and vitality of the field of neuroscience -- examining the progress we've made in understanding how brains work, and shedding light on discoveries having to do with aging, mental illness, and brain health. The first half...

"Even if you've never seen a zombie movie or television show, you could identify an undead ghoul if you saw one. With their endless wandering, lumbering gait, insatiable hunger, antisocial behavior, and apparently memory-less existence, zombies are the walking nightmares of our deepest fears. What do these characteristic behaviors reveal about the inner workings of the zombie mind? Could we diagnose zombism as a neurological condition by studying...