It’s been a while since my last post. Apart from the fact that I unwittingly got caught up in the mundane, I was spending good amount of time getting awed by these astonishing books on our startling brain. Brain is one organ that separates us homo sapiens from rest of the species, and has ensured our ascent to the top of the food chain. Our world dominance has been possible because of this intricate organ. Here is a list of easy-reads on brain and neuroscience that will surely fascinate you:
1. The Brain : The Story Of You
I am glad that I picked this one. There’s a back story if you’d like to know: Had a long weekend coming and was all set for a long-planned trip. An effing work emergency ruined the plan and had to spent that entire Friday crouched on my workstation (instead of surreal white desert of Rann of Kutch). On my way home, I made a detour to get myself this book and alfredo pasta. And that is how I unknowingly turned the weekend (and possibly life too?) around for myself.
The Brain is fast-read and concise, and yet it took almost entire weekend to get done with it (because of its sheer depth of knowledge and the fact that beauty of brain left me astound time and again). It gives an enlightening description on why we do what we do and delves deep into the subjects of conscious and subconscious. The book is abundant in examples, elucidations and experimental evidences. Perhaps this is the best book to know about the powerhouse that brain is.
2. Phantoms In The Brain
V.S. Ramachandran can sure give Gillian Flynn and Stephen King a run for their money as far as creating thrill and intrigue is concerned. This book gave me goose bumps I wasn’t prepared for.
I wouldn’t say there aren’t terms and lingo in the book that wouldn’t make you feel confused, because there are. But this is one of those books that will create an intense curiosity in you on the subject of neuroscience.
You’ll find some very baffling neurological cases discussed throughout the book. The author helps us deep dive not just into his patients’ case histories and his experiments, but also assists us in deciphering our own personalities and factors leading to it.
3. The Brain That Changes Itself
The Brain is what got me interested in the genre of neuroscience and this one is what kept me going. The brain that changes itself is one hell of a book to get incredible insight into the subject of neuro-plasticity (the science that delves into the fact that brain continually changes itself and is capable of getting rewired). It is very well written and will give you a whole new perspective on various aspects of your life. You’ll be left flabbergasted by the amazing capabilities of our brain and how consciously all that force can be utilized to make our lives better. I found the case studies discussed in the book really engrossing. All that said, Norman Doidge’s implicit philosophical take on the subject is what is really going to change you forever.
4. Subliminal
Even after reading all those brain books, this one caught me unawares. Subliminal is the ultimate eye opener when it comes to understanding our mind. Leonard has done an incredible job in explaining the subconscious and conscious mind and their import on decision making. It’s overwhelming to read how much bearing our subconscious has on our daily lives. High chance you do things assuming that is what you want to do, without grasping the omnipresent force of unconscious mind possibly manipulating information and computation for you. This possibility of being slaves of your own unconscious mind is really nerve wracking and, unfortunately, pervasive. Hence, do you see how important it is to read and understand this book? This one is the most empowering book I’ve come across.
Wish to read more such brain books? Check out Thinking Fast And Slow and The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat.
Did you like this list of brain and neuroscience books? Do you think I missed out on any other interesting brain books? Then kindly comment. In case the list resonates well with you, please like, share and subscribe.
Keep Reading. Chao!