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The Moral Molecule: the New Science of What Makes us Good or Evil
Paul J. Zak · back to the book
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24 books with the same feel
Include books by the same authorThe Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance
Steven Kotler · 234 pages
"An exploration of how extreme athletes are able to break the limits of ultimate human performance and what we can learn from their mastery of the state of consciousness known as "flow." "--
Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self
Jennifer Ouellette
"A fascinating survey of the forces that shape who we are and how we act-from the author of The Calculus Diaries. Following her previous tours through the worlds of physics (Black Bodies and Quantum Cats) and calculus (The Calculus Diaries), acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ouellette now turns her attention to the mysteries of human identity and behavior with Me, Myself, and Why. She draws on gen
Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul
Stuart Brown, Christopher Vaughan · 229 pages
From a leading expert, a groundbreaking book on the science of play, and its essential role in fueling our intelligence and happiness throughout our lives.We’ve all seen the happiness in the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing with glee across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless and all-consuming. An
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
Steven Pinker · 528 pages
In The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker, one of the world's leading experts on language and the mind, explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. With characteristic wit, lucidity, and insight, Pinker argues that the dogma that the mind has no innate traits-a doctrine held by many intellectuals during the past century-denies our common humanity and our individual
How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like
Paul Bloom · 280 pages
In this fascinating and witty account, Yale psychologist Paul Bloom draws on insights from child development, philosophy, neuroscience, and behavioral economics to examine the science behind our curious desires, attractions, and tastes, covering everything from the animal instincts for sex and food to the uniquely human taste for art, music, and stories.
Free Will
Sam Harris · 83 pages
[Free Will][1] is a 2012 book by the American author and neuroscientist Sam Harris. Harris argues that the truth about the human mind (that free will is an illusion) does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of political and social freedom, and can as well as should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr
Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear
Margee Kerr · 281 pages
"For as long as we've gathered by campfires to tell ghost stories, humans have always loved a good scare. From the splatter flicks of the 70s, to Japan's obsession with drowned girls, to creepy modern experiences like the overnight ghost hunt at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, the horror industry has thrived across time and cultures. Our obsession with getting scared is obvious to anyone who v
The Science of Superstition
Bruce M. Hood
"John McEnroe notoriously refused to step on the white lines of a tennis court between points. Wade Boggs insisted on eating a chicken dinner before every Boston Red Sox game. Presidential candidate Barak Obama played a game of basketball the morning of his victory in the Iowa primary, and continued the tradition the day of every following primary. Superstitious habits are common. Do you ever cros
Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique
Michael S. Gazzaniga · 352 pages
One of the world's leading neuroscientists explores how best to understand the human condition by examining the biological, psychological, and highly social nature of our species within the social context of our lives.What happened along the evolutionary trail that made humans so unique? In his widely accessible style, Michael Gazzaniga looks to a broad range of studies to pinpoint the change that
Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception
Claudia Hammond · 342 pages
Time rules our lives, but how much do we understand it? Is it possible to retrain our brains and improve our relationship with it? Drawing on the latest research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience,and biology, and using original research on the way memory shapes our understanding of time, the author delves into the mysteries of time perception, offering insight into how to manage our time
A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness
Michael Pollan · 320 pages
Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction
Susan Blackmore · 554 pages
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Joshua Foer · 307 pages
The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory “Highly entertaining.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker “Funny, curious, erudite, and full of useful details about ancient techniques of training memory.” —The Boston Globe An instant bestseller that has now become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlo
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us
Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons · 306 pages
The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty
Simon Baron-Cohen · 256 pages
The Man Who Couldn't Stop
David Adam · 324 pages
**An intimate look at the power of intrusive thoughts, how our brains can turn against us, and living with obsessive compulsive disorder** Have you ever had a strange urge to jump from a tall building or steer your car into oncoming traffic? You are not alone. In this captivating fusion of science, history, and personal memoir, David Adam explores the weird thoughts that exist within every mind
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
Dacher Keltner · 352 pages
A new examination of the surprising origins of human goodness.
Brain Bugs: How the Brain's Flaws Shape Our Lives
Dean Buonomano · 320 pages
Neuroscientist Dean Buonomano illuminates the causes and consequences of the brain's imperfections in terms of its innermost workings and its evolutionary purposes. He then examines how our brains function--and malfunction--in the digital, predator-free, information-saturated, special-effects-addled world we have built for ourselves.
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
Gary F. Marcus · 224 pages
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Robert M. Sapolsky · 790 pages
Why do we do the things we do? Over a decade in the making, this game-changing book is Robert Sapolsky's genre-shattering attempt to answer that question as fully as perhaps only he could, looking at it from every angle. Sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise mo
Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind
Alex Stone · 310 pages
Making Up the Mind
Chris Frith · 234 pages
"Making up the Mind is the first accessible account of experimental studies showing how the brain creates our mental world. Using evidence from brain imaging, psychological experiments, and studies with patients, Chris Frith, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, explores the relationship between the mind and the brain."--Jacket.
Nature Via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human
Matt Ridley · 326 pages