This book is rather boring.
I was not able to read through it so far.
I keep falling into sleep while reading it.
The topic might be very interesting, the writers might be good doctors,
but they are not good writers.

This book is rather boring.
I was not able to read through it so far.
I keep falling into sleep while reading it.
The topic might be very interesting, the writers might be good doctors,
but they are not good writers.

Welcome to Your Brain is unique in it's ability to fully explain each topic with both example and description. When one reads a book like this, you first go to topics that you have personal interest in such as an event within you family that you would like to learn more about. I found numerous occassions in reading through the chapters, where I would learn something new which caused me to think about how unique the brain really is. Demistifying common misconceptions on the brain was an awakening. Almost like a good novel, can't put it down!

Although neuroscience is expanding rapidly with new knowledge and amazing insights, this book gives only a superficial understanding, including a few interesting facts but nothing beyond introductory psych course material. I guess since I could answer the question in the title, that should have been a clue that the book offered nothing new. If you've read any other sources about the brain, this takes tiny bits of the same info but dumbs it down. Get Norman Doidge's book instead.

This brainy duo managed to write a fascinating book about how the mind works
that is both entertaining and fun. A great read for most anyone who has a brain and is curious to know how it works. Seriously, this appealing book seems to capture the attention of everyone who picks it up. It has disappeared from my coffee table a number of times. Get it for yourself or give it as a gift. This book is definitely a winner!

This brainy duo managed to write a fascinating book about how the mind works
that is both entertaining and fun. A great read for most anyone who has a brain and is curious to know how it works. Seriously, this appealing book seems to capture the attention of everyone who picks it up. It has disappeared from my coffee table a number of times. Get it for yourself or give it as a gift. This book is definitely a winner!

For some reason I was expecting a more in-depth treatment of the subject than this book actually delivers. The introduction basically brands the book as a good "coffee table book" - easy reading. And it does achieve this goal to some extent. It gives a good overview of how the brain functions, but for my taste it is a bit heavy on the "myth busting" sidepanels and too light on the fine details regarding the electro/chemical/physical mechanics of how the brain converts sensory input into action. Basically I bought the wrong book, so I won't knock down the stars because of this.

Incidentally, two things really bugged me: 1) the authors launched into an attack on Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett and "militant" atheism for no apparent good reason (yes, Richard Dawkins is my hero!) and 2) whenever the authors get into evolutionary theory regarding why the brain is the way it is, they speak in terms of species-level selection rather than individual-level selection, which is inaccurate and a bit lazy (and yes, Dawkins has spoiled me on this point).

I bought this book to use with my daughter who is a home schooled high school senior. The book is very informative and well written. The chapters are not too long but don't feel condensed. It is humorous too ! It also helps to shed light on a lot of myths that most people take for granted as being "facts". I learned a lot. I recommend it to anyone.

"Welcome to Your Brain" is a fairly bland skimpy overview that, while offering minor insights here and there (eg. "We use only 10% of our brains" is a myth. There is no evidence that playing classical music for babies makes them more intelligent.), but dodges major controversies (eg. Race vs. Intelligence, sex differences) and even ignores some key points - eg. importance of chemical levels to proper brain functioning. The result is a pedantic slog through too many pages.

This book is FANTASTIC! A great read! Stimulating! If you use your brain on a daily basis, buy this book!

You must read this book if you want to know more about your brain. It really gives you information about your everyday life.

Who would have guessed that two neuroscientists could write such an entertaining book about brain function? I knew I was going to enjoy this book when I got to page 10 and, in a discussion of which movies portray brain disorders accurately and which don't, I read: "Another offender is the movie 50 First Dates (2004), which portrays a pattern of memory loss that never occurs in any known neurological condition. Drew Barrymore plays a character who collects new memories each day and then discards them all overnight, clearing the way for a brand-new beginning the next day. In this way she is able to tolerate more than one date with Adam Sandler."

Written with humor and chock-full of real and practical information about your brain, this book is a worthwhile read for anyone. Interspersed with the chapers are "snippet boxes" of "Did you know?" "Myth" and "Practical tip" sections where you will learn things like: why we sometimes sneeze when we look into a bright light, why we yawn, why we can't tickle ourselves, that listening to Mozart WON'T make your child smarter, but learning to play an instrument will, how to overcome jet lag, how to hear better on your cell phone in noisy situations. You'll find sections on how your senses work, how your brain changes as you age, how your brain affects your emotions - even a chapter on how drugs affect your brain. Very interesting reading, from start to finish

This book is truly a gem. It is all too rare in science writing to find authors who can make complicated topics accessible and also change the way that you look at the everyday world. Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt are among the precious few who can do just that. Their recent New York Times editorials on the brain have generated a tremendous amount of conversation on line, at the dinner table, and at the water cooler. Anyone who is interested in the workings of the brain or just how we do the amazing things that we do in the course of a day would do well to give this book a try.

The authors' website[..]is also a source of interesting information, and their talk at Google [..]is available online as well.

Enjoy!

I must confess that I worked with one of the authors (S. Wang) several years ago. This book is a great resource to get a big picture view of the brain. As a grad student, the book has expanded my knowledge outside of my field of interest. It's an appealing and useful book to anyone curious about neuroscience.

The layout is appealing, the subjects discussed are fascinating, and the science is solid. I am considering using this book in a new Neuroscience course for freshman biology students. It has the potential to stimulate the interest of students who might otherwise be intimidated by Neuroscience.

Neurobiology is one of those fields that is finding out new things every day. This book gives an up-to-date and wide-ranging overview of how it all works, and doesn't stint on the science. From jet lag to memory, brain injury to decision-making and intelligence, this book discusses it all. This would be a great starting point for further reading, or (as it was in my case) just a fascinating look at many facets of brain function.

Lively enough to entertain, yet not so dumbed down as to be silly. Highly recommended.

As a sufferer of Parkinson's disease, one of many Neurological diseases suffered today by millions world wide, I found this book both interesting and informative. It is written with real knowledge -as confirmed by my Neurologist, and with humor and just a little smugness at their debunking many of the myths we have held near and dear.
It is at once informative and interesting and really easy to read. It certainly exceeded my expectation. I have recommended it to many people from my Neurologist and other health professionals, to my fellow Parkinson's sufferers and other interested people.
Unfortunately I still can not remember where I put my car keys, and according to my kids, I have also forgotten how to drive.

I really liked this book. I'm a psychology professor, and I think the book will be a great gift for family members who want to learn more about what I study, and for friends who are curious about the mind and how it works. The book provides a clear and educational introduction to the psychology and neuroscience of thinking and perception, in a very entertaining manner. I think the book is a great read for people with some knowledge in the field too (such as psychology instructors, medical doctors). It is full of surprising anecdotes that make great cocktail conversation, and actually teach you something about the brain in the process. I think I will leave it on my coffee table so I can remind myself of some of the cool examples in it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Of all the popular science brain books on the market, few are as credible, readable, or entertaining. The point of departure for most topics as they are introduced is to debunk common myths and misunderstandings about the brain. These authors actually know what they're talking about and they manage to convey their message in a fluid conversational style rather than getting bogged down in technical jargon or worse---they never lapse into the psychobabble found in too many self help type neuroscience books. Grounded in common sense, yet authoritative and up-to-date---it's a great read!

"Welcome to Your Brain" examines the kinds of questions that got me interested in neuroscience 20 years ago when I was a college student fascinated by Oliver Sacks.

The tour of our mental landscape is presented in very short chapters that are punctuated by "Did you know?" "Practical tip" and "Myth" pullout boxes. The scientifically-accurate, up-to-date information covers details about how the brain works, while also providing a plethora of fun dinner-table conversation starters.

"Welcome to Your Brain" provides a great entry point for curious students and anyone interested in learning more about science. It's unusual to find a book that covers both the biological details as well as the science and society issues related to the brain.

So if you are curious why you can't tickle yourself, what the Dalai Lama thinks about reaching enlightenment through "artificial" means like drugs or surgery, and how brain function is related to prejudice, you'll want to check out "Welcome to Your Brain."

This book by two neuroscientists is an outstanding, fun and smart introductory guide to the function of the brain . They explain how the brain does all sorts of cool things for us (what makes you a morning person vs. a late-night person, how your brain complicates trying to lose weight). The books also explains the origin of common myths (do you really only use 10% of your brain? can a knock the head restore memories?) and whether they are true (in these cases, they are not). The great and unusual thing about this book is that they do this based on real neurobiology but they make it accessible to all adults, no matter their educational background.

I've always wanted to know more about our brains but I wanted to make sure I had the latest research, a book from 20 years ago will not do. This book helps you catch up with the latest research and a lot more. It engages you with useful ways to come to an understanding of how your brain works. This is good for us people who want a simple way to visualize what is going on.

The best part about this book is the authors have created a book that is witty and entertaining. This makes an already interesting subject fun. I'd recommend it for libraries and schools.

I recently checked this book out of the library. Flipped through and read an occasional page or sidebar hoping to find something that would peak my interest and encourage me to read the book. I looked at the nice line drawings, thought the layout was nice and at the end found myself saying - So what?

The writing style is non-engaging. It is mainly information and doesn't hold ones attention. I continually felt let down by the lack of depth. I'd read a section like "Head Injury and Personality" and still be looking for an answer. How about the myth busting sidebar Blind People Have Better Hearing. What's that for? I don't know about you but I don't really care How Scientists Measure Happiness - I'm more interested in how to attain a more frequent and higher state of happiness. You're not going to find much how to in this book.

I have to say after paging through this book from front to back - twice - it's going back to the selves. Talk about boooooring. Bottom line for me is this book is a Why Bother?