A Mind of Its Own (HARDBACK)
UK £9.99,
UK Publication January 2006
ISBN 9781840466782
Hardback
Buy: | Amazon UK| Waterstones| Book Depository
Can you trust your brain? Perhaps it occasionally misfires when faced with the 13 times table, or persistently fails to master parallel parking. But the brain is pretty amazing. Never before have we known so much about the sophistication of those one hundred billion grey cells. You might feel justified in thinking that you know what your brain's up to, and that you're in control.
Sorry. Think again.
Your brain is vainglorious. It deludes you. It is pigheaded, emotional and secretive. Oh, and it's also a bigot. If your brain were a person you definitely wouldn't invite it to parties and it would probably be a politician.
This book reveals the fiendish little sins your brain gets up to behind your back.
An enlightening tour of the less salubrious side of human psychology, dotted with popular explanations of the latest research and fascinating real-life examples, Cordelia Fine's book tells you everything you always wanted to know about the brain ... and plenty you probably didn't.
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'This little gem of a book explains the devious workings of the human brain. Thought you were in charge of your own mind? Think again' Good Reading
'I believe A Mind of Its Own has the potential to popularise social psychology as Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves has done for grammar' The Flemington-Kensington News
'We are all vain bigots, thanks to the foibles of the human brain, so argues Fine in her witty survey of psychology experiments … An ideal gift for anyone interested in psychology’ Focus
‘Fine succeeds brilliantly in demonstrating the human brain is vainglorious, stubborn and secretive’ Mail on Sunday
‘Clear, accessible writing makes her a science writer to watch’ Metro
‘Filled with quotable stories and interactive ways of how our brain has a buoyant ego of its own and is not the objective tool we might like to believe’ Bookseller; ‘A light and amusing introduction to the brain and how it works on our perceptions and actions.’ Publishing News
‘Consistently well-written and meticulously researched’ Sunday Times
‘In breezy demotic, Fine offers an entertaining tour of current thinking … [she] is especially fascinating on the blurring of the line between pathological delusions and the normal deluded brain’ Telegraph
‘Fine with a sharp sense of humour and an intelligent sense of reality, slaps an Asbo on the hundred billion grey cells that – literally – have shifty, ruthless, self serving minds of their own’ The Times
‘In her chatty straight shooting narrative style Fine seamlessly weaves psychological case studies and published research producing an informative and entertaining read’ Carmel Riordan
‘Fine sets out to demonstrate that the human brain is vainglorious and stubborn. She succeeds brilliantly’ Ireland on Sunday
‘This is one of the most interesting and amusing accounts of how we think we think – I think.’ Alexander McCall Smith
‘A fascinating, funny, disconcerting and lucid book. By the end you’ll realise that your brain can (and does) run rings around you.’ Helen Dunmore
‘Witty and informative’ Philip Pullman
‘We humans often behave in irrational ways, and in this volume, Cordelia Fine explains and elaborates many of them in a clear, engaging, humorous style ... Fine has an excellent knack for selecting good examples from the psychological research and presenting the information clearly and entertainingly.’ Science Books & Films (US)
‘A fun introduction to some of the factors that can distort our reasoning. I’d recommend it to anyone who is just getting interested in the topic, or as a gift for anyone you know who still thinks that their personal point of view is unprejudiced and reliable.’ Psychologist
‘Fine is that rare academic who's also an excellent writer. Highly recommended for all public and undergraduate libraries.’ Library Journal; ‘Remarkably entertaining’ Los Angeles Times
‘One of the most engaging books on social psychology and brain function in recent memory.’ Science and Theology News
‘Provocative enough to make you start questioning your each and every action.’ Entertainment Weekly (US)
‘An edifying exploration, wryly and ruefully expressed’ Booklist (US)
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Cordelia Fine was awarded a PhD in Psychology from University College London. She is now a Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy & Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne.
See more books by: Cordelia Fine
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Other editions / related titles:
A Mind of Its Own (PAPERBACK)
Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences (HARDBACK)
