Everything You Want To Know About The Brain But Were Never Afraid To Ask
As soon as people find out that I am a neuropsychologist, a strange expression appears on their faces, as if they had just heard that I am a Martian or something similar. But once the initial surprise gets over, the same thing invariably happens: they start asking me all kinds of questions related to the human mind. It doesn’t matter if I’m at a party, in a taxi or in line at a bank, people want to know what they can do to solve their different problems.
All these questions have a common denominator: they refer to how we think and behave in our daily tasks; In short, they allude to life itself. Our behavior is the software that runs on hardware, a physical support that is none other than the brain
This organ of approximately 1,400 grams and 86,000 million neurons is what makes it possible for us to do everything we do, whether it is chewing gum, playing tennis, contemplating a landscape, solving a mathematical puzzle, writing a poem, and even very development of art and science as we know them.
In the last 20 years, more progress has been made in understanding how the brain works than in the entire history of humanity. In this book, I propose to bring some of that knowledge closer to the reader and help you make decisions based on a better understanding of how your brain works.
Like any other part of the body, the brain does its work according to its own idiosyncrasies. By reading this book, the reader will know these operating guidelines, and will be able to better understand behind the scenes of their particular way of thinking and behaving on a daily basis.
I am convinced that knowledge of how the brain performs its feats is extremely useful, since it allows us to introduce those small changes that are often unsuspected but always necessary so that we can lead a happier and more productive life.
Like a walk through a big, beautiful city, this book was conceived as a guided tour through the streets and nooks and crannies of the human mind. Along the way, the reader will learn about all the places of interest and most important points. You can stop and stay longer in the place you want, since each chapter is relatively independent of the others which also allows you to open the book anywhere and start reading from there.
All curiosities about the brain
Why do we usually believe that we are the absolute owners of the truth? What is prejudice and how does it affect us? Is it true that we cannot pay attention to two things at the same time? Why is it so difficult to get over a breakup? Why do we often act against our own interests? How does marketing manage to manipulate our emotions? Can we do something to be happier?
These are just some of the questions that are addressed during the journey that this work proposes. It also explores how mental illness can damage the brain, and along the way some deeply rooted myths and lies are dismantled between people and society in general.
I trust that my reading friend will always want to have this book at hand, which will be entertaining but will also help clarify many issues. I hope that when he has read just a few pages he will feel irremediably tempted to read everything, and do not forget to pay attention to the little tricks and strategies that are proposed at the end of each chapter; It is my hope that they lead you to a fuller and more efficient life.
