The Human Mind: A Brief Tour of Everything We Know

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Are you a human Do you have a mind Then this book is for you.

'The story of the human mind as told by psychology's best storyteller' DANIEL GILBERT

Nothing is more familiar and yet less understood than the human mind. It defines the experience of being human, and yet its workings contain some of the deepest mysteries ever encountered. Written by one of the world's greatest teachers of psychology, The Human Mind provides a masterful and riveting guide to all that we have learned since modern science began probing those mysteries.

How does a three-pound lump of grey-ish meat give rise to conscious experience
What is the function of emotions such as disgust, gratitude and shame
How do our biases affect us and how can we overcome them
How does the mind of a child differ from that of an adult
How does memory work What causes mental illness
Are we rational Are we all a little bit racist
What makes us kind What makes us cruel
What makes us happy

Many of these questions now have answers; many others don't yet; many widely accepted theories are probably wrong. This book takes us to the very limits of what is known. It shines new light on all that you take most for granted: everything you think and feel, everything you say and do, everything that makes you you.

'An extraordinary book that absolutely delivers on its sweeping ambitions ... like having the mind's complexities untangled by a witty, eloquent and deeply knowledgeable friend' OLIVER BURKEMAN

Reviews

The story of the human mind as told by psychology's best storyteller ... a fantastic journey -- DANIEL GILBERT, author of Stumbling on Happiness
An extraordinary book that absolutely delivers on its sweeping ambitions. Every chapter here - on topics ranging from Freud to the mysteries of consciousness, from intergroup conflict to the meaning of life - feels like having the mind's complexities untangled by a witty, eloquent and deeply knowledgeable friend -- OLIVER BURKEMAN, author of Four Thousand Weeks
Essential reading for anyone who has wondered why people do, feel, and think what they do. Paul Bloom is that rarest of experts - able to tell a story, make it practical, and yet faithfully capture the complexity and nuance of the latest research -- ANGELA DUCKWORTH, author of Grit
This book is a gem. Insightful, accessible, witty and provocative in the best sense, it presents state-of-the art science and its controversies in an even-handed manner. A wonderful book, whether for a newcomer or a specialist who has studied one tree so long that the forest has been forgotten -- ROBERT SAPOLSKY, author of Behave
Paul Bloom can always be counted on to take your confident assumptions about humanity and turn them upside down -- SUSAN CAIN, author of Quiet
Explains the deep and lasting insights from the science of the mind ... such a pleasure to read -- STEVEN PINKER, author of Enlightenment Now
A perfect testament to why understanding the puzzles of the mind can be so damn fun -- LAURIE SANTOS, host of The Happiness Lab podcast
Perhaps the wittiest, most captivating overview of the field of psychology to date -- JENNIFER SENIOR, author of All Joy and No Fun

Author Bio

Paul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He is an internationally recognised expert on the psychology of language, social reasoning, morality and art. His previous books include Just Babies and How Pleasure Works, and he has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, New Yorker and the Guardian. Bloom has won several awards for his research, articles and teaching, and his 'Introduction to Psychology' class was one of seven selected by Yale to be made available worldwide. His TED talks have been viewed 2.8 million times.