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The Idiot Brain
Why Your Brain Gets Things Wrong and Why That's Alright
Brief Description
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION AND AFTERWORD 'A great read.' JON RONSON 'A wonderful introduction to neuroscience.' INDEPENDENT Have you wondered why we recognise people's faces but forget their names? Or why we get motion sickness? Or jet lag, too, for that matter. And why do we...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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10th ANNIVERSAY EDITION: From neuroscientist and internationally bestselling author Dean Burnett comes The Idiot Brain, an accessible, witty examination of how our brains get things wrong - and why that's absolutely fine.
10th Anniversary Edition
From neuroscientist and internationally bestselling author Dean Burnett comes The Idiot Brain, an accessible, witty examination of how our brains get things wrong - and why that's absolutely fine.
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Description
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION AND AFTERWORD
'A great read.' JON RONSON
'A wonderful introduction to neuroscience.' INDEPENDENT
Have you wondered why we recognise people's faces but forget their names? Or why we get motion sickness? Or jet lag, too, for that matter. And why do we overthink even the smallest things in our lives?
For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives.
Covering anxiety, memory, intelligence and personality, this expertly researched and entertainingly written book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to get things wrong, and what on earth it's really up to.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781783353248
Publisher: Guardian Faber Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 January 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Guardian Faber Publishing
Edition: Main - Re-Issue
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist, blogger, sometimes-comedian and author. He is currently an honorary research fellow at the Cardiff University Psychology School. His books have been international bestsellers and have sold in twenty-seven countries.
Burnett is a regular columnist for the BBC Science Focus Magazine and hosts the podcast Why Does This Thing Exist? with Simon Feeley; he previously wrote the science column 'Brain Flapping' for The Guardian, which was read over sixteen million times.
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Emotional Ignorance
Why do we have nightmares? Get hangry? Relive embarrassing memories? Find canned laughter so annoying - and fake news so effective? Emotions can be a pain. If only we were more rational, life would be a lot easier, wouldn't it? Dean Burnett certainly used to think so. And then, in April 2020, his father died of Covid-19. Suddenly, Dean was...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Happy Brain
Do you want to be happy? If so - read on. This book has all the answers.* In The Happy Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett delves deep into the inner workings of our minds to explore some fundamental questions about happiness. For starters: what does it actually mean to be happy? Where does it come from? And is there a secret...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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The Idiot Brain
Motion sickness. Nightmares. Forgetting people's names. Why did I walk into this room? For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives. Expertly researched...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
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