Ever wondered what your brain is up to? Well, The Idiot Brain by neuroscientist Dean Burnett attempts to explain the workings and failings of the human brain. Supported by referenced scientific studies, The Idiot Brain gives an evidence-based account of some of the key concepts that play out in our daily lives.
The book is split into eight chapters: Mind Controls; The gift of memory (keep the receipt); Fear: nothing to be scared of; Think you’re clever, do you?; Did you see this chapter coming?; Personality: a testing concept; Group hug!; and When the brain breaks down. Within each chapter, Burnett lays the groundwork for each concept and provides salient points as to the workings of the brain. However, if you’re looking for clear-cut answers, you might be disappointed as Burnett reiterates throughout the book that the brain is a complex system and is liable to misadventure.
A strength of The Idiot Brain is that it is relatively jargon-free with explanations provided for areas and functions of the brain meaning that it is accessible for anyone who is interested in reading more about how our minds work. This book is ideal for those who are seeking to dip their toe into brain-related content or for those who are already familiar.
Although the friendly tone can put readers at ease when discussing a complex subject matter like the human brain, personally I found the use of humour to be a little try-hard and used too often which for me detracted from the interesting content at times. That said, I appreciate that humour allows us to kindly laugh at our fallible brains rather than to punitively dissect our failings.
For me, The Idiot Brain wasn’t a super quick read or one that I couldn’t put down, but one that I would still recommend to those who are interested in gaining insight into what’s going on up top.
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