The User's Guide to the Human Mind

The User's Guide to the Human Mind PDF

Author: Shawn Smith

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2011-12-01

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 160882053X

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Your mind is not built to make you happy; it’s built to help you survive. So far, it’s done a great job! But in the process, it may have developed some bad habits, like avoiding new experiences or scrounging around for problems where none exist. Is it any wonder that worry, bad moods, and self-critical thoughts so often get in the way of enjoying life? The User’s Guide to the Human Mind is a road map to the puzzling inner workings of the human mind, replete with exercises for overriding the mind’s natural impulses toward worry, self-criticism, and fear, and helpful tips for acting in the service of your values and emotional well-being—even when your mind has other plans. Find out how your mind tries to limit your behavior and your potential Discover how pessimism functions as your mind’s error management system Learn why you shouldn’t believe everything you think Overrule your thoughts and feelings and take charge of your mind and your life

A User's Guide to the Brain

A User's Guide to the Brain PDF

Author: John J. Ratey, M.D.

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2002-01-08

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0375701079

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John Ratey, bestselling author and clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, lucidly explains the human brain’s workings, and paves the way for a better understanding of how the brain affects who we are. Ratey provides insight into the basic structure and chemistry of the brain, and demonstrates how its systems shape our perceptions, emotions, and behavior. By giving us a greater understanding of how the brain responds to the guidance of its user, he provides us with knowledge that can enable us to improve our lives. In A User’s Guide to the Brain, Ratey clearly and succinctly surveys what scientists now know about the brain and how we use it. He looks at the brain as a malleable organ capable of improvement and change, like any muscle, and examines the way specific motor functions might be applied to overcome neural disorders ranging from everyday shyness to autism. Drawing on examples from his practice and from everyday life, Ratey illustrates that the most important lesson we can learn about our brains is how to use them to their maximum potential.

Consciousness

Consciousness PDF

Author: Adam Zeman

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9780300104974

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A fascinating exploration of the nature of consciousness This engaging and readable book provides an introduction to consciousness that does justice both to the science and to the philosophy of consciousness, that is, the mechanics of the mind and the experience of awareness. The book opens with a general discussion of the brain and of consciousness itself. Then, exploring the areas of brain science most likely to illuminate the basis of awareness, Zeman focuses on the science of sleep and waking and on the science of vision. He describes healthy states and disorders--epilepsy, narcolepsy, blindsight and hallucinations after stroke--that provide insights into the capacity for consciousness and into its contents. And he tracks the evolution of the brain, the human species, and human culture and surveys the main current scientific theories of awareness, pioneering attempts to explain how the brain gives rise to experience. Zeman concludes by examining philosophical arguments about the nature of consciousness. A practicing neurologist, he animates his text with examples from the behavioral and neurological disorders of his patients and from the expanding mental worlds of young children, including his own. His book is an accessible and enlightening explanation of why we are conscious.

The Human Brain Book

The Human Brain Book PDF

Author: Rita Carter

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2019-01-08

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 1465487972

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This award-winning science book uses the latest findings from neuroscience research and brain-imaging technology to take you on a journey into the human brain. CGI illustrations and brain MRI scans reveal the brain's anatomy in unprecedented detail. Step-by-step sequences unravel and simplify the complex processes of brain function, such as how nerves transmit signals, how memories are laid down and recalled, and how we register emotions. The book answers fundamental and compelling questions about the brain: what does it mean to be conscious, what happens when we're asleep, and are the brains of men and women different? This is an accessible and authoritative reference book to a fascinating part of the human body. Thanks to improvements in scanning technology, our understanding of the brain is changing quickly. Now in its third edition, The Human Brain Book provides an up-to-date guide to one of science's most exciting frontiers. With its coverage of more than 50 brain-related diseases and disorders--from strokes to brain tumors and schizophrenia--it is also an essential manual for students and healthcare professionals.

Designing with the Mind in Mind

Designing with the Mind in Mind PDF

Author: Jeff Johnson

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-12-17

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 012411556X

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In this completely updated and revised edition of Designing with the Mind in Mind, Jeff Johnson provides you with just enough background in perceptual and cognitive psychology that user interface (UI) design guidelines make intuitive sense rather than being just a list or rules to follow. Early UI practitioners were trained in cognitive psychology, and developed UI design rules based on it. But as the field has evolved since the first edition of this book, designers enter the field from many disciplines. Practitioners today have enough experience in UI design that they have been exposed to design rules, but it is essential that they understand the psychology behind the rules in order to effectively apply them. In this new edition, you'll find new chapters on human choice and decision making, hand-eye coordination and attention, as well as new examples, figures, and explanations throughout. Provides an essential source for user interface design rules and how, when, and why to apply them Arms designers with the science behind each design rule, allowing them to make informed decisions in projects, and to explain those decisions to others Equips readers with the knowledge to make educated tradeoffs between competing rules, project deadlines, and budget pressures Completely updated and revised, including additional coverage on human choice and decision making, hand-eye coordination and attention, and new mobile and touch-screen examples throughout

The Owner's Manual for the Brain (4th Edition)

The Owner's Manual for the Brain (4th Edition) PDF

Author: Pierce Howard

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2014-05-13

Total Pages: 1074

ISBN-13: 006222736X

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Cutting-edge, user-friendly, and comprehensive: the revolutionary guide to the brain, now fully revised and updated At birth each of us is given the most powerful and complex tool of all time: the human brain. And yet, as we well know, it doesn't come with an owner's manual—until now. In this unsurpassed resource, Dr. Pierce J. Howard and his team distill the very latest research and clearly explain the practical, real-world applications to our daily lives. Drawing from the frontiers of psychology, neurobiology, and cognitive science, yet organized and written for maximum usability, The Owner's Manual for the Brain, Fourth Edition, is your comprehensive guide to optimum mental performance and well-being. It should be on every thinking person's bookshelf. What are the ingredients of happiness? Which are the best remedies for headaches and migraines? How can we master creativity, focus, decision making, and willpower? What are the best brain foods? How is it possible to boost memory and intelligence? What is the secret to getting a good night's sleep? How can you positively manage depression, anxiety, addiction, and other disorders? What is the impact of nutrition, stress, and exercise on the brain? Is personality hard-wired or fluid? What are the best strategies when recovering from trauma and loss? How do moods and emotions interact? What is the ideal learning environment for children? How do love, humor, music, friendship, and nature contribute to well-being? Are there ways of reducing negative traits such as aggression, short-temperedness, or irritability? What is the recommended treatment for concussions? Can you delay or prevent Alzheimer's and dementia? What are the most important ingredients to a successful marriage and family? What do the world's most effective managers know about leadership, motivation, and persuasion? Plus 1,000s more topics!

Careful

Careful PDF

Author: Steve Casner

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2017-05-23

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0399574115

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“Gripping, page-turning material . . . a new way of thinking about survival in a world filled with hazards and distractions.” —Charles Duhigg, author of Smarter Faster Better and The Power of Habit A safety expert reveals why few of us are as careful as we think we are, and what we can do about it. As doctors and medical researchers work busily to extend our lives, more people each year are figuring out ways to cut them short. In fact, after a hundred years of steady decline, the rate at which people are being injured (or worse) in everyday accidents is increasing. Blame car crashes, pedestrian fatalities, home-improvement projects gone wrong, medical mistakes, home fires—not to mention all the crazy things that kids are into these days. And the problem seems to be spinning out of control. Steve Casner has devoted his career to studying the psychology of safety, and he knows there’s not a safety warning we won’t ignore or a foolproof device we can’t turn into an implement of disaster. Casner details the psychological traps that prevent us from being more careful. They’re the same whether you’re a pilot, a Hollywood stuntwoman, a parent, or the owner of a clogged dishwasher you’re trying to fix with a screwdriver. Then he shows us gripping real examples of how and when injuries happen, so we know exactly what we should really be worrying about. Careful arms readers with the latest science on how our sometimes fallible minds work, with countless takeaways to incorporate at home, at work, and everywhere in between. This book will help us keep our fingers attached in the kitchen, our kids afloat at the pool, and our teens safe behind the wheel, and demonstrates the many other ways we can maximize our chances of getting through the day in one piece.

Economics: The User's Guide

Economics: The User's Guide PDF

Author: Ha-Joon Chang

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-10-20

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 1620408147

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From the internationally bestselling author and prizewinning economist--a highly original guide to the global economy. In his bestselling 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism, Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang brilliantly debunked many of the predominant myths of neoclassical economics. Now, in an entertaining and accessible primer, he explains how the global economy actually works--in real-world terms. Writing with irreverent wit, a deep knowledge of history, and a disregard for conventional economic pieties, Chang offers insights that will never be found in the textbooks. Unlike many economists, who present only one view of their discipline, Chang introduces a wide range of economic theories, from classical to Keynesian, revealing how each has its strengths and weaknesses, and why there is no one way to explain economic behavior. Instead, by ignoring the received wisdom and exposing the myriad forces that shape our financial world, Chang gives us the tools we need to understand our increasingly global and interconnected world often driven by economics. From the future of the Euro, inequality in China, or the condition of the American manufacturing industry here in the United States--Economics: The User’s Guide is a concise and expertly crafted guide to economic fundamentals that offers a clear and accurate picture of the global economy and how and why it affects our daily lives.

Stumbling on Happiness

Stumbling on Happiness PDF

Author: Daniel Gilbert

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Published: 2009-02-24

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0307371360

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A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist, which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we’re so lousy at predicting what will make us happy – and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward. Using cutting-edge research, much of it original, Gilbert shakes, cajoles, persuades, tricks and jokes us into accepting the fact that happiness is not really what or where we thought it was. Among the unexpected questions he poses: Why are conjoined twins no less happy than the general population? When you go out to eat, is it better to order your favourite dish every time, or to try something new? If Ingrid Bergman hadn’t gotten on the plane at the end of Casablanca, would she and Bogey have been better off? Smart, witty, accessible and laugh-out-loud funny, Stumbling on Happiness brilliantly describes all that science has to tell us about the uniquely human ability to envision the future, and how likely we are to enjoy it when we get there.

A User's Guide to Thought and Meaning

A User's Guide to Thought and Meaning PDF

Author: Ray Jackendoff

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2012-02-23

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0191620688

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A User's Guide to Thought and Meaning presents a profound and arresting integration of the faculties of the mind - of how we think, speak, and see the world. Ray Jackendoff starts out by looking at languages and what the meanings of words and sentences actually do. He shows that meanings are more adaptive and complicated than they're commonly given credit for, and he is led to some basic questions: How do we perceive and act in the world? How do we talk about it? And how can the collection of neurons in the brain give rise to conscious experience? As it turns out, the organization of language, thought, and perception does not look much like the way we experience things, and only a small part of what the brain does is conscious. Jackendoff concludes that thought and meaning must be almost completely unconscious. What we experience as rational conscious thought - which we prize as setting us apart from the animals - in fact rides on a foundation of unconscious intuition. Rationality amounts to intuition enhanced by language. Written with an informality that belies both the originality of its insights and the radical nature of its conclusions, A User's Guide to Thought and Meaning is the author's most important book since the groundbreaking Foundations of Language in 2002.