From the author ofHow Emotions Are Made, a myth-busting primer on the brain in the tradition ofSeven Brief Lessons on Physics andAstrophysics for People in a Hurry

Have you ever wondered why you have a brain? Let renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett demystify that big gray blob between your ears. In seven short essays (plus a bite-size story about how brains evolved), this slim, entertaining, and accessible collection reveals mind-expanding lessons from the front lines of neuroscience research. You’ll learn where brains came from, how they’re structured (and why it matters), and how yours works in tandem with other brains tocreate everything you experience. Along the way, you’ll also learn to dismiss popular myths such as the idea of a “lizard brain” and the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions—or between nature and nurture—to determine your behavior.
 
Sure to intrigue casual readers and scientific veterans alike,Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain is full of surprises, humor, and important implications for human nature—a gift of a book that you will want to savor again and again.

LISA FELDMAN BARRETT, PhD, is among the top 1% most cited scientists in the world for her revolutionary research in psychology and neuroscience. She is a University Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in neuroscience in 2019, and she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada. She lives in Boston. More at LisaFeldmanBarrett.com. Twitter: @LFeldmanBarrett.

Lisa Feldman Barrett's profile page

“An excellent education in brain science . . . [Feldman Barrett] deftly employs metaphor and anecdote to deliver an insightful overview of her favorite subject . . . So short and sweet that most readers will continue to the 35-page appendix, in which the author delves more deeply, but with no less clarity, into topics ranging from teleology to the Myers-Briggs personality test to Plato’s writings about the human psyche. Outstanding popular science.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“What about that ‘three-pound blob between your ears’? In seven essays about the brain and a half-size one about its evolution . . . Barrett has crafted a well-written tribute to this wow-inducing organ.”—Booklist
“Beautiful writing and sublime insights that will blow your mind like a string of firecrackers. If you want a rundown of the brain and its magic, start here.”—David Eagleman, Stanford neuroscientist, New York Times best-selling author of Incognito and Livewired

“Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain reads like a novel—one whose main character is all of us. In fresh and lively prose, Barrett provides deep insight into what brains are for, how they operate and are programmed, how they create the ‘reality’ we experience, and how they ultimately produce our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Read this book! It will make you smarter about yourself and your species.”—Leonard Mlodinow, New York Times best-selling author of The Drunkard’s Walk, Subliminal, and Elastic

“A radical and provocative look at a range of pervasive misconceptions, emerging discoveries, and enticing mysteries regarding our very nature as individuals and intertwined social beings. By illuminating our unimaginably complex, constantly changing brain/body networks, Barrett gets to the heart of the new understanding of who and what we are as creatures, and how much latitude and agency we have.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), author of Full Catastrophe Living and The Healing Power of Mindfulness

“Lisa Feldman Barrett is a pioneer in neuroscience and one of today’s most provocative thinkers about the mind. Get ready to have yours blown.”—Adam Grant, New York Times best-selling author of Originals and Give and Take

“A smart and delightfully breezy look at the things most of us think we know about the brain, but don’t.”—Daniel Gilbert, New York Times best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness

“Barrett writes with a scientist’s eye and a storyteller’s heart. A must-read for anyone who has a brain.”—Helen S. Mayberg, professor of neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
“One of the best short, whirlwind introductions to the human brain I’ve ever read . . . [Feldman Barrett] is one of the most brilliant and bold thinkers and scientists I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with.”— Lex Fridman, Lex Fridman Podcast

“[A] must-read science book. Neuroscientist Barrett takes readers on a journey from the first earthly creatures through the musings of ancient philosophers to present-day neuroscience.”—Discover