“Why did a brain like ours evolve? The obvious answer is ‘So we can think.’ And it’s hardly surprising to assume that brain evolution had some sort of upward trajectory —for example, from lower animals to higher ones, with the most advanced and rational brain of all, the human brain, at the top. After all, humanity's superpower is thought, don’t you agree?” Well, the obvious answer is wrong. In fact, the idea that our brain evolved for thinking has been the source of many significant misunderstandings about human nature. Once we abandon this cherished belief, we will have taken the first step in trying to understand how our brain works, what its most important task is —and ultimately, what kind of creature we really are...

So, why do we have a brain? Watch the renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett demystify the gray matter between your ears. In seven concise texts (plus a brief history of how the brain evolved), this small, entertaining, and accessible collection of essays offers inspiring lessons from the forefront of neuroscience research. This way, you will learn how your brain came to be, how it is structured (and why that matters), and how it interacts with those around you to create what you experience. Along the way, you’ll discover why you need to dismiss various popular myths, such as that of the ‘reptilian brain’ or the alleged opposition between ‘thoughts and emotions’ or even between ‘nature and nurture,’ to determine your behavior.

The book will ignite the curiosity of both casual readers and science veterans as it is filled with surprises, humor, and important insights into human nature —the gift of a book you will want to enjoy again and again.

What they said about it:

• “Beautiful writing and wonderful ideas that will explode in your mind like a string of firecrackers. If you want a concise introduction to the brain and its magic, start here. [...]” —David Eagleman, professor of neuroscience, Stanford University
• “A smart and cool look at brain topics that most of us think we know —but actually don’t. [...]” —Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology, Harvard University
• “Barrett is a pioneer in the field of neuroscience and one of today’s most provocative thinkers about the mind. Get ready for an unusual experience.” —Adam Grant, professor of organizational psychology, University of Pennsylvania
• “...Barrett writes with the eye of a scientist and the heart of a storyteller. [...] Everyone with a brain should read this. [...]” —Helen Mayberg, professor of neurology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• “One of the best, concise, and groundbreaking introductions I have ever read about the human brain. [...] Barrett is one of the most brilliant and bold thinkers and scientists I have had the pleasure of conversing with at length.” —Lex Fridman, artificial intelligence researcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• “A radical and provocative look at a range of common misconceptions, emerging discoveries, and enticing mysteries about our nature as individuals and interconnected social beings. Illuminating the unimaginably complex, ever-changing brain-body networks, Barrett reaches the heart of our new understanding of who and what we are as creatures, and how much freedom and agency we have. [...]” —Jon Kabat-Zinn, emeritus professor of medicine, University of Massachusetts
• “Seven and a Half Lessons on the Brain reads like a novel —and its main character is all of us. [...] Read this book! It will make you smarter about yourself and our species.” —Leonard Mlodinow, theoretical physicist and author
• “A riveting and enlightening book. [...] Popular science at its best.” —The Guardian
• “In her small but powerful book, Ms. Barrett [...] compellingly explains that much of what we thought we knew about the brain is wrong.” —Wall Street Journal
• “A must-read scientific book. [...]” —Discover Magazine
• On the “Best Books” list for 2020, from Amazon and Barnes & Noble
• On the “Most Notable Books” list for 2020, from Behavioral Scientist
• One of “the Best Popular Science Books,” from BBC Science Focus (March 2021)