How the Mind Works

By: Steven Pinker

Narrated by: Mel Foster

Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In this delightful, acclaimed best seller, one of the world’s leading cognitive scientists tackles the workings of the human mind. What makes us rational—and why are we so often irrational? How do we see in three dimensions? What makes us happy, afraid, angry, disgusted, or sexually aroused? Why do we fall in love? And how do we grapple with the imponderables of morality, religion, and consciousness?

How the Mind Works synthesizes the most satisfying explanations of our mental life from cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and other fields to explain what the mind is, how it evolved, and how it allows us to see, think, feel, laugh, interact, enjoy the arts, and contemplate the mysteries of life. This new edition of Pinker’s bold and buoyant classic is updated with a new foreword by the author.

©2011 Steven Pinker (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Undeniably brilliant.” ( Newsday)

"Big, brash, and a lot of fun.” ( Time)

“Hugely entertaining.... always sparkling and provoking.” ( Wall Street Journal)

Thorough

Not as easy to consume as Better Angels or Blank Slate, but an admirably thorough discussion of... how the mind works.

A book that every thinking person should read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Pinker is articulate, brilliant and interesting as he leads the listener through a huge forest of cognitive research and evolutionary psychology. He explains as he begins that the fascinating features of our brain have evolved for two purposes: First, to help us reproduce as many offspring as possible. Second, to help us survive as long as long as possible. Any abilities that do not further these two goals are superfluous to our existence. It is a book I will probably read several times before I put it down for good.

Einstein vs High School Dropout

I'm partway through the first chapter, and I'm a bit taken aback as I hear, "The difference between Einstein and a high school dropout..." For one thing, many people drop out of school for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to perform in school, much less their intelligence. Personally, I dropped out in my sophomore year and got my GED, because school wasn't my thing. What really surprises me, though, is that Pinker apparently doesn't know that Einstein himself dropped out of school when he was 15!

I'll revise this review after I listen to the rest of the book, but so far, it's off to a shaky start.

misogynistic

Listening to Steven Pinker used terms of kidnappers is very disturbing. While there is a lot of good information in here He is he is obviously misogynistic. To say a kidnap and rape victim is the perpetrator's wife is disgusting. I think you could teach us about other people's culture without making it so misleading.

Misleading book title

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I'd definitively recommend it to friends. The book is very interesting, but Pinker got the title wrong. The book explains very well WHAT the mind works, and WHY does it make sense that the mind does what it does. But the book NEVER explains HOW the mind does it.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting is the variety of topics covered in the book. Full with interesting specific cases and references to studies.

The least interesting is the lack of substance in the theory of How the mind works. Pinker basically pushes 3 ideas through: 1) natural selection, 2) the mind is made up of organs like the rest of the body, 3) the analogy of the mind as a computational device

As much as those ideas are interesting, they are old and well accepted. So, the book is just a nice way to put them together, but without bringing any new argument to the discussion.

What about Mel Foster’s performance did you like?

The performance of Mel Foster was outstanding.

Classic Pinker

In this wonderfully informative and entertaining book on the human thought process, the source of emotions, sexual desire and everything else this marvelous three pound lump of spam in our head does for us, Pinker writes in the intelligent but amazingly amusing and witty style that makes him one of the greatest translators of complex science into lay terms, in the main because he does so without compromising or dumbing-down in the process. It is no wonder that this man is considered one of the greatest minds of our time. Buy the book and find out how his, and everyone else's works--and why.

Weak Narration

The sing-song "lecture to the kindergarten class" narration made it impossible to finish a dry but important topic. Read the book and skip the audio version.

Definitely worth the money/time

What did you love best about How the Mind Works?

I bought and read the printed copy about 10 years ago, and I remember thinking it was interesting because of technical explanations of how the mind works. But recently, listening to the audio while driving to work, the book made a much larger and more positive impression, specifically in explaining things I thought I knew and wondered about (i.e. why we act like we do). I will definitely be reading/listening again, and would classify my impression as possibly life changing (maybe now I am old enough and wise enough to understand what the author was trying to say?).

What about Mel Foster’s performance did you like?

The only possible downside to the book. While okay, I don't think he did justice to the author's meaning. But about halfway through I became more used to his voice and rythem. Wish I could have heard the author narrating the book,

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, 12+ hours.

Any additional comments?

Definitely worth listening to.

Fantastic Book!

The book is outstanding! For those who love science is a must! For those who love or work with psychology it is also a must! Audible version is great!

wonderful book but the narrator is deathly dull

I read the book years ago, thought I would follow up by listening to the audible version. I was driving as I listened and started to fall asleep because the narrator is so monotonous and drab. Do yourself a favor and simply by the book, instead.