Incognito

The Secret Lives of the Brain

By: David Eagleman

Narrated by: David Eagleman

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

If the conscious mind - the part you consider to be you - is just the tip of the iceberg, what is the rest doing?

In this sparkling and provocative new book, the renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman navigates the depths of the subconscious brain to illuminate surprising mysteries: Why can your foot move halfway to the brake pedal before you become consciously aware of danger ahead? Why do you hear your name being mentioned in a conversation that you didn’t think you were listening to? What do Ulysses and the credit crunch have in common? Why did Thomas Edison electrocute an elephant in 1916? Why are people whose names begin with J more likely to marry other people whose names begin with J? Why is it so difficult to keep a secret? And how is it possible to get angry at yourself - who, exactly, is mad at whom?

Taking in brain damage, plane spotting, dating, drugs, beauty, infidelity, synesthesia, criminal law, artificial intelligence, and visual illusions, Incognito is a thrilling subsurface exploration of the mind and all its contradictions.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 David Eagleman (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"Eagleman has a talent for testing the untestable, for taking seemingly sophomoric notions and using them to nail down the slippery stuff of consciousness.” (The New Yorker)

“Your mind is an elaborate trick, and mastermind David Eagleman explains how the trick works with great lucidity and amazement. Your mind will thank you.” (Wired magazine)

“A fun read by a smart person for smart people...it will attract a new generation to ponder their inner workings.” (New Scientist)

Interesting - but a few big BUTs

Incognito has a lot of interesting ideas, but the author has an agenda that I found mildly disconcerting. People need to know that their ideas and actions are driven by subconscious activity. I suspect just about everyone has heard this by now. The author also uses the book to promote the idea of altering the legal system to include more neural science so people can be treated instead of punished. I find this both premature (we don???t quite know what we are doing) and short sighted (as legal punishments are largely to provide resolution to victims which is necessary for a stable society). The author???s narration is a bit over the top for my taste with overly strong emphases and the use of tone to try to convince the listener.

Excellent!

This book is so interesting!! Every few minutes you'll learn something you didn't know before! Engaging, well written, and well narrated by the author.

Amazing insights

The author establishes arguments on whether consciousness exists based on scientific findings, which is amazing since most of us deemed human consciousness so natural and never doubt about it. Additionally, the flow of the story is smooth and elegant.

Good for 5 chapters then. It became boorish

Good book until chap 5 then it sounded llike jibberish only espousing leftwart futuristic tendencies

Incog-neat-o! (Sorry for that terrible joke)

If you could sum up Incognito in three words, what would they be?

Intelligent
Persuasive
Informative

What did you like best about this story?

When trying to make a book like this one, there are methods to help prove your point effectively and Eagleman uses them masterfully to inform and instill the information seemlessly.

What about David Eagleman’s performance did you like?

He was enthusiastic about what he had researched. He spoke the text of his book like he was talking to me one on one and was informing me on something I had hardly ever thought of (though he'd likely say that some part of my brain had been thinking something similar for a long time now).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some examples definitely catch you off guard and can leave you taken aback, but they are all very persuasive and play their parts to assisting you reach that level of higher understanding beautifully.

Any additional comments?

It is a great delve into psychology and the human brain packed with thought provoking examples and research that can make you look at your brain in a whole new way. It was worth the money/credit for me.

Excellent thought provoking read about the mind.

Would you consider the audio edition of Incognito to be better than the print version?

It was great to listen to it being read by the author himself. This book has kept me thinking long after listening to it. For weeks I kept referencing the book when having discussions about the mind with friends.

Very interesting book, Narration is slow

Would you listen to Incognito again? Why?

Yes, because there is a lot of information in this book

Any additional comments?

This book is read by the author, David Eagleman. It is very fascinating and there is a lot of information in this book. I found his reading to be a bit slow, and I could have read the book faster myself, but other than that its well worth it.

Mind expanding information

The first thing I like about this book is that the author narrates it. I find it gives a book something extra. I love books about the brain/mind connection. I have always felt there was a symbiotic relationship there, not a one or the other. I like how he points out how our brain doesn't control everything nor does our mind but that they both lay a art in who we are and what we do. His science is sound and he admits to not knowing it all unlike some other books I have read. I have a lot to absorb and will listen again after I have had time to process some of it.

Great for the curious

This book is fantastic! The author's voice is dynamic and interesting. Prior knowledge on neuroscience is not required to enjoy this book. Great for all that are curious about the subject.

Brilliant!

Ground breaking. Every human being needs to be familiar with this information to understand. Understand what? Nothing less than our true natures... Where we come from and where we might be headed. Nobel prize worthy contribution .