Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

The more I read from this author, the more I like him. Our experience in being here and alive isn't what we necessarily think... it's all translated through our brains to create what we see and know. So what is "reality" really? Huh. Easily digested, Incognito explores the subconscious that we don't always recognize "driving the bus." Really interesting. More please. On a side note: SUM, Eagleman's other book, is a gem of tales covering potential afterlife scenarios...clever, thought provoking and entertaining. I highly recommend it to any fiction reader let alone philosopher... Smart guy, great articles out in the world as well...and hopefully more books.

This was a great listen; interesting and informative with a great pace/flow. I wouldn't call this book heavy, and yet there are ideas and truths contained in this book that have permanently altered the way I think about what makes a person who they are. Also, a lot of interesting concepts are presented here on the nature of reality, perception, free will - definitely gave me a lot to think about on my long commutes.

Fascinating take on the unconsciousness of the mind and an enjoyable book. I like David Eagleman's narration. Later chapters delve into Philosophy of Mind and the understanding of emergent phenomena like consciousness through an appreciation of its many layers of complexity. I found myself hoping Eagleman would make strong claims on these intractable problems of mind as a dramatic ending to the profundity of the foregoing, but his moderated conclusion did fit with the theme.


I don't know if it's Eagleman's writing style, narration, or just my own fascination with the subject, but the book elicits a sublime sort of introspection. Well worth your limited attention if you have any interest in psychology.

The author narrates this book- which as we all know can be problematic. Not in this case... Just like Neil deGrasse David pulled this reader in first with his enthusiasm for his chosen topic, second with his ability to make it understandable for a non expert in the field and third in his ability to make it relevant to her everyday life.

Kudo's!

The neuroscientist could find faults with David Eagleman’s Icognito, but I learned a lot and followed the various topics just fine. Along the way, there were insights of great benefit to me and, frankly, exciting to think about. Eagleman’s forte is taking technical literature and present it to the ordinary guy – me. Essentially, Inconito is an indepth consideration of the unconscious (I would refer saying in this case – preconscious) thinking and how it works. The sections that really helped me to better understand our behavior involved discussions of thought patterns that have become a part of our DNA. Our brains are constantly looking for form and symmetry in what we perceive and Eagleman tells us the why and how that is done. The implications for our daily lives are spread before the reader like a buffet. Anyone can benefit by a reading of this book. Eagleman reads his own book to great advantage to the Audible listener.

Normally, I only love classic works of fiction or some times autobiographies. However, this book completely captured my attention and imagination. This book will surely let you know the unadulterated truth: you are not you. You are your brain. And the human brain is THE MOST incredible thing on the frickin' planet; therefore, we're pretty awesome too. LISTEN TO THIS BOOK! Of course, your brain already knows if you are going to listen to this book That's probably the simplest thing this book teaches; you may be undecided, but your brain rarely, rarely is..

One of the best audiobooks I've heard so far!

I can't believe that this author is both smart enough to understand all this stuff AND well-spoken enough to give an excellent performance in his narration.

The content is super interesting and thought-provoking.

There were so many points he made that had never crossed my mind before, but he articulated them in a very easy-to-understand manner.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves the brain and/or is fascinated by human thought!

Loved the book overall. I'm not a scientist or a doctor, but I've read my fair share of related books for laypeople and was easily able to follow along because of it. Aside from some questionable brain exercises, Eagleman clearly and entertainingly lays out an (obviously over-)simplified explanation of the sub-conscious mind to explore how we become who we are. A good, basic picture depicting the state of our quest to understand the origin of conscious thought and a scientific understanding of the human "soul".

Excellent exploration of how your brain works and what it means to your identity and behavior.

Please listen to the audio sample before you download. The author declaims rather than reads his text and it is excruciating to my ear. Very sorry but this is one book I will have to READ rather than listen to.