Incognito

The Secret Lives of the Brain

By: David Eagleman

Narrated by: David Eagleman

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.

fascinating and fun.

This book unfurled in magnificent ways that both entertained and expanded my mind. Aspects of this book have altered my thinking and joined with other brain expanding books I've listened to; novel thoughts and connections spreading out like mycelium reaching through rich moist humus. Definitely worth your time.

Mind blowing

While on my own personal quest to answer the question Who am I? Where did I come from? And who the hell are you? I came across "Incognito." Challenging , intelligent and at times hilarious, I think I got what I came for. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It's my new go-to Book whenever I need a soothing rAtional voice in my head.

a thrilling peek under the hood

in Incognito, David Eagleman weaves together the scientific and existential with style and lucidity. If you're clueless about brains fear not, jargon is minimal and Eagleman has a gift for explaining complex topics with beauty and economy. If you know a little bit about brains already this is fascinating stuff. That said, this could be an important book for anyone interested in what it means to be, or at least feel like, a self. Even if you aren't into the scientific side, it's a worthwhile listen for Eagleman's hopeful and well reasoned take on criminal justice reform. Though he discusses the profound implications of modern neuroscience, Eagleman strikes a good balance between the philosophical and practical. Also, Eagleman's dramatic, enthusiastic narration is one of the best I've heard on Audible. I loved the moments where he discussed the evolutionary logic of neurobiology and my only complaint is that I would have liked more, but this reflects a personal bias more than any issue with the book.

I was with it up until the evo-psych came in.

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

Not really

Any additional comments?

The problem with evo-psych is its almost impossible to test in anyone older than a baby. Once socialization starts playing into things, the ability of us to extrapolate behavior from genetics is next to impossible isolate from socially accepted norms. Not to mention that this sort of data is frequently used as a shoring device to prop up internal narratives. People find X attractive because X is more desireable from an evolutionary standpoint, right? Well then, men apparently find shaven armpits more attractive because pre-pubescent women are uh... better at having kids... wait, that's not right...

It’s the matrix of books!!!

Neuroscience goes above my head but this guy paints you a picture so well that even I feel I can understand this. It gave me new insights on how to look at the world. Was very entertaining, will probably give it another listen to further solidify my new found ways of thinking.