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The Bilingual Brain
- And What It Tells Us About the Science of Language
- Narrated by: Luis Soto
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
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The Bilingual Brain
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Publisher's summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Bilingual Brain by Albert Costa.
How do two languages coexist in the same brain?
Why is it possible to forget a language?
What are the advantages and challenges of being bilingual?
Over half of the world's population is bilingual, and yet this fascinating, complex ability is understood by few. In The Bilingual Brain, leading expert Albert Costa explores the science of language through a wide range of cutting-edge studies and examples from South Korea to Spain and Canada. Looking at the development of the brain from infancy to old age, Costa shows us the impact of bilingualism on everyday life: from a bilingual's ability to multitask and make decisions to the way in which they interact with those around them.
An absorbing examination of an extraordinary skill, The Bilingual Brain leaves us all with a sense of wonder at how language works.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Story4 out of 5 stars 252
Mankind has a distinct advantage over other terrestrial species: we talk to one another. But how did we acquire the most advanced form of communication on Earth? Daniel L. Everett, a "bombshell" linguist and "instant folk hero" (Tom Wolfe, Harper's), provides in this sweeping history a comprehensive examination of the evolutionary story of language, from the earliest speaking attempts by hominids to the more than 7,000 languages that exist today.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Hard to endure
- By Michael D. Busch on 09-09-18
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The Ravenous Brain
- How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning
- By: Daniel Bor
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 78
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 72
Consciousness is our gateway to experience: it enables us to recognize Van Gogh’s starry skies, be enraptured by Beethoven’s Fifth, and stand in awe of a snowcapped mountain. Yet consciousness is subjective, personal, and famously difficult to examine: philosophers have for centuries declared this mental entity so mysterious as to be impenetrable to science. In The Ravenous Brain, neuroscientist Daniel Bor departs sharply from this historical view, and proposes a new model for how consciousness works.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Effectively demystifies consciousness
- By Gary on 11-18-12
By: Daniel Bor
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Louder Than Words
- The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning
- By: Benjamin K. Bergen
- Narrated by: Benjamin K. Bergen
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 444
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 396
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 393
Whether it’s brusque, convincing, fraught with emotion, or dripping with innuendo, language is fundamentally a tool for conveying meaning - a uniquely human magic trick in which you vibrate your vocal cords to make your innermost thoughts pop up in someone else’s mind. You can use it to talk about all sorts of things - from your new labradoodle puppy to the expansive gardens at Versailles, from Roger Federer’s backhand to things that don’t exist at all, like flying pigs.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Fun But Technical--Glad I Got It On Sale
- By Gillian on 05-22-17
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Ha!
- The Science of When We Laugh and Why
- By: Scott Weems
- Narrated by: Kalen Allmandinger
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 148
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 130
Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funnyand why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what’s happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good place to start in the study of humor
- By Amazon Customer on 05-26-17
By: Scott Weems
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Mindwise
- Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want
- By: Nicholas Epley
- Narrated by: Nicholas Epley
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 376
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 320
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 313
You are a mind reader, born with an extraordinary ability to understand what others think, feel, believe, want, and know. It's a sixth sense you use every day, in every personal and professional relationship you have. At its best, this ability allows you to achieve the most important goal in almost any life: connecting, deeply and intimately and honestly, to other human beings. At its worst, it is a source of misunderstanding and unnecessary conflict, leading to damaged relationships and broken dreams. How good are you at knowing the minds of others?
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2 out of 5 stars
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Finally gave up - no real point
- By Thomas on 05-12-14
By: Nicholas Epley
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Mastermind
- How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
- By: Maria Konnikova
- Narrated by: Karen Saltus
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 403
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 339
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 333
No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes. But is his extraordinary intellect merely a gift of fiction, or can we learn to cultivate these abilities ourselves, to improve our lives at work and at home? We can, says psychologist and journalist Maria Konnikova, and in Mastermind she shows us how. Beginning with the "brain attic", Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Mindless: How to Regurgitate Useless Information
- By CC on 02-12-13
By: Maria Konnikova
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The Book of Why
- The New Science of Cause and Effect
- By: Judea Pearl, Dana Mackenzie
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 813
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 675
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 673
"Correlation does not imply causation". This mantra has been invoked by scientists for decades and has led to a virtual prohibition on causal talk. But today, that taboo is dead. The causal revolution, sparked by Judea Pearl and his colleagues, has cut through a century of confusion and placed causality - the study of cause and effect - on a firm scientific basis.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book! Not a great audiobook.
- By rrwright on 05-30-18
By: Judea Pearl, and others
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On Intelligence
- By: Jeff Hawkins, Sandra Blakeslee
- Narrated by: Jeff Hawkins, Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,320
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,097
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,096
Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Epiphany
- By James on 03-14-05
By: Jeff Hawkins, and others
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Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)
- 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
- By: John Medina
- Narrated by: John Medina
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,204
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,046
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,036
In the New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule - what scientists know for sure about how our brains work - and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. Medina’s fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Dear Publishers . . .
- By Bekah on 04-06-17
By: John Medina
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Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- By: Steven Pinker
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 165
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 141
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 145
First published in 2000, Words and Rules remains one of Pinker's most provocative and accessible books, illuminating the fascinating relationship between the brain, the mind, and how language makes us humans.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing how much irregular verbs can teach.
- By Tristan on 04-10-16
By: Steven Pinker
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How the Body Knows Its Mind
- The Surprising Power of the Physical Environment to Influence How You Think and Feel
- By: Sian Beilock
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 42
An award-winning scientist offers a groundbreaking new understanding of the mind-body connection and its profound impact on everything from advertising to romance. The human body is not just a passive device carrying out messages sent by the brain but rather an integral part of how we think and make decisions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The New Science Of The Mind Body Connection!
- By Dianne on 04-06-15
By: Sian Beilock
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Riveted
- The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe
- By: Jim Davies
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 51
Professor Jim Davies's fascinating and highly accessible book, Riveted, reveals the evolutionary underpinnings of why we find things compelling. Drawing on work from philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, psychology, economics, computer science, and biology, Davies offers a comprehensive explanation to show that in spite of the differences between the many things that we find compelling, they have similar effects on our minds and brains.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Fun and excellent listen!
- By Alejandro Franco on 04-13-18
By: Jim Davies
-
Before You Know It
- The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do
- By: John Bargh PhD
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 145
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
For more than three decades, Dr. John Bargh has been responsible for the revolutionary research into the unconscious mind, research that informed best sellers like Blink and Thinking Fast and Slow. Now, in what Dr. John Gottman said "will be the most important and exciting book in psychology that has been written in the past 20 years", Dr. Bargh takes us on an entertaining and enlightening tour of the forces that affect everyday behavior while transforming our understanding of ourselves in profound ways.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Political jab
- By Brad on 10-20-17
By: John Bargh PhD
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Ungifted
- Intelligence Redefined
- By: Scott Barry Kaufman
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
In Ungifted, cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman - who was relegated to special education as a child - sets out to show that the way we interpret traditional metrics of intelligence is misguided. Kaufman explores the latest research in genetics and neuroscience, as well as evolutionary, developmental, social, positive, and cognitive psychology, to challenge the conventional wisdom about the childhood predictors of adult success. He reveals that there are many paths to greatness, and argues for a more holistic approach to achievement that takes into account each young person’s personal goals, individual psychology, and developmental trajectory.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great content for the intellectually curious
- By ZestyFresh on 08-11-17
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Mindware
- Tools for Smart Thinking
- By: Richard E. Nisbett
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 509
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 434
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 427
Many scientific and philosophical ideas are so powerful that they can be applied to our lives at home, work, and school to help us think smarter and more effectively about our behavior and the world around us. Surprisingly, many of these ideas remain unknown to most of us. In Mindware, the world-renowned psychologist Richard Nisbett presents these ideas in clear and accessible detail, offering a tool kit for better thinking and wiser decisions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Sound scientific advice on how to live your life
- By Neuron on 08-26-15
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Smart Thinking
- Three Essential Keys to Solve Problems, Innovate, and Get Things Done
- By: Art Markman
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 699
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 585
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 585
Think smart people are just born that way? Think again. Drawing on diverse studies of the mind, from psychology to linguistics, philosophy, and learning science, Art Markman, Ph.D., demonstrates the difference between "smart thinking" and raw intelligence, showing listeners how memory works, how to learn effectively, and how to use knowledge to get things done. He then introduces his own three-part formula for listeners to employ "smart thinking" in their daily lives.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
I feel asleep in class
- By Lee on 12-14-12
By: Art Markman
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What listeners say about The Bilingual Brain
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jeremiah I. Ewing
- 04-04-22
Thorough Study on the Bilingual Brain
Loved this book! So much good information and it was not all scientific! Lots of common sense!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Andy P.
- 08-25-20
Brains make language and language makes brains
Not surprisingly, considering the title, this book is heavy on neuroscience, which may be too heavy a lift for people looking for a more casual overview of the effects of multilingualism on cognitive development. That aside, I found it to be a coherent overview of the state of research in the study of bilingualism. Costa is a scientist, which means that he is both passionate about his research but also careful not to claim too much. Does being multilingual preserve one's cognitive abilities deeper into old age? The studies are promising, but Costa is careful to acknowledge the criticisms that this may a case of the cart before the horse. Perhaps high intelligence is the contributing factor to greater cognitive reserve and multilingualism simply coincidental with it. I esteem him more for his intellectual humility.
The book is full of interesting anecdotes about the effects of multilingualism, such being able to think more rationally in a second language and more able to express emotion in one's native language. The theory of mind comes into play, with multilinguals better able to understand the intentions of others, an attribute that contributes significantly to social and economic success.
I was a little put off by the narrator's clipped British accent, but found that mitigated by his excellent pronunciation of the many different languages required by the narration. A marvelous talent.
The plasticity of the brain is a fascinating subject and more and more research is revealing that like your body, you can change it with exercise and practice. Learning additional languages goes a long way to maximizing one's potential.
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