The Mind Club

Who Thinks, What Feels, and Why It Matters

By: Daniel M. Wegner, Kurt Gray

Narrated by: David Marantz

Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

From dogs to gods, dive into the science of mysterious minds - including your own.

Nothing seems more real than the minds of other people. When you consider what your boss is thinking or whether your spouse is happy, you are admitting them into the "mind club". It's easy to assume other humans can think and feel, but what about a cow, a computer, a corporation? What kinds of minds do they have?

Daniel M. Wegner and Kurt Gray are award-winning psychologists who have discovered that minds - while incredibly important - are a matter of perception. Their research opens a trove of new findings, with insights into human behavior that are fascinating, frightening, and funny. The Mind Club explains why we love some animals and eat others, why people debate the existence of God so intensely, how good people can be so cruel, and why robots make such poor lovers. By investigating the mind perception of extraordinary targets - animals, machines, comatose people, God - Wegner and Gray explain what it means to have a mind and why it matters so much.

Fusing cutting-edge research and personal anecdotes, The Mind Club explores the moral dimensions of mind perception with wit and compassion, revealing the surprisingly simple basis for what compels us to love and hate, to harm and to protect.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2016 The Estate of Daniel M. Wegner and Kurt Gray (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Enlightening without sounding prescriptive, this audio will make listeners take a sober look at their own emotions, how they react to others, and how they can be more responsible and enlightened citizens." ( AudioFile)

Fascinating With A Dose Of Snark

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

Yes, would recommend this book to a friend. Author attempts to enlighten the reader in a fun, occasionally snarky tone. Most books kind of skim the surface, The Mind Club digs deep.

great book about how people sees things

well rounded book to show how people think.. some topics are overly simplied, but it thumbs up the reason and motivation of how we view and decide. highly recommended

Intriguing, witty, thoughtful!

This book blew my mind, so perhaps I am in the mind club... or not. It brought up so many interesting ideals of choice, belief, and dynamics of the functioning of human thought patterns, I feel like a different person after listening to it!
I would recommend this book to any and everyone!!!

Some interesting points but..

Some good insights but there are other books in this area that give more consistent insights. I liked Influence which is slightly different but excellent

Who is the self in me? Am I part of something bigger?

These questions and many more about the mind have been asked by philosophers since humans existed. This book, in a very engaging, and simple to follow manner puts forward many arguments for the mind, the self, and who has it.

How do we relate to others, when all we have is our own brain/mind. we can assume we understand others by the way they behave, but that's only because we can understand what we feel. What about animals? Do we put a human face to them, and see us in them, or do they have minds. How about plants? Why can't we attribute a mind to them? They are all alive after all. How about corporations? Cities, countries, or crowds? Do they have a mind of their own.

This book more than any others, make one think about how narrow minded we are when we say something has a mind. "Mind"after all is only a word. How we define it can either expand our horizon or narrow it down. The author eloquently explains this by first defining the self, and our mind, and then opens our mind to the possibility that other things we may never think can have a mind may very well do. Who are we to say only humans have this incredible gift.

Great read, highly recommended for someone with big questions about the self.

Very insightful!

Highly fascinating book with tons of food for thought. I also found the narrator to be very funny. Would recommend to anyone interested in the concept of mind and how our perceptions of it shape our experience.

Fun and endlessly challenging

I purchased this book just as something to while away a little free time with - and then couldn't stop reading. Wonderful theory of perception, and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have recommended it to many friends.

enlightening, Interesting, well read.

I am NOT sure if my unconscious brain loved this book and then convinced my mind that I did also. But in ether case, I would highly recommend to anyone to try to get their own mind to attempt to convince their brains to purchase this book for themselves.

Thought provoking and charming

This book may make you think about all the small things you rationalize day to day, or it may give you an epiphany on how to deal with you unbearable boss. It is a charming a witty look at how we define the mind and ultimately how we decide to empathize with others. It is not a mind blowing read but I really enjoyed listening to it, especially while walking my fur friend.

Awesome

Entertaining, educational, thought provoking, logical, and mind blowing. I loved every chapter, yet the final one was shocking, and a little depressing.