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How the Mind Works

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How the Mind Works

By: Steven Pinker
Narrated by: Mel Foster
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About this listen

In this delightful, acclaimed best seller, one of the world’s leading cognitive scientists tackles the workings of the human mind. What makes us rational—and why are we so often irrational? How do we see in three dimensions? What makes us happy, afraid, angry, disgusted, or sexually aroused? Why do we fall in love? And how do we grapple with the imponderables of morality, religion, and consciousness?

How the Mind Works synthesizes the most satisfying explanations of our mental life from cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and other fields to explain what the mind is, how it evolved, and how it allows us to see, think, feel, laugh, interact, enjoy the arts, and contemplate the mysteries of life. This new edition of Pinker’s bold and buoyant classic is updated with a new foreword by the author.

©2011 Steven Pinker (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc. Biological Sciences Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Inspiring Consciousness Mathematics Technology Physiology Computer Science Human Brain Morality Health Artificial Intelligence

Critic Reviews

“Undeniably brilliant.” ( Newsday)
"Big, brash, and a lot of fun.” ( Time)
“Hugely entertaining.... always sparkling and provoking.” ( Wall Street Journal)
Most relevant  
maybe geta a bit too technical regarding stereoscopic vision, but the rest is fantastic

brilliant

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Listening to this book was like giving my mind an ultra workout! It took me to places I never thought I would ever be able to go, it built my comprehension in a logical way that allowed me to gain insight to complex thoughts. I will certainly have to listen to it again in a year or two, the thought of which I relish.

Mind workout

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I listened to this 25 hours audio book in just a few days as I couldn’t think of doing anything else! It helped me to better understand the origins of human behaviour both in individual and social scale.

To listen/read this book one need to be interested in fundamental and philosophical questions about us, life and outside world.

In this book Pinker explains how a natural and blind system of genetic mutation, adaptation and natural selection, over time, can end up creating an organism like human brain and its highly complex functions.

Highly recommend

A deep insight into the mind m

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Though the title is ambitious, Pinker's explinations are logical and clearly thought out. A truly fascinating read.

An awesome book in every sense

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What disappointed you about How the Mind Works?

This book needed a good edit. I struggled to remain interested while waiting to find out the point of what was being expressed.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom

Not sure how this book became a best seller

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i tried many times to come back to this book because I like him as a person and enjoyed 'Angels of Our Better Nature"... but it has proved impossible. one of only 2 audio books I have abandoned as unreadable. The examples he uses to explain his case are bewildering.

hard to find a cohesive thread.

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i got this book due to the other good reviews, but most (95%) of the book is very boring and could even say out of date due to the rapid advances in technology

way over hyped

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