Fear is a mysterious force. It sabotages our ability to think clearly and can drive us to blind panic, yet it can also give us superhuman speed, strength, and powers of perception. Having baffled mankind for ages, fear is now yielding its secrets to scientific inquiry. The simple model of "fight or flight"--that people respond to danger either by fleeing in terror or staying to fight through it--has been replaced by a more complex understanding of...

"A groundbreaking book that upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently. What is autism: a devastating developmental disorder, a lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more--and the future of our society depends on our...

"Two weeks before his death, Oliver Sacks outlined the contents of The River of Consciousness, the last book he would oversee. The best-selling author of On the Move, Musicophilia, and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Sacks is known for his illuminating case histories about people living with neurological conditions at the far borderlands of human experience. But his grasp of science was not restricted to neuroscience or medicine; he was fascinated...

Your success in life-at work and at home-rises when you harness the energy that powers your brain. A neuropsychologist explains how. Your drive to create change, catalyze impact, and build relationships all come from neuroelectrical energy-real, electrical impulses-firing in your brain. Who you are as a person depends on how you work with this energy. When this energy rises within you, you feel empowered and dynamic. But when this energy falls, you...

"The conscious mind, the part of your mental life you experience directly, is responsible for only a tiny sliver of what science says is going on inside your brain. Most of what you experience, your moods, and the things you like or dislike--most of who you are--comes from a much more mysterious part of your mind: the unconscious."-- From publisher's description.

A pioneering neuroscientist reveals the reasons for chronic loneliness--which he defines an unrecognized syndrome--and brings it out of the shadow of its cousin, depression. 12 illustrations.-- Publisher

"Buddha's Brain" joins the forces of modern science with ancient teachings to show readers how to have greater emotional balance in turbulent times, as well as healthier relationships, more effective actions, and a deeper religious or spiritual practice.-- Publisher

"The Emory University sociologist who coined the term languishing-low-grade mental weariness that affects our self-esteem, relationships, and motivation-explores the rise of this phenomenon and presents a comprehensive guide to flourishing in a world that demands too much. If you're muddling through the day in a fog, often forgetting why you walked into a room . . . If you feel emotionally flattened, lacking the energy to socialize or feel joy in...

"We all have a duty to affect others--from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? It turns out that many of our instincts--from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control--are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how peoples minds operate. Sharot shows us how to avoid these pitfalls, and how an attempt...