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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Brain summary
The Story of You
17 mins
Brief summary
The Brain by David Eagleman is a fascinating exploration of the inner workings of our brains. He discusses the latest findings in neuroscience and how they influence our understanding of perceptions, consciousness, and free will.
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The Brain
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The ever-changing connections in your brain shape who you are.
Life may be unpredictable. But there is one constant – people change. Sometimes we improve and mellow with age, like a good wine. Sometimes, like a once-decent vintage that turns to vinegar, we sour and become unpalatable.
You may have experienced the personality-altering effects of time. Ever met up with a friend from your school days and found yourself wondering what happened to the person you once knew? How can someone change so much? What’s the science behind it?
Well, it’s all about how the brain changes over time. From birth onward, our brains are constantly making new connections and adapting to new situations. This shapes our personalities.
Take a two-year-old child. Her brain has the same number of brain cells but twice as many synapses – connections which transmit information – as an adult. This is because, as humans age, they lose the synaptic connections that haven’t been reinforced by constant repetition. Think of language. It’s difficult to mimic or distinguish the sounds of foreign languages because you weren’t exposed to them as a child.
This applies to personality more generally. The synaptic connections that make you you are the result of everything you’ve ever been exposed to. In other words, every person you meet, film you watch or book you read shapes who you are!
Call it plasticity. That’s a fancy term for the brain’s ability to “learn” by repetition – an ability that’s certainly not restricted to children. Adult brains are also capable of change.
This was shown in a study carried out by scientists at University College London. They scanned the brains of some of the city’s taxi drivers and found that they possessed larger hippocampi – the hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for spatial memory – than the control group.
The explanation? Cabbies have what’s called “the Knowledge” – a precise memory of London’s 25,000 streets, 20,000 landmarks and 320 different routes, which each of them acquired during four years of training.
Spending so much time exercising their memories meant that the cab drivers strengthened certain connections in their brains. It’s a bit like a workout; the targeted area grew as a result of constant use.
That sort of change can also have a dramatic effect on personality.
Maybe you’ve heard of Charles Whitman, the man who murdered his wife and mother, and then shot and killed another 13 people with a rifle from atop a tower at the University of Texas, back in 1966. What you might not know is that a postmortem carried out after he’d been shot to death found a tumor in his brain. It was located in the part that’s responsible for fear and aggression.
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What is The Brain about?
The Brain (2015) unpacks the latest neuroscientific research and sheds light on questions that have perplexed philosophers for millennia. What defines a personality? Why does it keep changing? Is reality really “out there” or are we merely hallucinating? By turns fascinating and unsettling, this is a book that will redefine your idea of the strange and uncanny life of the mind.
The Brain Review
The Brain (2015) by David Eagleman explores the complex workings of the human brain and why understanding it is crucial for our lives. Here's what makes this book worth reading:
- With fascinating insights and captivating anecdotes, the book offers a deeper understanding of our brain's extraordinary capabilities.
- Through cutting-edge research and scientific explanations, it unravels the mysteries of our brain, demystifying complex concepts in an accessible manner.
- The book's exploration of how our brain shapes our reality invites readers to question their own perceptions and expands their understanding of the world.
Best quote from The Brain
The part of Einsteins brain related to finger dexterity was larger than normal because he was a talented violinist.
—David Eagleman
Who should read The Brain?
- Amateur and professional philosophers interested in the nature of reality
- Anyone keen to keep up with the latest scientific developments
- Futurologists fascinated by the possibility of a new, transhuman era
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The Brain FAQs
What is the main message of The Brain?
The main message of The Brain is understanding the workings and potential of our brain.
How long does it take to read The Brain?
The reading time for The Brain varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Brain a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Brain is a fascinating read with scientific insights that can change how you understand yourself. Definitely worth reading!
Who is the author of The Brain?
The author of The Brain is David Eagleman.
What to read after The Brain?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Brain, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Phantoms in the Brain by V. S. Ramachandran and Sandra Blakeslee
- The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
- Activate Your Brain by Scott G. Halford
- The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean
- Livewired by David Eagleman
- Incognito by David Eagleman
- The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge
- Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
- Big Goals by Caroline Adams Miller
- Make Today Count by John C. Maxwell