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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Hour Between Dog and Wolf summary
John Coates
How Risk-Taking Transforms Us, Body and Mind
22 mins
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"The Hour Between Dog and Wolf" by John Coates explores how biology and environment affect the behavior of traders in the high-stress world of finance, offering insights into risk-taking and decision-making.
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The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
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Key idea 1 of 10
You think with your whole body, not just your brain.
When you think about the connection between your brain and your body, how do you picture it? Do you imagine your brain as somehow separate from the rest of your body – a kind of control center that resides in your head, steering the body and causing its every action?
If so, then you’re in for a surprise: thinking involves the whole body, not just the brain.
For instance, our thoughts and actions are influenced by hormones that stem from different regions of the body.
Take Ghrelin, a hormone secreted by cells lining the stomach whenever it’s empty. Release of the hormone causes the brain to register hunger, prompting you to raid the refrigerator for something to eat.
But you’re not a slave to Ghrelin. If you have strong reasons for not eating – e.g., a religious fast, hunger strike or a diet – you can effectively ignore Ghrelin’s signals. But this is true only up to a point: over time, the hormone acts somewhat like a lobby group, its signals becoming louder and harder to ignore.
As this shows, certain body regions influence the processes in your brain – in this case, registering hunger. And this can be further demonstrated by looking at the way that the gut interacts with the brain.
Whenever we’re stressed, the brain will inform the gut that the body is facing an imminent threat, and must therefore prepare for it. Upon “learning” this, the gut will halt the digestion process, in order to save energy for either fight or flight. Stress, in other words, is processed by both body and brain.
It works the other way around too: an overly sensitive gut can influence our thinking. In fact, sufferers of Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, are more sensitive to emotional stimuli. So, if sufferers are exposed to emotive images – such as a distressed child – they’re more likely to become emotionally aroused than healthy people are.
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What is The Hour Between Dog and Wolf about?
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is an illuminating look at the influence of human physiology on the thinking and behavior of stock market traders. The author, inspired by his experiences on the trading floor, investigates the hormonal basis of financial decision making, and demonstrates the way in which the body’s mechanisms can destabilize our financial markets. The book also explains what can be done to reduce the detrimental effects of our biology on the market, and even how we can use this knowledge to our financial advantage.
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf Review
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf (2012) is an insightful exploration of the influence of biology and neuroscience on financial decision-making. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With compelling scientific research and real-life examples, it sheds light on why our emotions and hormones play a crucial role in financial markets.
- It offers practical strategies and techniques to help readers manage their emotions and make better financial decisions.
- The book's fascinating insights into the human brain captivate readers, making complex concepts accessible and engaging.
Best quote from The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
Intuition cannot be trusted in the absence of stable regularities in the environment. – Kahnemann
—John Coates
Who should read The Hour Between Dog and Wolf?
- Anyone who is curious about the relationship between biology and stock trading
- Anyone who is interested in how people think with their bodies
- Anyone wondering how bubbles can form in the stock market
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The Hour Between Dog and Wolf FAQs
What is the main message of The Hour Between Dog and Wolf?
The main message of The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is that our biology affects our behavior, including our decision-making and risk-taking.
How long does it take to read The Hour Between Dog and Wolf?
The reading time for The Hour Between Dog and Wolf varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Hour Between Dog and Wolf a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is a fascinating read that offers insights into the relationship between biology, psychology, and financial markets.
Who is the author of The Hour Between Dog and Wolf?
The author of The Hour Between Dog and Wolf is John Coates.
What to read after The Hour Between Dog and Wolf?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Hour Between Dog and Wolf, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
- What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars by Jim Paul
- The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal
- That Little Voice in Your Head by Mo Gawdat
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
- The New Trading for a Living by Dr. Alexander Elder
- The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks
- The Stress Code by Richard Sutton
- Millennial Money by Patrick O’Shaughnessy
- The 3-Minute Rule by Brant Pinvidic