The Superhuman Mind
Free the Genius in Your Brain
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
Did you know your brain has superpowers?
Berit Brogaard, PhD, and Kristian Marlow, MA, study people with astonishing talents—memory champions, human echolocators, musical virtuosos, math geniuses, and synesthetes who taste colors and hear faces. But as amazing as these abilities are, they are not mysterious. Our brains constantly process a huge amount of information below our awareness, and what these gifted individuals have in common is that through practice, injury, an innate brain disorder, or even more unusual circumstances, they have managed to gain a degree of conscious access to this potent processing power.
The Superhuman Mind takes us inside the lives and brains of geniuses, savants, virtuosos, and a wide variety of ordinary people who have acquired truly extraordinary talents, one way or another. Delving into the neurological underpinnings of these abilities, the authors even reveal how we can acquire some of them ourselves—from perfect pitch and lightning fast math skills to supercharged creativity.
The Superhuman Mind is a book full of the fascinating science readers look for from the likes of Oliver Sacks, combined with the exhilarating promise of Moonwalking with Einstein.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Those wishing to increase their ability to memorize, calculate, and innovate but not yet ready to commit to a monthly membership at an online "brain gym" need look no further than this enlightening book. Researcher Brogaard (On Romantic Love), who experiences the phenomenon of synesthesia (when stimulus through one sense is perceived via another, such as when sounds are experienced as images), and cognitive science graduate student Marlow introduce readers to a broad array of cases of enhanced brain abilities: some following head injuries, some the apparent result of illness or chronic conditions, and others learned. The authors delve into the science behind these conditions, outlining theories about why people with autism often display extraordinary mental abilities, why some types of dementia can coincide with newly acquired artistic talent, and how some blind people learn to navigate using echolocation. The scientific writing can be a bit dense for a lay audience, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with fascinating discussions of techniques like training your mind to behave like a synesthete's and learning to become a lucid dreamer, as well as more pragmatic skills like counting cards and retaining the names of new acquaintances.