Author: Matthew M. Hurley
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
Inside Jokes
Author: Matthew M. Hurley
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
Hardwiring Happiness
Author: Rick Hanson, PhD
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0385347332
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
With New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Hanson's four steps, you can counterbalance your brain's negativity bias and learn to hardwire happiness in only a few minutes each day. Why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of being appreciated? Because your brain evolved to learn quickly from bad experiences and slowly from good ones, but you can change this. Life isn’t easy, and having a brain wired to take in the bad and ignore the good makes us worried, irritated, and stressed, instead of confident, secure, and happy. But each day is filled with opportunities to build inner strengths and Dr. Rick Hanson, an acclaimed clinical psychologist, shows what you can do to override the brain’s default pessimism. Hardwiring Happiness lays out a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. You’ll learn to see through the lies your brain tells you. Dr. Hanson’s four steps build strengths into your brain to make contentment and a powerful sense of resilience the new normal. In just minutes a day, you can transform your brain into a refuge and power center of calm and happiness.
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0385347332
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
With New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Hanson's four steps, you can counterbalance your brain's negativity bias and learn to hardwire happiness in only a few minutes each day. Why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of being appreciated? Because your brain evolved to learn quickly from bad experiences and slowly from good ones, but you can change this. Life isn’t easy, and having a brain wired to take in the bad and ignore the good makes us worried, irritated, and stressed, instead of confident, secure, and happy. But each day is filled with opportunities to build inner strengths and Dr. Rick Hanson, an acclaimed clinical psychologist, shows what you can do to override the brain’s default pessimism. Hardwiring Happiness lays out a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. You’ll learn to see through the lies your brain tells you. Dr. Hanson’s four steps build strengths into your brain to make contentment and a powerful sense of resilience the new normal. In just minutes a day, you can transform your brain into a refuge and power center of calm and happiness.
Brain Food
Author: Lisa Mosconi PhD
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399574018
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
How to eat for maximum brain power and health from an expert in both neuroscience and nutrition. Like our bodies, our brains have very specific food requirements. And in this eye-opening book from an author who is both a neuroscientist and a certified integrative nutritionist, we learn what should be on our menu. Dr. Lisa Mosconi, whose research spans an extraordinary range of specialties including brain science, the microbiome, and nutritional genomics, notes that the dietary needs of the brain are substantially different from those of the other organs, yet few of us have any idea what they might be. Her innovative approach to cognitive health incorporates concepts that most doctors have yet to learn. Busting through advice based on pseudoscience, Dr. Mosconi provides recommendations for a complete food plan, while calling out noteworthy surprises, including why that paleo diet you are following may not be ideal, why avoiding gluten may be a terrible mistake, and how simply getting enough water can dramatically improve alertness. Including comprehensive lists of what to eat and what to avoid, a detailed quiz that will tell you where you are on the brain health spectrum, and 24 mouth-watering brain-boosting recipes that grow out of Dr. Mosconi's own childhood in Italy, Brain Food gives us the ultimate plan for a healthy brain. Brain Food will appeal to anyone looking to improve memory, prevent cognitive decline, eliminate brain fog, lift depression, or just sharpen their edge.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399574018
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
How to eat for maximum brain power and health from an expert in both neuroscience and nutrition. Like our bodies, our brains have very specific food requirements. And in this eye-opening book from an author who is both a neuroscientist and a certified integrative nutritionist, we learn what should be on our menu. Dr. Lisa Mosconi, whose research spans an extraordinary range of specialties including brain science, the microbiome, and nutritional genomics, notes that the dietary needs of the brain are substantially different from those of the other organs, yet few of us have any idea what they might be. Her innovative approach to cognitive health incorporates concepts that most doctors have yet to learn. Busting through advice based on pseudoscience, Dr. Mosconi provides recommendations for a complete food plan, while calling out noteworthy surprises, including why that paleo diet you are following may not be ideal, why avoiding gluten may be a terrible mistake, and how simply getting enough water can dramatically improve alertness. Including comprehensive lists of what to eat and what to avoid, a detailed quiz that will tell you where you are on the brain health spectrum, and 24 mouth-watering brain-boosting recipes that grow out of Dr. Mosconi's own childhood in Italy, Brain Food gives us the ultimate plan for a healthy brain. Brain Food will appeal to anyone looking to improve memory, prevent cognitive decline, eliminate brain fog, lift depression, or just sharpen their edge.
Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 153872474X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 295
Book Description
Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Too Late and It Ends With Us. #1 New York Times Bestseller · USA Today Bestseller · Globe and Mail Bestseller · Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 153872474X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 295
Book Description
Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Too Late and It Ends With Us. #1 New York Times Bestseller · USA Today Bestseller · Globe and Mail Bestseller · Publishers Weekly Bestseller Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.
Blood Sports
Author: Eden Robinson
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1480490466
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
A young man with a questionable past must survive a nightmare of terror and torture in this dark and powerful thriller from one of Canada’s most acclaimed contemporary authors The Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, Canada, is about as close to urban hell as you can get in the Western Hemisphere. Yet in this cauldron of drugs, shattered dreams, and extreme violence, Tom Bauer and his girlfriend, Paulie—both ex-junkies and parents of baby Melody—are trying to make a life for themselves. For years, Tom, an epileptic, was firmly under the thumb of his psychopathic criminal cousin Jeremy, who dragged Tom down into a netherworld of addiction, prostitution, pornography, sadism, and murder. But those days are over, or so Tom believes—until the day that he returns home from work to find two vicious thugs waiting for him and Paulie, and little Mel gone. What happens next will change Tom’s life forever and outdo every horror that still dwells in the shadows of his memory. In this sequel to her critically acclaimed novella “Contact Sports,” author Eden Robinson returns to the gritty urban landscape of inner-city Vancouver and offers a disturbing view of human lives on a razor’s edge. A story that jumps freely backward and forward in time, presented in a brilliant and unconventional tapestry of literary styles, Robinson’s second novel is truly a mind-blowing experience that will thrill, move, enthrall, and horrify readers in equal measure.
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1480490466
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
A young man with a questionable past must survive a nightmare of terror and torture in this dark and powerful thriller from one of Canada’s most acclaimed contemporary authors The Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, Canada, is about as close to urban hell as you can get in the Western Hemisphere. Yet in this cauldron of drugs, shattered dreams, and extreme violence, Tom Bauer and his girlfriend, Paulie—both ex-junkies and parents of baby Melody—are trying to make a life for themselves. For years, Tom, an epileptic, was firmly under the thumb of his psychopathic criminal cousin Jeremy, who dragged Tom down into a netherworld of addiction, prostitution, pornography, sadism, and murder. But those days are over, or so Tom believes—until the day that he returns home from work to find two vicious thugs waiting for him and Paulie, and little Mel gone. What happens next will change Tom’s life forever and outdo every horror that still dwells in the shadows of his memory. In this sequel to her critically acclaimed novella “Contact Sports,” author Eden Robinson returns to the gritty urban landscape of inner-city Vancouver and offers a disturbing view of human lives on a razor’s edge. A story that jumps freely backward and forward in time, presented in a brilliant and unconventional tapestry of literary styles, Robinson’s second novel is truly a mind-blowing experience that will thrill, move, enthrall, and horrify readers in equal measure.
The Hungry Brain
Author: Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D.
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN: 1250081238
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year From an obesity and neuroscience researcher with a knack for engaging, humorous storytelling, The Hungry Brain uses cutting-edge science to answer the questions: why do we overeat, and what can we do about it? No one wants to overeat. And certainly no one wants to overeat for years, become overweight, and end up with a high risk of diabetes or heart disease--yet two thirds of Americans do precisely that. Even though we know better, we often eat too much. Why does our behavior betray our own intentions to be lean and healthy? The problem, argues obesity and neuroscience researcher Stephan J. Guyenet, is not necessarily a lack of willpower or an incorrect understanding of what to eat. Rather, our appetites and food choices are led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a survival game that no longer exists. And these circuits don’t care about how you look in a bathing suit next summer. To make the case, The Hungry Brain takes readers on an eye-opening journey through cutting-edge neuroscience that has never before been available to a general audience. The Hungry Brain delivers profound insights into why the brain undermines our weight goals and transforms these insights into practical guidelines for eating well and staying slim. Along the way, it explores how the human brain works, revealing how this mysterious organ makes us who we are.
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN: 1250081238
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year From an obesity and neuroscience researcher with a knack for engaging, humorous storytelling, The Hungry Brain uses cutting-edge science to answer the questions: why do we overeat, and what can we do about it? No one wants to overeat. And certainly no one wants to overeat for years, become overweight, and end up with a high risk of diabetes or heart disease--yet two thirds of Americans do precisely that. Even though we know better, we often eat too much. Why does our behavior betray our own intentions to be lean and healthy? The problem, argues obesity and neuroscience researcher Stephan J. Guyenet, is not necessarily a lack of willpower or an incorrect understanding of what to eat. Rather, our appetites and food choices are led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a survival game that no longer exists. And these circuits don’t care about how you look in a bathing suit next summer. To make the case, The Hungry Brain takes readers on an eye-opening journey through cutting-edge neuroscience that has never before been available to a general audience. The Hungry Brain delivers profound insights into why the brain undermines our weight goals and transforms these insights into practical guidelines for eating well and staying slim. Along the way, it explores how the human brain works, revealing how this mysterious organ makes us who we are.
Crosswords for a Super Brain Workout
Author: Emily Cox
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9781402704178
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
You can experience a rigorous mental workout with just a lift of the pen and these 140 challenging crossword puzzles. Feel the burn as you tackle these tough crosswords created by renowned puzzle constructors. While some clues test your recall of historical knowledge (6-letter word for "Revolutionary rider"?-Revere) and vivid vocabulary (8-letter word for "jumble"?-pastiche), others challenge you with themes, from "tongue twisters" to "con men" to "Charles Dickens." There's even a retro selection of puzzles dating back to the 50s and 60s to put you through your pop culture paces (Actress Barrymore? Ethel, not Drew). In addition to standard 15 x 15 square crosswords, this collection includes unique 17 x 17 square designs to vary your workout for maximum brain building.
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9781402704178
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
You can experience a rigorous mental workout with just a lift of the pen and these 140 challenging crossword puzzles. Feel the burn as you tackle these tough crosswords created by renowned puzzle constructors. While some clues test your recall of historical knowledge (6-letter word for "Revolutionary rider"?-Revere) and vivid vocabulary (8-letter word for "jumble"?-pastiche), others challenge you with themes, from "tongue twisters" to "con men" to "Charles Dickens." There's even a retro selection of puzzles dating back to the 50s and 60s to put you through your pop culture paces (Actress Barrymore? Ethel, not Drew). In addition to standard 15 x 15 square crosswords, this collection includes unique 17 x 17 square designs to vary your workout for maximum brain building.
Brain'O Man
Author: Christopher Lee
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1329857909
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
Brain'O Man is a COMEDY about a Mixed-Race / Coloured young guy who parades as a superhero in his town. His belief in his abilities are so sincere and powerful that he is eventually taken seriously, despite his eccentricities. The main characters are Brain'O Man the Superhero, Chudna, the villain, the Mayor, the local Police Minister, as well the main characters' mothers. The setting is in South Africa, with terminology ideal for local readers who can identify with the local jargon OR those who wish to familiarize themselves with such. Hyperbole is used often in order to provide over the top humor. In addition, the author pokes playful fun at all races while careful to be politically sensitive. The book also gives a glimpse into the political and social mind-set of the various races in South Africa, from the author's viewpoint. It is also intended that, in this Google age, it will be easy for readers to search up on words or jargon they are not familiar with.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1329857909
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
Brain'O Man is a COMEDY about a Mixed-Race / Coloured young guy who parades as a superhero in his town. His belief in his abilities are so sincere and powerful that he is eventually taken seriously, despite his eccentricities. The main characters are Brain'O Man the Superhero, Chudna, the villain, the Mayor, the local Police Minister, as well the main characters' mothers. The setting is in South Africa, with terminology ideal for local readers who can identify with the local jargon OR those who wish to familiarize themselves with such. Hyperbole is used often in order to provide over the top humor. In addition, the author pokes playful fun at all races while careful to be politically sensitive. The book also gives a glimpse into the political and social mind-set of the various races in South Africa, from the author's viewpoint. It is also intended that, in this Google age, it will be easy for readers to search up on words or jargon they are not familiar with.
The Brain Book
Author: Ken Ashwell
Publisher: Palgrave
ISBN: 9781420256840
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
The Brain Book investigates the amazingly complex and intriguing structure that is the human brain. Made up of billions of nerve cells, the brain controls our thoughts, movements, behaviour and emotions. This comprehensive book explores such diverse topics as how we sense the world, consciousness and memory, through to diseases and disorders, the ageing brain and spinal injury repair. Containing the latest medical research, The Brain Book explains in concise, clear language important health issues such as the effects of recreational drugs and medicines on the brain, strokes, tumours and the biological basis of mental illness. Hundreds of colour images, including stunning 3-D illustrations created exclusively for this book, reveal the intricate workings of the brain to show incredible details beyond what the eye can usually see.
Publisher: Palgrave
ISBN: 9781420256840
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
The Brain Book investigates the amazingly complex and intriguing structure that is the human brain. Made up of billions of nerve cells, the brain controls our thoughts, movements, behaviour and emotions. This comprehensive book explores such diverse topics as how we sense the world, consciousness and memory, through to diseases and disorders, the ageing brain and spinal injury repair. Containing the latest medical research, The Brain Book explains in concise, clear language important health issues such as the effects of recreational drugs and medicines on the brain, strokes, tumours and the biological basis of mental illness. Hundreds of colour images, including stunning 3-D illustrations created exclusively for this book, reveal the intricate workings of the brain to show incredible details beyond what the eye can usually see.
6 - Portrait of a 21st Century Snuff Fighter
Author: G. Wells Taylor
Publisher: G. Wells Taylor
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
Is he the explosive and dangerous result of illegal genetic experiments gone terribly wrong or a Darwinian throwback spawned by global warming, pollution and radioactivity?You ask him!Join the world's most violent man on a raunchy voyage of self-discovery that takes him from the snowy peaks of the Canadian Rockies to the blood-soaked Snuff Fighting rings of Argentina.
Publisher: G. Wells Taylor
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
Is he the explosive and dangerous result of illegal genetic experiments gone terribly wrong or a Darwinian throwback spawned by global warming, pollution and radioactivity?You ask him!Join the world's most violent man on a raunchy voyage of self-discovery that takes him from the snowy peaks of the Canadian Rockies to the blood-soaked Snuff Fighting rings of Argentina.