"Magic is the art of creating impossible effects that violate our expectations, games that conclude with the apparent transgression of natural law. As spectators, we find magic tricks-and the state of true cognitive dissonance that they create-tremendously provocative. Why is our brain caught by surprise? The human brain is a very advanced organ, its capacities highly adapted to our environment and lifestyle. But its capacities are not unlimited....

"A neurologist regales readers with extraordinary stories of the brain under siege. Our brains are the most complex machines known to humankind, but they have an Achilles heel: The very molecules that allow us to exist can also sabotage our minds. Here are true accounts of unruly molecules and the diseases that form in their wake, from total loss of inhibitions to florid psychosis to compulsive lying. Cognitive neurologist Sara Manning Peskin demystifies...

"From the best-selling author of Subliminal and The Drunkard's Walk, a groundbreaking new look at the neuroscience of change--and how elastic thinking can help us thrive in a world changing faster than ever before. With rapid technological innovation leading the charge, today's world is transforming itself at an extraordinary and unprecedented pace. As jobs become more multifaceted, as information streams multiply, and as myriad devices place increasing...

Are drugs the only thing humans can get addicted to? What about behaviors? To answer this question, take a look at what happens inside the brain of a compulsive gambler. As this case study reveals, many of the same neurochemical processes of drug abuse - from genetic predisposition to dopamine release - also accompany addiction to behaviors.

"When you go to sleep, what does your brain do? Does it rest too? It can't because it's busy working while you snooze! It repairs, and resets, and helps your body even when you aren't awake. Using up-to-date research to explore our brains' critical functions when we are asleep, psychology experts JoAnn and Terrence Deak invite kids (and adults) to unpack all the amazing things your brain is doing when you're not awake-and why it's so important to...

In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule -- what scientists know for sure about how our brains work -- and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. You'll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You'll peer over a surgeon's shoulder as he proves that...

Caffeine and nicotine are two of the most common psychoactive drugs in our society. How do they work? How dangerous are they? After reviewing how each of these drugs affects the brain - and why nicotine in particular is so addictive - Professor Polk offers several strategies to quit tobacco use.

"When forced to work on a project with your nemesis, it's best to stick to the science. Further research could trigger explosive results. Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project-a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia-Marie would accept without...

Investigating a suicide, New York City police officer Barry Sutton finds a connection to the outbreak of a memory-altering disease and a controversial neuroscientist working to preserve precious memories. New York City cop Barry Sutton investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome-- a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. Neuroscientist Helena Smith dedicated...