The Neuroscience of You

Starred review from May 1, 2022

Cognitive neuroscientist Prat (psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, Univ. of Washington) wants to help readers understand their brain--how it learns, remembers, and does some of the things it does people don't always like (such as having a word or name on the tip of your tongue). She does so in a friendly, personable voice that makes the complexities of the brain accessible. She covers standard psychological ground, from learning and memory to specialization of different areas of the brain and includes ground-breaking research that may change some of what you thought you knew about yourself and your mind. Most psychology textbooks and research focus on what our brains have in common, but Prat is also very interested in how they vary. Although some of the footnotes can detract from the flow of the narrative, they are easily skipped or returned to. Prat includes simple tests and puzzles to illustrate her points and provides numerous footnotes that sometimes add substance and other times whimsy to her narrative. VERDICT A highly readable, entertaining, and authoritative book. Recommended for all non-specialists interested in how the brain works.--Nancy H. Fontaine

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 30, 2022
Prat, professor of psychology at the University of Washington, covers the nature of the human brain in her lively and informative debut. She argues that “every brain really is unique” and that nature and nurture combine to make people who they are. She describes the brain’s two sides, for example, as remarkably lopsided, and breaks down the cocktail of neurotransmitters and how they work. There are also “assessments” for readers to examine how their brains have been influenced by their experiences, such as exercises to determine one’s level of curiosity or if one is a “chooser” or an “avoider.” While her basic thesis isn’t unique, Prat goes a step further in exploring the implications of the nature-nurture connection: “many of our brains literally become shaped by the systemic biases of our society as we consume the versions of reality created by others. And these biases can influence the way we understand the world,”she writes. There are lots of funny footnotes as well as cutting-edge research—on nematode nervous systems, for example—and her informal tone goes a long way in making her subject both understandable and enjoyable. This work of popular science sets itself apart.

July 1, 2022
A professor of neuroscience, psychology, and linguistics examines how our brains inspire individual behaviors, thoughts, and actions. During the first year of the pandemic, Prat, along with millions of others, traded her daily routine for the "pervasive anxiety" of quarantine. The stressful situation inspired the author to delve deeper into individual brain operation and management. The result is a fascinating reverse-engineered exploration of brain design and how methods of thought and behavior are unique to each individual, creating "the story of you." Prat begins with an informative, congenial introduction to the numerous internal "design features" driving the two "lopsided" sides of our brains and how this asymmetry (along with outside chemicals like caffeine or prescription drugs) shapes its complex neurochemistry. She addresses how the largely "misunderstood" connection between nature and nurture actually creates habit-driven personalities and identities. Moving into how outward factors influence brainpower, Prat details how a brain adapts to changing or challenging environments and how those factors affect one's ability to focus and create an "understanding of reality through a lens shaped by your life experiences." The author also includes a series of hands-on evaluative "assessments" for readers who want to tailor her explanations to their own brain design. One evaluation can help a reader determine if they are "a chooser or an avoider." Furthermore, Prat sheds new light on contemporary research on topics like the "biological pretzel that is epigenetics," a discipline that can show, for example, how "environmental experiences can create chemical changes in our DNA." Numerous candidly written footnotes add comedic flair to the narrative, which will be appreciated by readers eager but intimidated to learn how and why their brains generate thoughts, feelings, and decision-making patterns. While Prat doesn't aim to provide specific diagnoses for mental illnesses, she shines a positive light on how the brain operates from the inside out and from the outside in. An informal, highly accessible tour of neuroscience for general readers.

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