THE SECRET LIFE OF THE MIND

John Chancer's clear, evenhanded narration of this audiobook about the workings of the human brain matches the disarming tone established by the author, a physicist and neuroscientist. The author unearths some surprises: Bilingual couples argue more rationally when they converse in their non-native tongue, bad news and good news are processed in different sides of the brain, children who grow up in supportive environments develop larger more complex brains than those who don't, and people can be made more trusting by increasing the brain's oxytocin levels. But for some listeners, the biggest takeaway may be that the brain operates independently of our consciousness, making decisions before we "decide," deliberately ignoring aspects of the future in order to create an optimistic present, and building a sense of confidence based on a flawed desire to confirm what we already believe. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2018]