The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths Audiobook (Unabridged)

" He makes the case that humans have a tendency to believe something and then look for 'fact' to justify that belief. He explains why it is so difficult to move a committed individual from a position they have taken. Good read. "

" The broader scope of this book from his previous is both a strength and weakness. His use of evolutionary psychology works as far as I can tell, but also strikes me as not very scientific in the Popperian sense which is somewhat ironic considering his argument. But, his main thesis--that rational supporting evidence for a belief tends to be accepted after a belief is adopted--I think is valid. "

" Shermer's explanations of how the brain forms, chooses and bolsters belief, are clear and instructive. The book could have been half as long, though, as far too much of it is devoted to debunking specific beliefs such as conspiracy theories and belief in alien abduction -- examples that repeat the same evidence over and over again. "

" Excellent read. Everyone should probably check this out. Shermer is very even handed, I feel, and though I don't agree with every single thing in the book, the idea - that our brains are more fallible than science - stands to reason. "

" Like the Mooney book, but a bit less convincing. The fun part is that his exposition of his religious experiences, then conversion to "reason," and the justifications for those reasons, set up the readers explanation for why, as a Libertarian, Shermer is not over his delusions and make-believe yet. What he says makes sense, but what the author believes is not how he really thinks. Christianity will do that to a person. "

" I enjoyed the read and found many good talking points and I especially liked the section on 'near death and out of body' experiences. There was quite a bit of filler. :( It was worth the read even at the hefty price. "

" Reading this book was like someone telling you Santa Claus doesn't exist. A hard read, but learned lots about the human mind and our need for religion in our lives. "

" Some good insights but not a lot of especially new information "

" (Read 3/25/13) Interesting book on the nature of belief and how the brain tricks us into believing absurd things. "

" Good book! I especially enjoyed Part II on the "Biology of Belief". It went into great detail on how beliefs are formed in the brain. It could have been very dry, but Shermer managed to make it come alive. Chapter 12 on "Confirmations of Belief" was also very interesting. "

" Michael Shermer is an excellent author. "

" Not the best book I ever read, I learned a few things and then went home to research that concept more. Turns out the author didn't know what he was talking about. I agree with his premise. I just hold him to a higher standard then religious zealots or UFO-ologist. "

" I'm only 100 pages in and I already think it's one of those books that ought to be required reading for you to get your license to exist. Of course, I fit right into his argument that we reinforce the "truths" that we already believe in..... "

" An excellent summation and generalization of Shermer's thinking. He occasionally overreaches in his application (particularly in his chapters on Politics and Religion), but overall his reasoning is pretty solid and hard to argue against. Recommended. "

" This is an amazing book that backs up everything with studies and research that I found fascinating. Rather than quibble about who is right and who is wrong this book goes deeper to ask WHY do we tend toward supernatural belief. A must read. "