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The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives Audiobook
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(3.06) - 356 listener ratings
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Most of us would agree that there’s a clear—and even obvious—connection between the things we believe and the way we behave. But what if our actions are driven not by our conscious values and beliefs but by hidden motivations we’re not even aware of? The “hidden brain” is Shankar Vedantam’s shorthand for a host of brain functions, emotional responses, and cognitive processes that happen outside our conscious awareness but have a decisive effect on how we behave. The hidden brain has its finger on the scale when we make all our most complex and important decisions: It decides whom we fall in love with, whether we should convict someone of murder, and which way to run when someone yells “Fire!” It explains why we can become riveted by the story of a single puppy adrift on the ocean but are quickly bored by a story of genocide. The hidden brain can also be deliberately manipulated to convince people to vote against their own interests, or even become suicide terrorists. But the most disturbing thing is that it does all this without our knowing. Shankar Vedantam, author of The Washington Post’s popular “Department of Human Behavior” column, takes us on a tour of this phenomenon and explores its consequences. Using original reporting that combines the latest scientific research with compulsively readable narratives that take readers from the American campaign trail to terrorist indoctrination camps, from the World Trade Center on 9/11 to, yes, a puppy adrift on the Pacific Ocean, Vedantam illuminates the dark recesses of our minds while making an original argument about how we can compensate for our blind spots—and what happens when we don’t.
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"An immensely readable primer on the latest research into the unconscious minds. While a little light on science and a little heavy on conclusion-jumping, I none-the-less found Vedantam's assumptions reasonable. Like Malcolm Gladwell, Vedantam is gifted at interspersing and pacing the right anecdote to drive home a concept, without getting too personal. Definitely a good intro to the emerging study of the human unconscious."
— Bryan (4 out of 5 stars)
The Hidden Brain Listener Reviews
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" This has been the most amazing book because it impacts the way you think about most everything. I am partial to fictional works but this is written in such a way that the stories illustrate the science behind the book. Our unconscious thoughts are truly what runs our world and only through awareness of the way it works will we change how we make our decisions. The last chapter on the telescoping mind is really a stunner. "
— Diane, 2/8/2014 -
" Some interesting stuff, but the book feels a bit meandering. "
— JulieK, 1/31/2014 -
" It's incredible - really brings to light a lot of our unconscious biases and why we do things. "
— Kimberly, 1/20/2014 -
" Very informative. Learn a lot about people, biases, and how to help more people live a better life. "
— Gene, 1/8/2014 -
" I have read a number of books on cognitive science and so the role of the unconscious mind is not new to me. Perhaps that is why I am less than enthusiastic about this book. The author is not a scientist, but a journalist and the book is really like an article for a lay audience. He relates the concepts via personal stories, which are, in my opinion, overly long and redundant. There is interesting stuff in here, but you pay too much overhead for it. "
— Jrobertus, 1/2/2014 -
" One of the more interesting books I've read. It makes a lot of sense to me and it's one that I've already thought about quite a bit, and quoted quite often. I found the author's style of writing slightly annoying, but it couldn't mar a very engaging read. "
— Tyler, 12/25/2013 -
" Written by a journalist so this is a good read - very interesting. Not much for concrete science but the stories and theories gave a lot of food for thought. "
— June, 12/8/2013 -
" This book started out really good, couldn't put it down. Then the last chapters, I don't know what happened. It was like someone started writing a whole other book. "
— Janis, 12/5/2013 -
" Along the same lines as Blink, this book takes a fascinating look into what we don't realize we think. Though not as good a storyteller as Gladwell, I appreciated the applications to real life and the layman's terms. "
— Bernadette, 10/28/2013 -
" Very accessible review of the latest research and thinking around unconscious bias and the short-cuts our brain takes that we're usually unaware of. The stories are engaging and provide vivid examples of the forces that shape our ideas. "
— Kara, 10/17/2013 -
" Definitely an eye-opener and will probably be among the best nonfiction books I'll read all year. Highly recommended. "
— bookish, 9/30/2013 -
" I love all the ways Vedantam systematically reveals the inner workings of our brains. A paean to reason and a delight to read, if dispiriting at moments along the way. "
— Rise, 7/21/2013 -
" I expected alot more from this book. All been said and written before and the most of the theories are still full of crap. The science was glossed over in to many cases. "
— Daniel, 12/31/2012 -
" A fascinating book and an absolute must for anyone wanting to better understand why people do what they do, particularly across cultures. One of the best books I have read in the last 10 years. "
— Geoff, 8/3/2012 -
" A fascinating read about how our brains work. I wish there was more to do to offset some of the effects of the hidden brain... "
— Betsy, 6/23/2012 -
" So far, very interesting, particularly the examples. "
— C.E., 3/12/2012 -
" This book was full of interesting concepts. Some of the ideas presented are common-sense, but the stories he uses to tell the ideas are what make it interesting all over again. There were also some fascinating studies regarding our prejudices and the way our minds try to save our lives. "
— Kimberly, 1/31/2012 -
" Good, but lost interest toward the end. Malcolm Gladwell is better. "
— Kelly, 3/23/2011 -
" quite boring. good research i assume but quite a bore "
— Jaimit, 2/5/2011 -
" Quite a good read, though the stories are familiar from other behavioral economics books. "
— Damien, 2/4/2011 -
" This is a short book which takes much too long to make its point(s). The title is an overstatement. "
— Harold, 12/25/2010 -
" Similar to Gladwell's work, but not as good. "
— Ben, 12/18/2010 -
" A fascinating read about how our brains work. I wish there was more to do to offset some of the effects of the hidden brain... "
— Betsy, 11/19/2010 -
" I love all the ways Vedantam systematically reveals the inner workings of our brains. A paean to reason and a delight to read, if dispiriting at moments along the way. "
— Rise, 11/16/2010 -
" Somewhat frightening in its theory that our base natures are more insidious than we think possible. However, rather than submit to racism, sexism and discrimination, this book alerts the reader to a more careful and conscious examination of our beliefs, thoughts and actions. "
— Ann-Marie, 9/10/2010
About Steve West
Steve West, the winner of multiple Earphones Awards for narration, is an international actor who has starred on London’s prestigious West End stage, including productions of Mamma Mia! and Oh, What a Night! He is widely known for his television and film work in both the United States and the UK, and he has performed for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He hosts his own television show for the UK live from Los Angeles.