Everything you want to know about the brain and never dared to ask

A book that details much of what science knows about the king organ: the brain.

As soon as people learn that I am a neuropsychologist, a quizzical expression comes over their faces, as if they have just heard that I am a Martian or something similar. But once they get over the initial surprise, the same thing invariably happens: they start asking me all kinds of questions related to the human mind. It doesn't matter if I'm at a party, in a cab or in line at a bank, people want to know what they can do to solve their various problems.

All these questions have a common denominator: they refer to how we think and behave in our daily lives; in short, they allude to life itself. Our behavior is software running on hardware, a physical support that is none other than the brain..

The organ of the human mind is full of secrets.

This organ of approximately 1400 grams and 86 billion neurons is what makes it possible for us to do everything we do, whether it is chewing gum, playing tennis, contemplating a landscape, solving a mathematical puzzle, writing poetry, and even the development of art and science as we know them.

In the last 20 years, more progress has been made in understanding how the brain works than in all of human history. In this book, I intend to bring some of this knowledge to the reader and help you make decisions based on a better understanding of how your brain works.

Like any other part of the body, the brain performs its work according to its own idiosyncrasies. By reading this book, the reader will get to know these patterns of functioning, and will be able to better understand the behind the scenes of its particular way of thinking and behaving on a daily basis.

I am convinced that the knowledge of how the brain performs its feats is extremely useful, as it allows us to introduce those small changes often unsuspected but always necessary for us to lead a happier and more productive life.

Like a walk through a large and beautiful city, this book was conceived as a guided tour through the streets and nooks and crannies of the human mind. Along the way, the reader will get to know all the sights and highlights. You can stop and stay longer where you want, as each chapter is relatively independent of the others. each chapter is relatively independent of the othersThis also makes it possible to open the book anywhere and start reading from there.

All the curiosities about the brain

Why do we tend to believe we are the absolute owners of the truth? What is prejudice and how does it affect us? Is it true that we cannot pay attention to two things at the same time? Why is it so difficult to overcome a breakup? Why do we often act against our own interests? How does marketing manage to manipulate our emotions? Can we do anything to be happier?

These are just some of the questions that are addressed during the journey proposed in this book. It also explores how mental illness can damage the brain, and along the way some myths and lies are debunked. and along the way, some of the myths and lies that are deeply rooted among among people and society in general.

I am confident that the reader friend will want to keep this book handy at all times, that he or she will find it entertaining but also that it will help to clarify many issues. I hope that when you have read just a few pages you will be hopelessly tempted to read the whole thing, and don't forget to pay attention to the little tricks and strategies proposed at the end of each chapter; it is my hope that they will lead you to a fuller and more efficient life.