A Trick of the Mind: How the Brain Invents Your Reality

From a groundbreaking neuroscientist, a book that will reshape the way we understand how our brain perceives the world around us--for readers of Adam Grant's Think Again and Lisa Genova's Remember. How does your brain decide what it's seeing, from the physical world to other people? For decades, scientists have tried to understand how our brains work, not realizing that the answer lies much closer to home. New research in neuroscience and psychology suggests that the brain is doing the same thing that the scientists are: using past experiences to build theories of how the world works, and using these models to predict and make sense of it. Through this process, your brain constructs the reality that you live in. Daniel Yon takes the research one step further, uncovering how your brain colors your perception of the world, the judgements you make about other people, and the beliefs you form about yourself. These mental processes help us navigate the world--but can also lead us astray, causing us to believe outlandish conspiracy theories or to see things that aren't really there. By understanding the ways each of our brains construct our realities, we can better engage with other communities and make more informed approaches about mental illness. With cutting-edge research and transformative practical applications, A Trick of the Mind will revolutionize the way you think.

About the Author :
Daniel Yon is an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Birkbeck, London, where he studies how our brains build models of ourselves and the world around us, and how those models shape our perceptions, actions and decisions. He has written on these subjects for Aeon and Psyche and has been published in a number of his field's leading journals. He lives in London.

Review :
"Immensely readable...Yon makes an excellent guide, both as a scientist working at the leading edge of this field and as a writer of great clarity." --The Guardian "Yon persuasively argues that better understanding how the brain's perceptual models work might reveal how to improve social communication, combat harmful dogma, and treat mental illnesses. It's a scintillating and surprisingly accessible look at why humans think as they do." --Publishers Weekly "A Trick of the Mind shatters the illusion of objective reality, revealing how our brains actively construct our perceptions, often shaping them in surprising and misleading ways. With captivating storytelling and cutting-edge science, neuroscientist Daniel Yon explores the power and the perils of the brain's internal models, offering a provocative look at the hidden forces shaping our thoughts, beliefs, and even our sanity. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew." --Daniel Z. Lieberman, author of The Molecule of More "A fascinating insight into how your brain conjures up its picture of the surrounding world, models the inner mental states of others, and understands itself. This book will profoundly change the way you consider your own mind." --Lewis Dartnell, bestselling author of The Knowledge, Origins and Being Human "You will not a find a more up-to-date or more compelling account of how a mind emerges from the brain."--Chris Frith, Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology at University College London