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anandazhu's review against another edition
5.0
a fascinating read that centers on neuroscience but ties together so many disciplines and areas of human life. sapolsky is great at writing about dense topics in a way that’s fun to read. that being said, the middle part about all the brain experiments was a bit of a slog. but the rest is brilliant and engaging.
also would recommend as a parenting book - better to know these things before you mold a young malleable brain.
also would recommend as a parenting book - better to know these things before you mold a young malleable brain.
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.75
tigors's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, big science book about behaviour, the brain, nervous system, genes,free-will etc.
very interesting read, despite being 99999 pages long, it’s impossible for me not to enjoy reading it. Despite the fact that it's book about science, and very detailed, its still accessible for everyone. Which is why I think this is the best science book I’ve read so far! :)
very interesting read, despite being 99999 pages long, it’s impossible for me not to enjoy reading it. Despite the fact that it's book about science, and very detailed, its still accessible for everyone. Which is why I think this is the best science book I’ve read so far! :)
enzsch's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
4.5
not gonna lie this is fkn dense
but SUPER interesting. All about all of the many things that influence our behaviour, from hormones to culture to genes to prenatal environment to priming. He gets pretty technical but I think this book is pretty good at giving you reminders of what the amygdala and prefrontal cortex etc all are multiple times so you dont get lost. Also, I like the occasional bits of sass interjected. I think he also gives a good and balanced view of what the evidence does and doesnt say, and where it conflicts, also including his own opinions sometimes. It doesnt shy away from slightly touchy topics in a respectful way, which I also liked.
Highly recommend if you are interested in this stuff, I will pick up his book on free will (suprisingly, his chapter on this did not send me into an existential crisis which is pretty rare! If anything, I am now even more excited to find out if free will is a thing)
Very heartwarming at the end too <3
but SUPER interesting. All about all of the many things that influence our behaviour, from hormones to culture to genes to prenatal environment to priming. He gets pretty technical but I think this book is pretty good at giving you reminders of what the amygdala and prefrontal cortex etc all are multiple times so you dont get lost. Also, I like the occasional bits of sass interjected. I think he also gives a good and balanced view of what the evidence does and doesnt say, and where it conflicts, also including his own opinions sometimes. It doesnt shy away from slightly touchy topics in a respectful way, which I also liked.
Highly recommend if you are interested in this stuff, I will pick up his book on free will (suprisingly, his chapter on this did not send me into an existential crisis which is pretty rare! If anything, I am now even more excited to find out if free will is a thing)
Very heartwarming at the end too <3
top0's review against another edition
5.0
The only reason this took me so long to read is that I would make sure I had the time to highlight and take notes! It's extremely interesting and is not at all a slog to get through.
cutcamera's review against another edition
5.0
What makes us act the way we do? Well, it’s complicated.
Exceptional in range and detail, Robert Sapolsky takes readers through a cross-disciplinary scientific study of human behavior. He explains how culture, context and learning shape how our genes, neurons and hormones are expressed and why free will is a lie that we tell ourselves.
I listened to the audiobook but plan on purchasing a copy for my Kindle so I can make highlights and notes. There is so much great information, there’s no way to retain it without taking notes or reading it a few times. Fantastic listen. Cannot wait to read again.
Exceptional in range and detail, Robert Sapolsky takes readers through a cross-disciplinary scientific study of human behavior. He explains how culture, context and learning shape how our genes, neurons and hormones are expressed and why free will is a lie that we tell ourselves.
I listened to the audiobook but plan on purchasing a copy for my Kindle so I can make highlights and notes. There is so much great information, there’s no way to retain it without taking notes or reading it a few times. Fantastic listen. Cannot wait to read again.
vitalikda's review against another edition
4.0
Understanding the human behavior and how it's linked to brain chemistry and the society
piapaya's review against another edition
2.0
DNF 66%
Wow. Didn’t think I’d be returning this early, but tbh, I got so annoyed when he talked about Milgram/Zimbardo that I had to put the book down. He completely lost credibility with me there after I’d already become a bit skeptical based on his takeaways of a few other researchers.
About 1/3 in I already realized he was going to try to cover too much for one book. The scope he was attempting is impressive, but impossible, in my opinion.
I raised an eyebrow when he referenced Amy Cuddy’s work, which has never been able to be replicated, and then I stopped when he talked about the Milgram and Stanford Prison Experiment. Clearly he’s not able to write objectively about Philip Zimbardo, as they are friends as he discloses.
He also never addresses the issues of mapping emotion and still seems to adhere to the prescriptive model, which has been debunked by Lisa Feldman Barrett.
I understand he is a respected researcher and endocrinologist, but I’m pretty skeptical of scientists who write too far outside their area of original research. I’d much rather read the primary source.
I have the same problem with Noah Yuval Harari.
EG, I’m skeptical about his depth of knowledge on behavioral economics and judgement. Having read some of the work by scientists he cites, it definitely felt like he was cherry-picking here and there.
Props that it’s written in a very accessible way and gives what seems to be a decent overview, but the breadth of what he was trying to cover is just much much too big. I won’t tell others not to read him, but I’m happier reading multiple in-depth works than one broad book trying to cover more than is feasible.
Wow. Didn’t think I’d be returning this early, but tbh, I got so annoyed when he talked about Milgram/Zimbardo that I had to put the book down. He completely lost credibility with me there after I’d already become a bit skeptical based on his takeaways of a few other researchers.
About 1/3 in I already realized he was going to try to cover too much for one book. The scope he was attempting is impressive, but impossible, in my opinion.
I raised an eyebrow when he referenced Amy Cuddy’s work, which has never been able to be replicated, and then I stopped when he talked about the Milgram and Stanford Prison Experiment. Clearly he’s not able to write objectively about Philip Zimbardo, as they are friends as he discloses.
He also never addresses the issues of mapping emotion and still seems to adhere to the prescriptive model, which has been debunked by Lisa Feldman Barrett.
I understand he is a respected researcher and endocrinologist, but I’m pretty skeptical of scientists who write too far outside their area of original research. I’d much rather read the primary source.
I have the same problem with Noah Yuval Harari.
EG, I’m skeptical about his depth of knowledge on behavioral economics and judgement. Having read some of the work by scientists he cites, it definitely felt like he was cherry-picking here and there.
Props that it’s written in a very accessible way and gives what seems to be a decent overview, but the breadth of what he was trying to cover is just much much too big. I won’t tell others not to read him, but I’m happier reading multiple in-depth works than one broad book trying to cover more than is feasible.