The Domesticated Brain: A Pelican Introduction

· Penguin UK
3 reviews
Ebook
352
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

What makes us social animals?
Why do we behave the way we do?
How does the brain influence our behaviour?

The brain may have initially evolved to cope with a threatening world of beasts, limited food and adverse weather, but we now use it to navigate an equally unpredictable social landscape. In The Domesticated Brain, renowned psychologist Bruce Hood explores the relationship between the brain and social behaviour, looking for clues as to origins and operations of the mechanisms that keep us bound together. How do our brains enable us to live together, to raise children, and to learn and pass on information and culture? Combining social psychology with neuroscience, Hood provides an essential introduction to the hidden operations of the brain, and explores what makes us who we are.

What makes us social animals? Why do we behave the way we do? How does the brain influence our behaviour? The brain may have initially evolved to cope with a threatening world of beasts, limited food and adverse weather, but we now use it to navigate an equally unpredictable social landscape. I...

Ratings and reviews

3 reviews
Enrico Cheatham
June 28, 2014
The central idea of the book is how our brains evolved through constant social interaction to domesticate us and make us codependent. I was already familiar with much of the information presented, but found the book somwhat interesting as it serves as a reminder of how much of our progress as a species is due to our vast levels of cooperation,transmission of culture, and the need to belong to the group to survive.
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Adrian Toh
February 2, 2015
I liked the biological explanations of our brain's chemistry, and how it interacted with our social development. The anthropological aspects of our evolution were also very interesting to read about. Overall, I found the book engaging and not too overwhelming in terms of scientific depth. It was essentially an easy read and I enjoyed the author's writing style. Simply a very likable book!
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About the author

Bruce Hood is a professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at the University of Bristol and the author of SuperSense, The Self Illusion and The Domesticated Brain. He is an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the British Psychology Society and the Royal Institution of Great Britain.
Bruce Hood is a professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at the University of Bristol and the author of SuperSense, The Self Illusion and The Domesticated Brain. He is an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the British Psychology Society and the Royal Institution ...

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