The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them As Truths
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The science of beliefs and how they're formed.
This book would be a great read for anyone who wants to understand how beliefs are formed and reinforced, including conspiracy theories and paranormal beliefs. Shermer presents a clear and scientific explanation of how our brains naturally look for patterns and create beliefs, sometimes leading us astray. His use of real-world examples makes this book a fascinating read that challenges readers to question their own beliefs and the beliefs of others.
The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them As Truths
by
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
ISBN: 9780805091250
Estimated First-hand Retail Price: $37.24
Publisher: Times Books
Date of Publication: 2011-05-30
Format: Hardback
Goodreads rating: 3.93
(rated by 7215 readers)
Description
In this work synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist, historian of science, and the world's best-known skeptic Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. From sensory data flowing in through the senses, the brain naturally begins to look for and find patterns, and then infuses those patterns with meaning. Our brains connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen, and these patterns become beliefs. Once beliefs are formed the brain begins to look for and find confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop of belief confirmation. Shermer outlines the numerous cognitive tools our brains engage to reinforce our beliefs as truths. Interlaced with his theory of belief, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal.
Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not a belief matches reality.
Author: Michael Shermer
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 400
Publisher: Times Books
Publication Date: 30 May 2011
Condition guide
Book Condition Guide
Books in Like New Condition
This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Very Good Condition
This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Good Condition
We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Well Read Condition
This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
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The science of beliefs and how they're formed.
This book would be a great read for anyone who wants to understand how beliefs are formed and reinforced, including conspiracy theories and paranormal beliefs. Shermer presents a clear and scientific explanation of how our brains naturally look for patterns and create beliefs, sometimes leading us astray. His use of real-world examples makes this book a fascinating read that challenges readers to question their own beliefs and the beliefs of others.
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