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Мозг и тело: Как ощущения влияют на наши чувства и эмоции
Тело человека — удивительно мощный инструмент, способный формировать мысли, желания и настроения. При этом тело и мозг всегда работают вместе. Но управляет ли мозг телом или все происходит наоборот? Ответ на этот вопрос нам дает автор этой книги, в которой подробно рассматривается взаимосвязь разума с телом, а тела — с окружающей средой.
Книга будет интересна всем, кто стремится к гармонии физической, психической и интеллектуальной сторон своей жизни, кто хочет сохранить здоровье тела и ясность мысли на долгие годы.
Книга будет интересна всем, кто стремится к гармонии физической, психической и интеллектуальной сторон своей жизни, кто хочет сохранить здоровье тела и ясность мысли на долгие годы.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
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September 27, 2018
How The Body Knows It's Mind by Sien Bialock is okay. It's pretty good. Well okay, it's actually kind of, how do the kids say it now a days...meh?
The Urban Dictionary defines Meh as:
An expression of indifference; to be used when one simply does not care.
Yes. That's exactly how I feel about this book. Meh!
It's a big fat meh.
I hate to write negative reviews. Partially because I respect the hard labor that it takes to write books. So I always try to be generous. But this book kind of bugged me.
As a consumer of information, I learned a couple of things. But I was familiar with most of the stuff in the book from other textbooks and popular psychology books that I have read.
Some readers may find the book informative. But there are better, more interesting sources for most, if not all of the information in this book.
As a producer of information products e.g. classes, psychotherapy, this book review etc. I learned very little as far as how to present the fascinating findings of experimental psychology and neuroscience in a creative, fun, effective and engaging way.
That's because the book lacked an engaging central metaphor or through-line (other that the title of the book).
The basic intent of the book is to present the findings of the recently blossoming field of embodied cognition to a popular audience.
Embodied cognition is the field of cognitive science that investigates how cognition is influenced by aspects of the body beyond the brain itself.
For instance, how does gesticulation and ambulation effect our ability to reason abstractly.
Good question right?
That's the type of question embodied cognition tries to answer.
By the way, gesticulation and ambulation does significantly effect our ability to reason abstractly. And that's pretty fucking neat, I don't care who you are.
Embodied Cognition is fabulously interesting. However, no popular writer to date (that I'm aware of) has really brought this rich subject to life, with the possible exception of Benjamin K. Bergen in his respectable 2014 book, Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning.
Stephen Pinker writes well on the subject (in fact, Pinker writes well on every subject that he writes on). But he only comments on embodied cognition as a way of making other points. And his writing on embodied cognition is not current or focused enough to really count as a fully realized popularization of the field.
Anyway, to reiterate, How The Body Knows It's Mind was a decent attempt to deliver the field of embodied cognition to a popular audience. But (in my humble opinion) it ultimately fails to excite.
In all honesty, my tepid reaction to the book may be colored by the authors over reliance on the (tired as hell) concept of the "Mind-Body Connection".
In my opinion, it is way past high time to let the horrendously problematic notion of dualism die.
As I will explain later in my cranky rant (see below) dualism (for the uninitiated) is the incredibly resilient and equally incredibly problematic notion that the "mind" is somehow nonphysical and distinct from the body.
You maybe thinking, doesn't the phrase mind body connection point to a non-dualistic model?
I think, in some ways it does. But in other ways it's predicated on dualist assumptions, and it doesn't go far enough in the direction of monism (the opposite of dualism). And so, I think we need to let the term mind-body connection die.
This may seem like philosophical hairsplitting. But I don't think it is. I think it's actually a very important point.
And now for my cranky rant.....
WARNING: super duper d#%k alert!!!!!
If you are still operating under the archaic belief that the "mind" (what ever the f#%k that is) is "non physical" (what ever the f#%k that means). Than this book may be your gateway to the current century.
So by all means. Get it and read it ASAP!
If you're still reading this, than you may be thinking. "Wow, what a d#%k". And you'd be right. That is a d#%k thing to say. But I'm standing by it 100%.
The reason I'm attacking the archaic belief that our "minds" are "nonphysical" is because it is (a) nonsense, (b) very confusing, (c) actual very damaging.
Mind-Body Connection?
Everything that you perceive (see, hear, touch, taste etc.) is a product of your brain and extended nervous system interacting with your environment.
Everything that you think, feel, imagine and even your very conscious awareness it's self, is an emergent property of your embodied brain and nervous system.
Your brain and nervous system are parts of your body. Try to have a body without them. You won't be doing much perceiving, or thinking or feeling or moving or much of anything.
It's Time For Dualism To Go To The Light:
We used to think of light as "nonphysical".
Now we know it's electromagnetic radiation. Light is not a non physical property of electromagnetic radiation. Light is electromagnetic radiation.
Why don't we talk about the mysterious connection between electromagnetic radiation and light anymore? i.e. why don't we have the phrase "Light-Electromagnetic Radiation Connection"?
Because light and electromagnetic radiation are the same fucking thing and that would just be confusing.
That would make it seem like light and electromagnetic radiation are two different things when they're not.
The Light Bulb Above Your Head:
Your conscious awareness and everything you consciously (or unconsciously) think, feel and perceive is a feature of your brain. Your brain is a part of your body.
Why do we still scratch our heads in awe of the possibility that there's a "mind-body connection"?
The term "mind-body connection" is a transitional term from the period of time when people thought there was absolutely no connection between the physical and the "mental".
As previously mentioned, the fancy philosophical term for this idea is dualism. Meaning that there are two realities, (a) all this gross physical stuff and (b) all of this pure, noble mental stuff.
Dualism is one of those charming, naïve, archaic beliefs that's going to go down in the annals of history along side the flat earth hypothesis.
Unfortunately, dualism stuck around a lot longer than the flat earth hypothesis. And it actually did a lot more damage.
It's understandable that people would think that the earth is flat, or that the mind and body are two distinctly separate things like 2000 years ago. That's because it really seems that way from an anecdotal first-person perspective.
But in the age of science, these are both rather inexcusable beliefs. Particularly when we have so much excellent evidence to support the fact that the earth is sort of spherical and our psychological and perceptual capacities are emergent properties of our embodied brains.
Cognitive neuroscience is a rather recent development. And we are still a long way away from figuring out exactly how our brains engender consciousness and thinking and feeling and all that stuff. But there is currently no good reason, at all, to assume that there is some "nonphysical" component to the system.
We're plenty far along enough in the cognitive science project to take Occum's Razor to dualism (in all of its slippery manifestations) and surgically remove it from our thinking, wherever and whenever it presents.
That's sort of bad news for people who believe that your ego or essence will live on in a disembodied from after your brain and body are dead. But hey, that's what faith is for right?
For the rest of us, it's time to move forward and let the specter of dualism die.
Dualism is a big part of what enables us to judge and ostracize people with mental illness, people who are substance dependent, and people who are transgender (to cite but a few examples) as possessing "flawed characters" or "bad souls" or what ever.
When we think of a "drug addict" as being week willed or flawed of character, that's Dualism.
When we think of a substance dependent person as having a brain and nervous system that has become conditioned to crave and use a substance due to exposure and due to a particular vulnerability, that's a little more inline with what the current science says.
I have no idea how to fix a flawed character, other than punishment and incarceration, or worse, 12-Step.
But I can think of lots of ways to recondition a substance dependent nervous system. That's still difficult, but actually very doable.
On the subject of transgender. Many ignorant individuals consider transgender to be a perverted choice. That's dualism.
All of the science on the subject supports the fact that when someone feels as if they are a different gender than their genitalia. It's because their brain has certain important differences that are probably more significant to a sense of gender than weather or not you have a peepee or cooter.
Asking someone with the female brain to live with the genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics of a man, in the age of effective gender reassignment surgery is like asking somebody who is a quadriplegic to live their life in a wheelchair, if we had an effective corrective surgery for their immobility condition.
Why would we do that?
Transgendered people need our social support and gender reassignment if they so choose to undergo that painful process.
They do not need our ignorant, judgmental dualist bullshit.
On the subject of mental illness, many people ascribe personal blame to someone suffering from say schizophrenia or bipolar. That's dualism.
All of the science supports the fact that if someone's brain is impaired, in a particular way, than they will display those particular cognitive and behavioral symptoms associated with what we currently referred to as schizophrenia and bipolar (and all of the other DSM diagnosis).
People with schizophrenia or any other severe mental illness need social support and medical treatment. Not punishment and incarceration, which is our primary way of dealing with the mentally ill in America at present.
The American prison system is currently a warehouse for substance dependent and mentally ill individuals.
This is due largely to dualistic notions that enable the inhumane and ignorant agenda of judgment, punishment and incarceration of people who in reality are simply suffering from an illness not categorically unlike any other medical condition.
So like I said. I feel strongly that it's time to let dualism go by way of the flat earth hypothesis.
The the concept of the Mind-Body Connection was our bridge from dualism to monism, let's burn it.
There is absolutely no good reason to go back.
The Urban Dictionary defines Meh as:
An expression of indifference; to be used when one simply does not care.
Yes. That's exactly how I feel about this book. Meh!
It's a big fat meh.
I hate to write negative reviews. Partially because I respect the hard labor that it takes to write books. So I always try to be generous. But this book kind of bugged me.
As a consumer of information, I learned a couple of things. But I was familiar with most of the stuff in the book from other textbooks and popular psychology books that I have read.
Some readers may find the book informative. But there are better, more interesting sources for most, if not all of the information in this book.
As a producer of information products e.g. classes, psychotherapy, this book review etc. I learned very little as far as how to present the fascinating findings of experimental psychology and neuroscience in a creative, fun, effective and engaging way.
That's because the book lacked an engaging central metaphor or through-line (other that the title of the book).
The basic intent of the book is to present the findings of the recently blossoming field of embodied cognition to a popular audience.
Embodied cognition is the field of cognitive science that investigates how cognition is influenced by aspects of the body beyond the brain itself.
For instance, how does gesticulation and ambulation effect our ability to reason abstractly.
Good question right?
That's the type of question embodied cognition tries to answer.
By the way, gesticulation and ambulation does significantly effect our ability to reason abstractly. And that's pretty fucking neat, I don't care who you are.
Embodied Cognition is fabulously interesting. However, no popular writer to date (that I'm aware of) has really brought this rich subject to life, with the possible exception of Benjamin K. Bergen in his respectable 2014 book, Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning.
Stephen Pinker writes well on the subject (in fact, Pinker writes well on every subject that he writes on). But he only comments on embodied cognition as a way of making other points. And his writing on embodied cognition is not current or focused enough to really count as a fully realized popularization of the field.
Anyway, to reiterate, How The Body Knows It's Mind was a decent attempt to deliver the field of embodied cognition to a popular audience. But (in my humble opinion) it ultimately fails to excite.
In all honesty, my tepid reaction to the book may be colored by the authors over reliance on the (tired as hell) concept of the "Mind-Body Connection".
In my opinion, it is way past high time to let the horrendously problematic notion of dualism die.
As I will explain later in my cranky rant (see below) dualism (for the uninitiated) is the incredibly resilient and equally incredibly problematic notion that the "mind" is somehow nonphysical and distinct from the body.
You maybe thinking, doesn't the phrase mind body connection point to a non-dualistic model?
I think, in some ways it does. But in other ways it's predicated on dualist assumptions, and it doesn't go far enough in the direction of monism (the opposite of dualism). And so, I think we need to let the term mind-body connection die.
This may seem like philosophical hairsplitting. But I don't think it is. I think it's actually a very important point.
And now for my cranky rant.....
WARNING: super duper d#%k alert!!!!!
If you are still operating under the archaic belief that the "mind" (what ever the f#%k that is) is "non physical" (what ever the f#%k that means). Than this book may be your gateway to the current century.
So by all means. Get it and read it ASAP!
If you're still reading this, than you may be thinking. "Wow, what a d#%k". And you'd be right. That is a d#%k thing to say. But I'm standing by it 100%.
The reason I'm attacking the archaic belief that our "minds" are "nonphysical" is because it is (a) nonsense, (b) very confusing, (c) actual very damaging.
Mind-Body Connection?
Everything that you perceive (see, hear, touch, taste etc.) is a product of your brain and extended nervous system interacting with your environment.
Everything that you think, feel, imagine and even your very conscious awareness it's self, is an emergent property of your embodied brain and nervous system.
Your brain and nervous system are parts of your body. Try to have a body without them. You won't be doing much perceiving, or thinking or feeling or moving or much of anything.
It's Time For Dualism To Go To The Light:
We used to think of light as "nonphysical".
Now we know it's electromagnetic radiation. Light is not a non physical property of electromagnetic radiation. Light is electromagnetic radiation.
Why don't we talk about the mysterious connection between electromagnetic radiation and light anymore? i.e. why don't we have the phrase "Light-Electromagnetic Radiation Connection"?
Because light and electromagnetic radiation are the same fucking thing and that would just be confusing.
That would make it seem like light and electromagnetic radiation are two different things when they're not.
The Light Bulb Above Your Head:
Your conscious awareness and everything you consciously (or unconsciously) think, feel and perceive is a feature of your brain. Your brain is a part of your body.
Why do we still scratch our heads in awe of the possibility that there's a "mind-body connection"?
The term "mind-body connection" is a transitional term from the period of time when people thought there was absolutely no connection between the physical and the "mental".
As previously mentioned, the fancy philosophical term for this idea is dualism. Meaning that there are two realities, (a) all this gross physical stuff and (b) all of this pure, noble mental stuff.
Dualism is one of those charming, naïve, archaic beliefs that's going to go down in the annals of history along side the flat earth hypothesis.
Unfortunately, dualism stuck around a lot longer than the flat earth hypothesis. And it actually did a lot more damage.
It's understandable that people would think that the earth is flat, or that the mind and body are two distinctly separate things like 2000 years ago. That's because it really seems that way from an anecdotal first-person perspective.
But in the age of science, these are both rather inexcusable beliefs. Particularly when we have so much excellent evidence to support the fact that the earth is sort of spherical and our psychological and perceptual capacities are emergent properties of our embodied brains.
Cognitive neuroscience is a rather recent development. And we are still a long way away from figuring out exactly how our brains engender consciousness and thinking and feeling and all that stuff. But there is currently no good reason, at all, to assume that there is some "nonphysical" component to the system.
We're plenty far along enough in the cognitive science project to take Occum's Razor to dualism (in all of its slippery manifestations) and surgically remove it from our thinking, wherever and whenever it presents.
That's sort of bad news for people who believe that your ego or essence will live on in a disembodied from after your brain and body are dead. But hey, that's what faith is for right?
For the rest of us, it's time to move forward and let the specter of dualism die.
Dualism is a big part of what enables us to judge and ostracize people with mental illness, people who are substance dependent, and people who are transgender (to cite but a few examples) as possessing "flawed characters" or "bad souls" or what ever.
When we think of a "drug addict" as being week willed or flawed of character, that's Dualism.
When we think of a substance dependent person as having a brain and nervous system that has become conditioned to crave and use a substance due to exposure and due to a particular vulnerability, that's a little more inline with what the current science says.
I have no idea how to fix a flawed character, other than punishment and incarceration, or worse, 12-Step.
But I can think of lots of ways to recondition a substance dependent nervous system. That's still difficult, but actually very doable.
On the subject of transgender. Many ignorant individuals consider transgender to be a perverted choice. That's dualism.
All of the science on the subject supports the fact that when someone feels as if they are a different gender than their genitalia. It's because their brain has certain important differences that are probably more significant to a sense of gender than weather or not you have a peepee or cooter.
Asking someone with the female brain to live with the genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics of a man, in the age of effective gender reassignment surgery is like asking somebody who is a quadriplegic to live their life in a wheelchair, if we had an effective corrective surgery for their immobility condition.
Why would we do that?
Transgendered people need our social support and gender reassignment if they so choose to undergo that painful process.
They do not need our ignorant, judgmental dualist bullshit.
On the subject of mental illness, many people ascribe personal blame to someone suffering from say schizophrenia or bipolar. That's dualism.
All of the science supports the fact that if someone's brain is impaired, in a particular way, than they will display those particular cognitive and behavioral symptoms associated with what we currently referred to as schizophrenia and bipolar (and all of the other DSM diagnosis).
People with schizophrenia or any other severe mental illness need social support and medical treatment. Not punishment and incarceration, which is our primary way of dealing with the mentally ill in America at present.
The American prison system is currently a warehouse for substance dependent and mentally ill individuals.
This is due largely to dualistic notions that enable the inhumane and ignorant agenda of judgment, punishment and incarceration of people who in reality are simply suffering from an illness not categorically unlike any other medical condition.
So like I said. I feel strongly that it's time to let dualism go by way of the flat earth hypothesis.
The the concept of the Mind-Body Connection was our bridge from dualism to monism, let's burn it.
There is absolutely no good reason to go back.
September 19, 2022
I'm not sure if I'm stupid or not. I thought the book would be about the influence of our physical environment on how we think and feel (you know, like the subtitle).
But it's not. It's about embodied knowledge. About how we learn better if we act out what we are learning eg learning math by sorting and arranging physical wooden blocks (or better yet, toy models of the things in the math problem). About how exercise helps embed knowledge and also improves creativity.
Yes, I am all for the fact that living online does not integrate knowledge the way physical action does. Embodied learning - yes, yay!
It's just . . . not what I thought was on the tin. I was looking to find out how to arrange or design my physical environment to help me focus better, or learn better, sleep better, perform better etc etc.
So, I have misunderstood the aim of the book based on the subtitle. And therefore my rating is low. If you are looking for evidence we are embodied beings (and therefore any singularity will not be what some think it will) this could be the book for you.
But it's not. It's about embodied knowledge. About how we learn better if we act out what we are learning eg learning math by sorting and arranging physical wooden blocks (or better yet, toy models of the things in the math problem). About how exercise helps embed knowledge and also improves creativity.
Yes, I am all for the fact that living online does not integrate knowledge the way physical action does. Embodied learning - yes, yay!
It's just . . . not what I thought was on the tin. I was looking to find out how to arrange or design my physical environment to help me focus better, or learn better, sleep better, perform better etc etc.
So, I have misunderstood the aim of the book based on the subtitle. And therefore my rating is low. If you are looking for evidence we are embodied beings (and therefore any singularity will not be what some think it will) this could be the book for you.
March 8, 2015
The chapter on movement was valuable but other than that I recommend reading the final summary chapter before reading anything else. Then you can decide whether or not your interest and/ or prior knowledge level warrants reading further.
October 13, 2015
How the Body Knows Its Mind validated my belief that we are more than just brains driving meat suits around our whole lives. Our bodies not only help form our opinions and moods, but there is an innate intelligence in them that, if we can tap into it, can help us self actualize.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 10: Buddha, Alexander, and Perlman- Using Our Body to Calm Our Mind. It includes not only information about how meditation utilizes the mind/body connection for positive life changes but also how incorporating music into young children's lives makes it easier for them to express their art in other areas and later in their development. "...teaching the motor aspects of music first, especially when we are young, may be beneficial, as the areas of the brain that primarily control movement are poised to take in information and help us commit it to memory. (Musicians) play beautiful music that resonates from their instrument, but their body is often involved too. With time, these movements become automatic and habitual in such a way that your brainpower is available to devote to more intensive mental exercises such as musical theory and interpretation." pg 202 Music, meditation, and mindfulness, three of my favorite things in one chapter. Funny how they all start with the letter, M...
Another idea that I'm going to take from How the Body Knows Its Mind is Beilock's premise that incorporating body movement into teaching abstract concepts like math, reading, or foreign language practice assists in recall and assimilation of those ideas. Somehow, through movement, our body makes those abstractions concrete and so our mind is able to literally grasp the otherwise untouchable. I can see this being useful when I'm drilling my child on spelling words or in other teachable moments when she's struggling. It's always nice to have another tool available in your parenting bag of tricks.
If you enjoyed How the Body Knows Its Mind, I'd recommend Earthwalks for Body and Spirit: Exercises to Restore Our Sacred Bond with the Earth by James Endredy (Beilock talks about how nature is so restful and restorative to the mind and body, this book helps you incorporate walks into your daily routine for spiritual, emotional, and physical health) or Your Body Speaks Your Mind: Decoding the Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Messages That Underlie Illness by Debbie Shapiro (this book talks about interpreting the messages that our body-mind is sending through our various aches and pains. I didn't believe all of it, but it was interesting to consider and it gave me a more holistic view of illness and how to treat it.)
My favorite chapter was Chapter 10: Buddha, Alexander, and Perlman- Using Our Body to Calm Our Mind. It includes not only information about how meditation utilizes the mind/body connection for positive life changes but also how incorporating music into young children's lives makes it easier for them to express their art in other areas and later in their development. "...teaching the motor aspects of music first, especially when we are young, may be beneficial, as the areas of the brain that primarily control movement are poised to take in information and help us commit it to memory. (Musicians) play beautiful music that resonates from their instrument, but their body is often involved too. With time, these movements become automatic and habitual in such a way that your brainpower is available to devote to more intensive mental exercises such as musical theory and interpretation." pg 202 Music, meditation, and mindfulness, three of my favorite things in one chapter. Funny how they all start with the letter, M...
Another idea that I'm going to take from How the Body Knows Its Mind is Beilock's premise that incorporating body movement into teaching abstract concepts like math, reading, or foreign language practice assists in recall and assimilation of those ideas. Somehow, through movement, our body makes those abstractions concrete and so our mind is able to literally grasp the otherwise untouchable. I can see this being useful when I'm drilling my child on spelling words or in other teachable moments when she's struggling. It's always nice to have another tool available in your parenting bag of tricks.
If you enjoyed How the Body Knows Its Mind, I'd recommend Earthwalks for Body and Spirit: Exercises to Restore Our Sacred Bond with the Earth by James Endredy (Beilock talks about how nature is so restful and restorative to the mind and body, this book helps you incorporate walks into your daily routine for spiritual, emotional, and physical health) or Your Body Speaks Your Mind: Decoding the Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Messages That Underlie Illness by Debbie Shapiro (this book talks about interpreting the messages that our body-mind is sending through our various aches and pains. I didn't believe all of it, but it was interesting to consider and it gave me a more holistic view of illness and how to treat it.)
August 19, 2016
The first half of this book makes a strong and interesting case for the body as the driver of the mind -- the way the mind finds out what it's thinking. The second half is less surprising -- it's mostly a description of now-familiar research on the mind-body connection in health, meditation, exercise staving off dementia and so on. Still, important stuff to the uninitiated.
November 20, 2019
One of the earliest case studies in this book involves Botox delivered by a Manhattan cosmetic surgeon, and that surgeon’s own opinions on the psychological benefits of the treatments he sells. What a bizarre introduction, I thought, for a book written by a psychology professor. Even if this book’s lay audience has, perhaps, a lower expectation of ‘serious’ than a scientific crowd, why would an expert start by deflating her own credentials, directing people’s attention instead to a salesperson for a controversial industry? What a strange bar of authority to set in a book that (I assumed) meant to be rigorous, even if it is in the ‘take my word for it, or at least take their word for it’ style that books in this genre have.
For I have detected, belatedly, the rhythm in these pop sci books. They beef themselves up with frequent citations, most of which hide in endnotes the dust of which some (many? most? at least I) will never disturb. These books often stand taller in the gleam of idols like Daniel Kahneman, Steven Pinker, Stanley Milgram, and spice up their pages with one or two hallmark quotes from figures who lived several hundred years ago. Furthermore these books usually appeal to iconic modern myths like the Stanford Prison Experiment or the Willy Wonka fantasy land that apparently exists on Google’s campus. The books are necessarily stuffed with glosses – the ‘this is what they mean’ moments, a mercy to ignoramuses like me. Speaking of which, there is me: always nodding or shrugging like a peon from the Middle Ages, my attention fixed for a few valiant moments on cognitive neuroscientific Latin before it wanders to the stained glass Cliff’s Notes, where I am comforted by the illusion that I understand the syllables echoing from the lectern, and have judged well whether or not to step into this secular cathedral for intellectual or spiritual enrichment and even direction in life.
Ms. Beilock hits many of the genre’s notes, but only after first provoking my distrust with the odd anecdote about a plastic surgeon’s pride in his wares. As the text proceeds she further unsettles me with frequent demurrals that she, or whomever she references, thinks this, or suspects that, or wonders whether the other thing – she makes a steady point of uncertainty, casting doubt on interceding expressions of confidence.
The strangest part is that I tend to admire all of these things I have just complained about. I enjoy disruption of expectations, transgression of disciplinary boundaries, humility rather than unconsidered self-confidence. Why, then, did I feel so off-balance here…so unsure what I should make of this book? Much of the content here felt introductory, or maybe halfway-considered, and in either case not especially fresh. But that is not the problem, either. So what if this book strike me more as a series of references to other sources than it did as an authority in its own right?
But is this the heart of the issue? Has Ms. Beilock betrayed me by shedding the pretense that with a library card and a few hours of spare time, a reader like me can understand or judge anything she is reporting with any level of competence? I am fascinated by many of the things she discusses in this book. I can’t say whether my fascination is wisely invested. I want to believe some of what she says, but I can’t say whether I’m wise or foolish for doing so. I can’t finalize this book in my head, kill it, classify it, seal it away, and get on to the next intellectual dalliance that will keep my body disenfranchised and frozen.
While writing this review I remembered an observation that one of my old college professors made – or maybe (appropriate to this context!) it was the conclusion of someone else’s research that he had quoted: when one really takes the time to trace all the footnotes, one finds that too much scholarship relies on an alarmingly small number of primary sources. Thus a great volume of academic authority amounts to an enormous, inverted pyramid of cards.
It is fascinating to consider how much of my thinking barely makes contact with the ground. My mind becomes so caught up in itself that it forgets its sensing vehicle, and all the great, immediate powers (and limits) wielded by that vehicle. If the mind pauses seriously to face the fact of those bodily forces, it may honestly admit it is not so much the driver as, at best, the copilot. It may come down to earth and find some measure of rescue in the reality of partnership with its companion. Or, alternately, it can clamber back up to its swaying, echoing monument of dislocated syllables.
Underneath the mind body static, is this reading experience showing me that I may as well go to a cosmetic surgeon as a psychiatrist or a priest, seek revelation in a game of kickball as a yoga class? Just get out and walk, as opposed to almost anything else? Despite the circumspection, many of Ms. Beilock’s anecdotes are powerful: Physical gestures as mnemonics! Hand motions as indicators of preferences! Posture influencing mood! Bodily proximity as factor in physical and emotional pain! Green space facilitating executive control! But this is all stuff to be practiced, messily, in the field – not to be mastered abstractly.
I am drawn, finally, to the graphic on the book’s cover: A right hand touching the back of a hollow head which arcs through a blind face, a closed mouth and into a neck that almost touches the heel of the right hand. A not-quite-closed, counter-clockwise circle. No ultimate basis, no final analysis or appeal to authority, no firm rhetorical foundation. No excuse for the mind to stay lost in its prim, nonsense certitude while keeping the body chained and deprived. Instead, an admonition to be, to act, to feel, to flow – unsurely, participating with all of oneself and participating with the full selves of others, toward the hope - not the certainty - of the fullest flourishing of body and mind.
For I have detected, belatedly, the rhythm in these pop sci books. They beef themselves up with frequent citations, most of which hide in endnotes the dust of which some (many? most? at least I) will never disturb. These books often stand taller in the gleam of idols like Daniel Kahneman, Steven Pinker, Stanley Milgram, and spice up their pages with one or two hallmark quotes from figures who lived several hundred years ago. Furthermore these books usually appeal to iconic modern myths like the Stanford Prison Experiment or the Willy Wonka fantasy land that apparently exists on Google’s campus. The books are necessarily stuffed with glosses – the ‘this is what they mean’ moments, a mercy to ignoramuses like me. Speaking of which, there is me: always nodding or shrugging like a peon from the Middle Ages, my attention fixed for a few valiant moments on cognitive neuroscientific Latin before it wanders to the stained glass Cliff’s Notes, where I am comforted by the illusion that I understand the syllables echoing from the lectern, and have judged well whether or not to step into this secular cathedral for intellectual or spiritual enrichment and even direction in life.
Ms. Beilock hits many of the genre’s notes, but only after first provoking my distrust with the odd anecdote about a plastic surgeon’s pride in his wares. As the text proceeds she further unsettles me with frequent demurrals that she, or whomever she references, thinks this, or suspects that, or wonders whether the other thing – she makes a steady point of uncertainty, casting doubt on interceding expressions of confidence.
The strangest part is that I tend to admire all of these things I have just complained about. I enjoy disruption of expectations, transgression of disciplinary boundaries, humility rather than unconsidered self-confidence. Why, then, did I feel so off-balance here…so unsure what I should make of this book? Much of the content here felt introductory, or maybe halfway-considered, and in either case not especially fresh. But that is not the problem, either. So what if this book strike me more as a series of references to other sources than it did as an authority in its own right?
But is this the heart of the issue? Has Ms. Beilock betrayed me by shedding the pretense that with a library card and a few hours of spare time, a reader like me can understand or judge anything she is reporting with any level of competence? I am fascinated by many of the things she discusses in this book. I can’t say whether my fascination is wisely invested. I want to believe some of what she says, but I can’t say whether I’m wise or foolish for doing so. I can’t finalize this book in my head, kill it, classify it, seal it away, and get on to the next intellectual dalliance that will keep my body disenfranchised and frozen.
While writing this review I remembered an observation that one of my old college professors made – or maybe (appropriate to this context!) it was the conclusion of someone else’s research that he had quoted: when one really takes the time to trace all the footnotes, one finds that too much scholarship relies on an alarmingly small number of primary sources. Thus a great volume of academic authority amounts to an enormous, inverted pyramid of cards.
It is fascinating to consider how much of my thinking barely makes contact with the ground. My mind becomes so caught up in itself that it forgets its sensing vehicle, and all the great, immediate powers (and limits) wielded by that vehicle. If the mind pauses seriously to face the fact of those bodily forces, it may honestly admit it is not so much the driver as, at best, the copilot. It may come down to earth and find some measure of rescue in the reality of partnership with its companion. Or, alternately, it can clamber back up to its swaying, echoing monument of dislocated syllables.
Underneath the mind body static, is this reading experience showing me that I may as well go to a cosmetic surgeon as a psychiatrist or a priest, seek revelation in a game of kickball as a yoga class? Just get out and walk, as opposed to almost anything else? Despite the circumspection, many of Ms. Beilock’s anecdotes are powerful: Physical gestures as mnemonics! Hand motions as indicators of preferences! Posture influencing mood! Bodily proximity as factor in physical and emotional pain! Green space facilitating executive control! But this is all stuff to be practiced, messily, in the field – not to be mastered abstractly.
I am drawn, finally, to the graphic on the book’s cover: A right hand touching the back of a hollow head which arcs through a blind face, a closed mouth and into a neck that almost touches the heel of the right hand. A not-quite-closed, counter-clockwise circle. No ultimate basis, no final analysis or appeal to authority, no firm rhetorical foundation. No excuse for the mind to stay lost in its prim, nonsense certitude while keeping the body chained and deprived. Instead, an admonition to be, to act, to feel, to flow – unsurely, participating with all of oneself and participating with the full selves of others, toward the hope - not the certainty - of the fullest flourishing of body and mind.
January 13, 2015
Interesting but a bit repetitive for me. I didn't really read anything new that I hadn't read elsewhere.
May 17, 2020
(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)
Перечитывая в последнее время книги, и добравшись до этой, я почему-то подумал, что я уже один раз размышлял над тем вопросом, над каким размышляю и сейчас, т.е., какую оценку поставить такой книге, которая является скорее сборником примеров из психологии и которая подойдёт именно в этом качестве при чтении полноценного учебника. И действительно, о том же самом я написал по поводу книг «Шпаргалка для счастливчиков» и «Почему мы ошибаемся» (которые являются также сборниками историй из мира психологии, точнее социальной психологии). Различие только в том, что в тех двух книгах речь шла скорее о социальной психологии, а здесь же речь идёт о психологии с уклоном в биологию. Однако все три книги по своему стилю и структуре совершенно одинаковы.
В данной книге автор хочет показать, что мозг и остальное тело - взаимосвязаны, т.е. когда изменяется одно, меняется и другое. К примеру, если нам вколоть боттокс, то мы, через какое-то время, будем менее склонны видеть всё в сером цвете, т.е. наша депрессия пропадает (автор приводит пример связанный именно что с депрессией). Тем не менее, назвать эту книгу полноценной работой по психологии, которая объясняет чётко и ясно эту связь между боттоксом и депрессией, я не могу. Автор всё же не утруждает себя в написании теоретической части, ограничиваясь только примерами и своими комментариями к ним (впрочем, возможно для кого-то этого будет вполне достаточно). Вот возьмём тему про зеркальные нейроны, с одной стороны и психологию маленького ребёнка, с другой. Как они соотносятся друг с другом? Что их объединяет? Честно сказать, я не увидел прочной связи. Да, это было интересно читать, что дети абсолютно по-другому видят мир (об этом писал ещё Жан Пиаже) и автор хорошо описала те опасности, которые возникают из-за этого (отличный пример со столом (а также пропажей игрушки), который на половину прозрачный, чтобы продемонстрировать психологию ребёнка). Тем не менее, как по мне, примеры всё же не из одной области. Ну, или добавим тему, связанную с невербальными сигналами. С одной стороны, что-то общее есть, но вот с другой стороны, это всё же скорее разные темы. Но, возможно я что-то недопонял.
Как очень точно заметил один читатель, первая половина книги довольно интересная, а вот вторая скатывается в такие истёртые до дыр темы как важность фитнеса, медитации и что-то там ещё из подобного. Мне кажется, вторая часть книги шла в качестве банального увеличения объёма книги. Хотя, возможно я ошибаюсь.
Не могу не отметить пример, с неким животным, которое после того как найдёт место куда можно пристать, съедает свой собственный мозг. Пример хоть и известный, но мне напомнил ситуацию, когда мозг учится при постоянном повторении какого-то навыка. Т.е. если мы каждый день используем иностранный язык, новая нейронная дорожка, которая образовалась с начала изучения этого конкретного иностранного языка, регулярно становится, как бы, всё чётче и чётче. Т.е. и мы, как это животное, используем свой мозг и когда необходимость в этот отпадает и человек сужает свою активность до «постель-кресло-холодильник», как бы съедаем свой собственный мозг, происходит деградация или атрофия мозга (как атрофия мышц, но про мозг тоже говорят, что он подобен мышце, которую чем больше тренируешь определённым навыком (активностью), тем сильнее протаптывается соответствующая дорожка из нейронов и тем лучше мы управляемся этим навыком). Разумеется, это лишь мой взгляд, моё предположение.
И последнее замечание. У меня возникло небольшое ощущение, что автор свалила в кучу и проверенные теории и теории, в правдивость который можно засомневаться. Не знаю, почувствовал ли кто-то ещё, но…
Rereading books lately, and having reached this one, for some reason I thought that I had already thought once about the question of what I am thinking about now, i.e., what kind of evaluation to give to such a book, which is rather a collection of examples from psychology and which would be suitable in this quality when reading a textbook. And indeed, the same thing I wrote about the books "Sway" by Ori Brafman and "Why We Make Mistakes" by Joseph T. Hallinan (which are also collections of stories from the world of psychology, more precisely social psychology). The only difference is that those two books were more about social psychology, and here we are talking about psychology that focuses on biology. However, all three books are quite the same in their style and structure.
In this book the author wants to show that the brain and the rest of the body are interconnected, i.e. when one thing changes, the other changes too. For example, if we are injected a Botox, then after a while we are less inclined to see everything as gray, i.e. our depression disappears (the author gives an example related to depression). However, I can't call this book a full-fledged work on psychology that explains clearly this connection between Botox and depression. The author does not bother to write the theoretical part, limiting oneself to examples and comments to them (however, perhaps for someone this will be quite enough). Here is a topic about mirror neurons, on the one hand, and the psychology of a small child, on the other. How do they correlate with each other? What do they have in common? Honestly, I haven't seen a solid connection. Yes, it was interesting to read that children see the world in a completely different way (Jean Piaget wrote about this as well) and the author well described the dangers that arise from this (a great example with the table (and the missing toy), which is half transparent to demonstrate the psychology of the child). However, as far as I am concerned, the examples are not from the same area. Or the topic related to non-verbal signals. On the one hand, there is something in common, but on the other hand, it is rather different topics. But I may have misunderstood something.
As one reader very accurately noticed, the first half of the book is quite interesting, but the second half rolls down into such worn-out topics as the importance of fitness, meditation, and something else like that. I think the second half of the book was a trite increase in volume. Although, maybe I'm wrong.
I can't help but mention the example of an animal who, after finding a place to attach himself to the surface, eats his own brain. The example reminded me of a situation where the brain learns by constantly repeating skills. That is, if we use a foreign language every day, the new neural pathway that has been formed since the beginning of learning this particular foreign language regularly becomes, as if, more and more pronounced. Perhaps we, like this animal, are using our brains, and when this is no longer necessary and a person narrows his activity to a " bed-chair-refrigerator", thereby as if eating one' s own brain, there is degradation or atrophy of the brain (like muscle atrophy, but about the brain, too, they say that it is like a muscle, which the more you train a certain skill (activity), the stronger the trail of neurons and the better we manage this skill). Of course, this is just my opinion, my suggestion.
And one last remark. I got a little bit of a feeling that the author has added to the book both proven theories and theories to the truthfulness of which you can doubt. I don't know if anyone else felt it, but...
Перечитывая в последнее время книги, и добравшись до этой, я почему-то подумал, что я уже один раз размышлял над тем вопросом, над каким размышляю и сейчас, т.е., какую оценку поставить такой книге, которая является скорее сборником примеров из психологии и которая подойдёт именно в этом качестве при чтении полноценного учебника. И действительно, о том же самом я написал по поводу книг «Шпаргалка для счастливчиков» и «Почему мы ошибаемся» (которые являются также сборниками историй из мира психологии, точнее социальной психологии). Различие только в том, что в тех двух книгах речь шла скорее о социальной психологии, а здесь же речь идёт о психологии с уклоном в биологию. Однако все три книги по своему стилю и структуре совершенно одинаковы.
В данной книге автор хочет показать, что мозг и остальное тело - взаимосвязаны, т.е. когда изменяется одно, меняется и другое. К примеру, если нам вколоть боттокс, то мы, через какое-то время, будем менее склонны видеть всё в сером цвете, т.е. наша депрессия пропадает (автор приводит пример связанный именно что с депрессией). Тем не менее, назвать эту книгу полноценной работой по психологии, которая объясняет чётко и ясно эту связь между боттоксом и депрессией, я не могу. Автор всё же не утруждает себя в написании теоретической части, ограничиваясь только примерами и своими комментариями к ним (впрочем, возможно для кого-то этого будет вполне достаточно). Вот возьмём тему про зеркальные нейроны, с одной стороны и психологию маленького ребёнка, с другой. Как они соотносятся друг с другом? Что их объединяет? Честно сказать, я не увидел прочной связи. Да, это было интересно читать, что дети абсолютно по-другому видят мир (об этом писал ещё Жан Пиаже) и автор хорошо описала те опасности, которые возникают из-за этого (отличный пример со столом (а также пропажей игрушки), который на половину прозрачный, чтобы продемонстрировать психологию ребёнка). Тем не менее, как по мне, примеры всё же не из одной области. Ну, или добавим тему, связанную с невербальными сигналами. С одной стороны, что-то общее есть, но вот с другой стороны, это всё же скорее разные темы. Но, возможно я что-то недопонял.
Как очень точно заметил один читатель, первая половина книги довольно интересная, а вот вторая скатывается в такие истёртые до дыр темы как важность фитнеса, медитации и что-то там ещё из подобного. Мне кажется, вторая часть книги шла в качестве банального увеличения объёма книги. Хотя, возможно я ошибаюсь.
Не могу не отметить пример, с неким животным, которое после того как найдёт место куда можно пристать, съедает свой собственный мозг. Пример хоть и известный, но мне напомнил ситуацию, когда мозг учится при постоянном повторении какого-то навыка. Т.е. если мы каждый день используем иностранный язык, новая нейронная дорожка, которая образовалась с начала изучения этого конкретного иностранного языка, регулярно становится, как бы, всё чётче и чётче. Т.е. и мы, как это животное, используем свой мозг и когда необходимость в этот отпадает и человек сужает свою активность до «постель-кресло-холодильник», как бы съедаем свой собственный мозг, происходит деградация или атрофия мозга (как атрофия мышц, но про мозг тоже говорят, что он подобен мышце, которую чем больше тренируешь определённым навыком (активностью), тем сильнее протаптывается соответствующая дорожка из нейронов и тем лучше мы управляемся этим навыком). Разумеется, это лишь мой взгляд, моё предположение.
И последнее замечание. У меня возникло небольшое ощущение, что автор свалила в кучу и проверенные теории и теории, в правдивость который можно засомневаться. Не знаю, почувствовал ли кто-то ещё, но…
Rereading books lately, and having reached this one, for some reason I thought that I had already thought once about the question of what I am thinking about now, i.e., what kind of evaluation to give to such a book, which is rather a collection of examples from psychology and which would be suitable in this quality when reading a textbook. And indeed, the same thing I wrote about the books "Sway" by Ori Brafman and "Why We Make Mistakes" by Joseph T. Hallinan (which are also collections of stories from the world of psychology, more precisely social psychology). The only difference is that those two books were more about social psychology, and here we are talking about psychology that focuses on biology. However, all three books are quite the same in their style and structure.
In this book the author wants to show that the brain and the rest of the body are interconnected, i.e. when one thing changes, the other changes too. For example, if we are injected a Botox, then after a while we are less inclined to see everything as gray, i.e. our depression disappears (the author gives an example related to depression). However, I can't call this book a full-fledged work on psychology that explains clearly this connection between Botox and depression. The author does not bother to write the theoretical part, limiting oneself to examples and comments to them (however, perhaps for someone this will be quite enough). Here is a topic about mirror neurons, on the one hand, and the psychology of a small child, on the other. How do they correlate with each other? What do they have in common? Honestly, I haven't seen a solid connection. Yes, it was interesting to read that children see the world in a completely different way (Jean Piaget wrote about this as well) and the author well described the dangers that arise from this (a great example with the table (and the missing toy), which is half transparent to demonstrate the psychology of the child). However, as far as I am concerned, the examples are not from the same area. Or the topic related to non-verbal signals. On the one hand, there is something in common, but on the other hand, it is rather different topics. But I may have misunderstood something.
As one reader very accurately noticed, the first half of the book is quite interesting, but the second half rolls down into such worn-out topics as the importance of fitness, meditation, and something else like that. I think the second half of the book was a trite increase in volume. Although, maybe I'm wrong.
I can't help but mention the example of an animal who, after finding a place to attach himself to the surface, eats his own brain. The example reminded me of a situation where the brain learns by constantly repeating skills. That is, if we use a foreign language every day, the new neural pathway that has been formed since the beginning of learning this particular foreign language regularly becomes, as if, more and more pronounced. Perhaps we, like this animal, are using our brains, and when this is no longer necessary and a person narrows his activity to a " bed-chair-refrigerator", thereby as if eating one' s own brain, there is degradation or atrophy of the brain (like muscle atrophy, but about the brain, too, they say that it is like a muscle, which the more you train a certain skill (activity), the stronger the trail of neurons and the better we manage this skill). Of course, this is just my opinion, my suggestion.
And one last remark. I got a little bit of a feeling that the author has added to the book both proven theories and theories to the truthfulness of which you can doubt. I don't know if anyone else felt it, but...
November 10, 2014
Did you know that smiling invariably makes you feel better? Or that how you stand might affect your mood and the impression that you give to others? Our bodies are not passive partners to our brains. In fact, according to Beilock, our brains and our bodies often work in tandem, supporting each others' functions. If we learn to use those relationships, says the author, we might improve our lives and our interactions with others. Readable and informative, this fascinating account shows us what we can do to improve our ability to think and absorb information. For instance, if you have an important meeting or test, keeping your body in one position does not allow your mind to freely explore solutions or ideas, so pacing randomly may help you connect thoughts that might not normally go together. A lead researcher in a new area of cognitive science called "embodied cognitions," Beilock shares some of the most compelling and challenging cognitive research today. VERDICT A must-read for those who want to understand and embrace a greater connection between body and brain.--
April 16, 2018
The author, Dr. Sian Beilock, brings us up to date on the wide field of recent research on mind-body connections. She repeatedly makes the point that our reality does not go from stimuli to brain to body, but rather that the body often informs the brain’s basic perceptions of stimuli. Sometimes the interrelationship between body and brain is so intertwined that neither can be said to precede or overrule the other.
The book’s chapters run through topics such as how making our body act certain ways can change our feelings and perceptions, to how using our body in certain ways aids or creates memory, to how temperature and motion affect our relationships. There are sections on the effect of nature on our health and emotions as well as the now well-reported benefits of meditation.
The author writes clearly, organizing information in small easily digestible chunks. It was an easy, pleasant read but left me wanting more of the science behind the findings Dr. Beilock reports.
The book’s chapters run through topics such as how making our body act certain ways can change our feelings and perceptions, to how using our body in certain ways aids or creates memory, to how temperature and motion affect our relationships. There are sections on the effect of nature on our health and emotions as well as the now well-reported benefits of meditation.
The author writes clearly, organizing information in small easily digestible chunks. It was an easy, pleasant read but left me wanting more of the science behind the findings Dr. Beilock reports.
March 28, 2025
This book was very surface level. I expected more on a lot of areas in which our somatic experience affects our psychological process of our environment. Instead I read this book that reviewed logical information that we already know about our body chemistry with our brain. The argument that our body affects our brain process didn’t win me over after reading this either. I found the book boring. Not only that but there was no mention of traumatic experiences that have an affect on our bodily responses to our environment which i find extremely important especially on a topic like this. I also found this book have misinformation on the physical importance between mother and baby. It is oxytocin that creates this need to occur which is neurological primarily.
October 2, 2018
Thanks to my new Goodreads friend Morgan for recommending Chapter 10 which got me into the book. Now I'm immersed in Chapter 7 Tearjerkers and don't want to but have to return it to the library today. I'll be back to read some more.
"...Scientists are quite interested in how long-term exercise alters the body and the mind...exercise prolongs life and promotes health...the exercise groups had greater cardiovascular fitness and mental fitness....exercise clearly helped improve their working memory too.
"...Scientists are quite interested in how long-term exercise alters the body and the mind...exercise prolongs life and promotes health...the exercise groups had greater cardiovascular fitness and mental fitness....exercise clearly helped improve their working memory too.
July 27, 2018
Typical pop psychology book. It has some useful information, but a lot of filler and anecdotes. It also draws a lot of conclusions from a small number of studies, which is dangerous in any discipline but especially so in the realm of psychology. However, it's bottom line - that our minds are greatly affected by the experience of our bodies, and that we can influence the way we think by controlling our physical environment and activities - is rock solid.
March 29, 2015
One of the most accessible and applicable books about the brain I've read, though I'm no expert by any means. Lots of cool information in here; you won't look at things such as Tylenol, foot fetishes, Botox, handedness, or the QWERTY keyboard the same way ever again.
May 11, 2015
I did not finish reading this book. I already agree with the premise of the text, but I was hoping to gain further insight with this book. However, I felt like I was reading a high school level school report, very little information and lots of filler.
July 15, 2015
I wanted to love this book. It is full of interesting information. I can't tell if I was bored because I already knew most of the information, or because of the way it was presented. I would be interested to hear the opinions of people with less background in the area. Is it a fascinating read?
Read
March 1, 2015In general, it seemed to dumb down the scientific results into platitudes.
March 20, 2015
Ago, ergo cogito – I act, therefore I think
December 2, 2024
wait i had sooooo much fun reading this and it feels like the perfect time to read it also w my bio psych exam coming up and this book was SO BIO PSYCH (ok but also cognitive and social and developmental sorta in a strange way BRUH LEGIT ALL OF PSYCH IS CONNECTED LA and i love it... but also so funny to be reading studies and experiments in this book that i have literally gone through in class like WOAH) so it was my break from studying when my brain felt like it was breaking and it was also the book that gently put me to sleep when i felt like my brain was too active at night, genuinely as much as i love reading there rly is smt abt it that slows my brain down and makes things all quiet inside (which might be a part of the reason why i love it) but that also means that it's j soooooo easy to feel sleepy whenever i read hehe // was very happy that i had a physical copy of this book also bc reading books on electronic devices at night keep me up instead of making me sleepy (smt abt the blue light maybe?!) so i am glad that i had a physical book!! there rly is smt nice abt holding a good book in my hand la // also showed this book to my grandma who is an absolute lover of health stuff (bro used to watch dr oz and all the other random tv docs at her house when we were younger) and i said that i think she wld like this book so she read the synopsis and she agreed! a part of me wanted to pass her the book for her to just read through and keep herself engaged and entertained with the body mind science of everything BUT THEN I HAD THIS THOUGHT that with her absolutely horrible memory rn i wonder how long it would take her to read the book leh like would she need to keep rereading parts??? but then again is that a bad thing for her like i dont like think so also bc idt she even rmbs enough to feel frustrated at not rmbering things AND IT WLD SURELY keep her entertained for quite a while maybe (unless she gives up) // ok BACK TO THE BOOK! legit randomly picked this up in the library and i love the library sooo much <3 THE JOY IT BRINGS ME TO BE IN THERE AND BROWSE WITH NO REAL AIM! // ifl the last book that i read that was similar to this was back in jc when i read my sleep book and my skin book and both books actually made me so HAPPYYYYY :-) // all of these nonfic books and their refs always make me happy when i realise that i am finishing it faster than i expected bc 10% of the pages are the refs lolz // ok content wise i rly believe it is true la LIKE THE MIND BODY CONNECTION IS CRAZY and u cannot view the 2 in isolation bc that's just so INCOMPLETE DUDE, so grateful for the epilogue/summary at the back bc why was that SO HELPFUL IN helping me recall all the things that were touched on in the book (bc there rly were so many and i hv horribleeeee memory and sucks bc i cldn't highlight the takeaways also since the book did not belong to me) // ok im j HAPPY that i hv read this hehe // reflection of the day is that i genuinely love psych so much and im so grateful to be able to learn it in uni, but i do absolutely hate how my psych mods are doing so atrociously and i rly am on the wrong side of the bell curve all the time and it breaks my heart to love smt so much and yet not see that reflected in my grades.... but that's on me and back to the grind.... am grateful for interest and passion and curiosity in this world and the way that it is present in my life :'
April 5, 2020
“Our body is far from a passive machine, carrying the outputs and orders our brain sends about how to act”
Sian Beilock’s, How the Body Knows Its Mind takes the reader on a tour of the body to help us become better equipped in dealing with our own mind. The mind is a complex thing and any way that we can come to better understand that unpredictable gremlin living between our ears we should be all in.
“Our mind arises from interaction between our brain, body, and experiences, especially emotional experience.”>
What this book sets out to do is help us unpack the various ways the brain influences the body, and the body influences the brain. It is a kind of circular logic that once you get your head around really makes clear how important and impactful this mind/body connection is. Beilock demonstrates how our emotional state is greatly influenced by our physiology, which will, in turn, be influenced by how we feel. Do you see what I’m getting at with the circular logic?
“How we move and even contort our body has an impact on our thoughts, the decisions we make and even our preferences”
Over the course of the book, Beilock examines the importance that our physical actions have on your ability to think, learn, regulate emotion, communicate with others and in general lead a happier and healthier life. Reading How the Body Knows Its Mind did three things for me. First, it consolidated my intuitions about why I love shoes (turns out that the piece of neuronal real estate occupied by the foot has an overlap with your sex organs, who knew?). Second, it confirmed the importance of ‘doing’ physically to improve learning, communicating and understanding. Last, it made me realize that to think better and feel better, I should probably be outside, sweating and heaving in the woods somewhere.
Before that happens though I will offer you this. How the Body Knows Its Mind is a good introduction into the interplay between the mental and the physical. Though the “healthy body healthy mind” concept has been with us for decades what is demonstrated in the stories and research here is an ever-expanding understanding of a complex domain that is useful to the reader and immediately applicable. To take care of the brain, is to take care of body, that’s all there is to it.
Overall score: 3.7 / 5
In a sentence: A great place to begin your understanding of how your outside affects what is going on inside.
Sian Beilock’s, How the Body Knows Its Mind takes the reader on a tour of the body to help us become better equipped in dealing with our own mind. The mind is a complex thing and any way that we can come to better understand that unpredictable gremlin living between our ears we should be all in.
“Our mind arises from interaction between our brain, body, and experiences, especially emotional experience.”>
What this book sets out to do is help us unpack the various ways the brain influences the body, and the body influences the brain. It is a kind of circular logic that once you get your head around really makes clear how important and impactful this mind/body connection is. Beilock demonstrates how our emotional state is greatly influenced by our physiology, which will, in turn, be influenced by how we feel. Do you see what I’m getting at with the circular logic?
“How we move and even contort our body has an impact on our thoughts, the decisions we make and even our preferences”
Over the course of the book, Beilock examines the importance that our physical actions have on your ability to think, learn, regulate emotion, communicate with others and in general lead a happier and healthier life. Reading How the Body Knows Its Mind did three things for me. First, it consolidated my intuitions about why I love shoes (turns out that the piece of neuronal real estate occupied by the foot has an overlap with your sex organs, who knew?). Second, it confirmed the importance of ‘doing’ physically to improve learning, communicating and understanding. Last, it made me realize that to think better and feel better, I should probably be outside, sweating and heaving in the woods somewhere.
Before that happens though I will offer you this. How the Body Knows Its Mind is a good introduction into the interplay between the mental and the physical. Though the “healthy body healthy mind” concept has been with us for decades what is demonstrated in the stories and research here is an ever-expanding understanding of a complex domain that is useful to the reader and immediately applicable. To take care of the brain, is to take care of body, that’s all there is to it.
Overall score: 3.7 / 5
In a sentence: A great place to begin your understanding of how your outside affects what is going on inside.
April 5, 2018
My favorite chapters (chapters I found most informative and thought-provoking) were:
Chapter 4: Don't Just Stand There; includes support for the "Power Pose," (Grey's Anatomy, anyone?), and interestingly enough, also notes body language of Donald Trump (Copyright of this book 2015).
Chapter 5: Body Language: How Our Hands Help Us Think and Communicate; especially as it relates to messages we give and receive...includes examples from Presidential Debates (McCain/Obama; Kerry/Bush). Very thought-provoking on how right-hand or left-hand preferences can influence decision making.
Chapter 7: Tearjerkers: Empathizing With Others
Interesting discussion regarding abnormalities in the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) and surrounding brain tissue that are sometimes associated with autism spectrum disorders. Interesting research conducted by Professor Jaime Pineda- University of California at San Diego- involving neurofeedback training and altering mu waves; parents reported positive changes in attention, interactions, and other social behaviors in their children diagnosed with ASD after participating in approximately 15 hours of training over the span of 10 weeks.
Chapter 8: The Roots of Social Warmth
Chapter 10: Buddha, Alexander, and Perlman: Using Our Body to Calm Our Mind
-Information that supports meditation and mindfulness to support overall health and social/emotional well-being.
-Integrative Body-Mind Training. (IBMT)
Chapter 11: Greening the Brain: How the Physical Environment Shapes Thinking
-Interesting discussion/information/thoughts about inner city settings, and specific examples (and questions) related to Robert Taylor Homes in inner-city Chicago.
-There were questions I had in regards to some of the research provided in regards to city-living vs. country living and its implications.
Chapter 4: Don't Just Stand There; includes support for the "Power Pose," (Grey's Anatomy, anyone?), and interestingly enough, also notes body language of Donald Trump (Copyright of this book 2015).
Chapter 5: Body Language: How Our Hands Help Us Think and Communicate; especially as it relates to messages we give and receive...includes examples from Presidential Debates (McCain/Obama; Kerry/Bush). Very thought-provoking on how right-hand or left-hand preferences can influence decision making.
Chapter 7: Tearjerkers: Empathizing With Others
Interesting discussion regarding abnormalities in the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) and surrounding brain tissue that are sometimes associated with autism spectrum disorders. Interesting research conducted by Professor Jaime Pineda- University of California at San Diego- involving neurofeedback training and altering mu waves; parents reported positive changes in attention, interactions, and other social behaviors in their children diagnosed with ASD after participating in approximately 15 hours of training over the span of 10 weeks.
Chapter 8: The Roots of Social Warmth
Chapter 10: Buddha, Alexander, and Perlman: Using Our Body to Calm Our Mind
-Information that supports meditation and mindfulness to support overall health and social/emotional well-being.
-Integrative Body-Mind Training. (IBMT)
Chapter 11: Greening the Brain: How the Physical Environment Shapes Thinking
-Interesting discussion/information/thoughts about inner city settings, and specific examples (and questions) related to Robert Taylor Homes in inner-city Chicago.
-There were questions I had in regards to some of the research provided in regards to city-living vs. country living and its implications.
October 26, 2021
Slightly dated now (Cuddy's "p hacking" is not called out), this is still a very readable introduction to the different ways our thoughts and feelings are affected by the physical world. It is organized differently from The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain, but covers a lot of the same ground, possibly doing a better job of leading the reader to think of concrete actions that could be taken for improvement. I'm glad I read it!
May 4, 2022
Now, that was interesting! Did some jerk just break your heart? Take some Tylenol! Apparently it works because the pain receptors for rejection and for some thing like a headache are in the same area of the brain. Are you feeling depressed? Not responding to antidepressants? Try glabellar Botox. When you can’t frown, your brain does not take that physical sensory data from your body and it lifts your spirits. This book is chock-full of information like that. It’s a quick read, and well worth it.
January 4, 2024
This book is for anyone who wants to understand better the relationship between body and the brain. It is written in plain english so you don’t need to look up scientific words. Illustrative examples supporting the concepts are effective in make it easy to understand the concepts presented. It is opened my eyes a bit more about the need to pay more attention what I am
doing intentionally to help my brain function.
doing intentionally to help my brain function.
May 21, 2024
Interesting point of view that begs the question, is the mind separate from the body? The answer in this book is No! They are one. When we feel emotional pain, the same neurons in our brain fire off as if we’ve been physically injured! Absolutely phenomenal information, I can’t believe I had my hands on this book written by an amazing neuroscientist with immense knowledge and credentials! I highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 21, 2017As a sports coach this book had some really interesting concepts and ideas that I will definitely use in my field of study, and as a person, I am already benefitting from newly acquired insights conveyed in the book (in particular how learning in children can be optimised using the body, and how the body can affect our emotions amongst other things). Definitely a worthwhile read.
November 15, 2021
I picked up this book at a time when I didn't feel too well but knew that my body was all right. Reading it inspired me to move and to continue exercising and meditation. It's a different take on mind-body interaction, and for me, more doable - that the body affects the mind greatly (aside from mind also affecting the body).
January 6, 2022
We don't work like computer by astract, symbols and so on. Instead we powerfully grab and learn from a story and rescale it into our point of view as if we are actually in the story.
This quote is so interesting and upscale to learn from the expert of mind. Gestures in hand help us solve problems no matter how hard it is. Our movement affects our thinking.
This quote is so interesting and upscale to learn from the expert of mind. Gestures in hand help us solve problems no matter how hard it is. Our movement affects our thinking.
August 21, 2025
0/10 WOULD NOT RECOMMEND this confusing compilation of theories. So many more important explanations for behavior/cognition are left out that hold more weight than the ones explained in the book.
Save yourself time and flip to the last page of each chapter for an easy summary instead of wasting time wading through the fluffy, superfluous writing.
Save yourself time and flip to the last page of each chapter for an easy summary instead of wasting time wading through the fluffy, superfluous writing.
March 24, 2018
Much of it emphasized things I already know. You can change shape your thoughts and life by the things you regularly do. It also pointed out that many studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise prevents alzheimers and dementia. Good to know...
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