Livewired
David Eagleman
Explore the fascinating world of the human brain and its remarkable ability to adapt and rewire itself in response to experience. Discover how our brains are constantly changing, shaping who we are and influencing our futures. From the story of a child with half a brain to the latest research in neuroplasticity, this book unveils the secrets of our ever-changing minds.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
James Nestor
"Breath" is a fascinating scientific adventure that upends everything we thought we knew about our most basic biological function. Science journalist James Nestor argues that while we eat and exercise with obsession, we have largely forgotten how to breathe correctly, with disastrous consequences for our physical and mental health. Nestor travels from ancient burial sites to the murky fringes of pulmonology to investigate the history of breathing. He reveals that modern humans are suffering from a "dysevolution"—our shrinking jaws and chronic mouth breathing are behind a host of maladies, including asthma, sleep apnea, and even autoimmune diseases. The book is anchored by a gritty self-experiment in which Nestor plugs his nose for ten days to breathe only through his mouth, documenting the rapid deterioration of his health. He then reverses the damage by mastering the ancient art of nasal breathing. Combining cutting-edge studies with lost wisdom, Breath offers a simple but radical prescription: shut your mouth. It convinces readers that changing how we inhale and exhale can rejuvenate our internal organs, straighten our spines, and profoundly improve our lives.
The Extended Mind
Annie Murphy Paul
"The Extended Mind" is a transformative guide to cognition that shatters the age-old assumption that thinking happens only within the confines of our skulls. Science writer Annie Murphy Paul draws on cutting-edge research in neuroscience and psychology to argue that the brain is not an isolated computer, but a biological organ evolved to think with the world around it. Paul introduces the concept of "thinking outside the brain" through three key pillars: embodied cognition (thinking with our bodies, sensations, and gestures), situated cognition (thinking with the spaces and environments we inhabit), and distributed cognition (thinking through our relationships and social networks). The book critiques our modern obsession with "brainbound" productivity—forcing ourselves to sit still and stare at screens—and offers a liberating alternative. By intentionally managing our physical movements, workspaces, and social interactions, Paul shows how we can offload mental processing to the world around us. The Extended Mind provides a practical framework for anyone looking to harness these external resources to become smarter, more creative, and more resilient.