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On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done

Written by:
David Badre
Narrated by:
Adam Grupper

Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
45
Narrator
7
Release Date
November 10, 2020
Duration
13 hours 14 minutes
Summary
A look at the extraordinary ways the brain turns thoughts into actions—and how this shapes our everyday lives

 

Why is it hard to text and drive at the same time? How do you resist eating that extra piece of cake? Why does staring at a tax form feel mentally exhausting? Why can your child expertly fix the computer and yet still forget to put on a coat? From making a cup of coffee to buying a house to changing the world around them, humans are uniquely able to execute necessary actions. How do we do it? Or in other words, how do our brains get things done? In On Task, cognitive neuroscientist David Badre presents the first authoritative introduction to the neuroscience of cognitive control—the remarkable ways that our brains devise sophisticated actions to achieve our goals. We barely notice this routine part of our lives. Yet, cognitive control, also known as executive function, is an astonishing phenomenon that has a profound impact on our well-being.

 

Drawing on cutting-edge research, vivid clinical case studies, and examples from daily life, Badre sheds light on the evolution and inner workings of cognitive control. He examines issues from multitasking and willpower to habitual errors and bad decision making, as well as what happens as our brains develop in childhood and change as we age—and what happens when cognitive control breaks down. Ultimately, Badre shows that cognitive control affects just about everything we do.

 

A revelatory look at how billions of neurons collectively translate abstract ideas into concrete plans, On Task offers an eye-opening investigation into the brain’s critical role in human behavior.
Reviews
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Chris Dezell

The examples explained in the book were a bit long but it helped to understand the topic better.

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Mendel G.

Fascinating subject that discusses issues of cognition and brain function we all take for granted...until. Well written and ynderstandable on some level to everyone. The narrator is excellent. It's a book I intend to keep and return to....especially since my memory isn't what it used to be.

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John P.

Interesting well written book

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Philip H.

I thought the subject matter was very interesting for a technical science book. I learned a little about brain functions and what scientists know and don't know about how our brains make decisions The author captured my attention quickly by discussing the function of the frontal lobe and how movies and real therapies continued the myth that removal of that part of the brain would stop violent tendencies. Actually people without their frontal lobes could function with full memories, but could lose their ability to perform or execute normal procedures that they knew how to do. Another discussion was about how we can be physically exhausted to where we cannot function no matter what incentives we are given, whereas our mental states always seems to be able to function at leadt minimally no matter how long we must think about something, especially if given an incentive. The scary part for me, which is not discussed in the book, is that if companies can retrieve data on me through my Internet usage, and can determine my mental strengths and weaknesses, they can manipulate me in many more ways that they already do. Listening to this book really got me thinking about what could happen in the future as we gain more knowledge about our brains.

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