5 Books That Prove the Human Body Is Even Weirder Than You Think
Magazine / 5 Books That Prove the Human Body Is Even Weirder Than You Think

5 Books That Prove the Human Body Is Even Weirder Than You Think

Psychology Science
5 Books That Prove the Human Body Is Even Weirder Than You Think

We all have them: hearts that beat, lungs that breathe, brains that think. Our bodies labor away every moment of our lives—but their miraculous inner workings often go unnoticed, or simply taken for granted.

So today, we wanted to highlight a few books that sing our bodies’ well-deserved praises. Within these pages, you will discover the strange and surprising abilities that millions of years of evolution have granted us.

 

Heartwarming: How Our Inner Thermostat Made Us Human by Hans Rocha IJzerman

Heartwarming: How Our Inner Thermostat Made Us Human

By Hans Rocha IJzerman

Did you know that just thinking about friendly or caring people can make us feel warmer? In this fascinating corporeal investigation, social psychologist Hans Rocha IJzerman explores the complex relationship between temperature and the human body. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

 

Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett

Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain

By Lisa Feldman Barrett

Forget what you think you know about the brain, and head to the front lines of neuroscience research in this slim collection of seven (and a half) essays, in which Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett shines new light on that mysterious blob between our ears. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

 

Breath Taking: The Power, Fragility, and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs by Michael J. Stephen

Breath Taking: The Power, Fragility, and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs

By Michael J. Stephen

If coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t overlook the importance of respiratory health. In Breath Taking, pulmonary medicine expert Michael J. Stephen guides us toward a new appreciation for how our incredible lungs work, and how we can take better care of them. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

 

When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep by Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold

When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep

By Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold

If you’ve ever wondered what a crazy dream meant—or why we dream at all—this book is for you. Leading sleep researchers Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold pull back the curtain on what our brains are up to at night, and how we can make sense of their activity. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

 

This Is the Voice by John Colapinto

This Is the Voice

By John Colapinto

As the most efficient, effective means of communication known on planet Earth, the human voice might be the most extraordinary thing about us. In This Is the Voice, New Yorker staff writer John Colapinto reveals how our voices carry secret cues about our mood, sexual preference, age, income, and even psychological and physical illness. View Our “Book Bite” Summary

 

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