Mind Over Mind: The Surprising Power of Expectations

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Synopsis
How our fast-forward minds make something out of nothing.

We all know expectations matter--in school, in sports, in the stock market. From a healing placebo to a run on the bank, hints of their self-fulfilling potential have been observed for years. But we've never fully understood why.

Journalist Chris Berdik offers a captivating look at the frontiers of expectations research, revealing how our assumptions bend reality.

We learn how placebo calories can fill us up, how fake surgery can sometimes work better than real surgery, and how imaginary power can be corrupting. Mind Over Mind is a journey into the most exciting area of brain research today.

We meet scientists who have found that wearing taller and more attractive avatars in a virtual world boosts confidence in real life, gambling addicts whose brains make losing feel like winning, and coaches who put blurry glasses on athletes to lift them out of slumps.

Along the way, Berdik probes the paradox of expectations. Their influence seems based on illusion, even trickery, but they can create their own reality, for good or for ill. Expectations can heal our bodies and make us stronger, smarter, and more successful, or they can leave us in agony, crush our spirit, and undermine our free will. If we can unlock their secrets, we may be able to harness their power and sidestep their pitfalls.

Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, history, and fascinating true stories of xpectations in action, Mind Over Mind offers a spirited journey into one of the most exciting areas of brain research today.

Copyright:
2012

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9781101595275
Related ISBNs:
9781591846574
Publisher:
Penguin Group US
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Chris Berdik, 2
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Health, Mind and Body, Psychology
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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