리사 펠드먼 배럿의 <뇌에 관한 7과 2분의 1강 (Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain)>
뇌에 관한 7과 2분의 1강: 요약과 평론
1. 요약: 인간의 뇌에 관한 현대적 통찰
반쪽짜리 강의: 뇌는 생각하기 위해 있는 것이 아니다
뇌의 핵심 기능은 이성적 사고가 아니라 <알로스타시스(Allostasis)>, 즉 신체 예산을 관리하여 생존을 보장하는 것이다. 뇌는 신체의 에너지 수요를 예측하고 자원을 배분하는 일종의 지휘본부와 같다. 생각과 느낌은 이 에너지 관리 과정에서 발생하는 부산물일 뿐이다.
제1강: 뇌는 하나다, 삼위일체의 뇌는 버려라
파충류의 뇌, 포유류의 뇌, 인간의 뇌로 구분하는 <삼위일체의 뇌> 가설은 근거가 없다. 진화는 뇌 위에 새로운 층을 쌓는 방식이 아니라, 공통된 제조 공법을 통해 효율적으로 변형되는 과정이다. 인간의 뇌가 특별한 이유는 이성적인 층이 추가되어서가 아니라, 신경 세포들이 복잡하게 연결된 네트워크 구조 덕분이다.
제2강: 뇌는 네트워크다
뇌는 구획화된 기관이 아니라 거대한 신경망이다. 뇌의 각 부분은 하나의 고정된 기능만 수행하지 않는다. 복잡한 네트워크 구조를 통해 뇌는 높은 효율성과 유연성을 확보하며, 이는 인간이 다양한 환경에 적응할 수 있는 기반이 된다.
제3강: 유년기의 뇌는 세상을 스스로 길들인다
아기의 뇌는 미완성 상태로 태어나 주변 환경과의 상호작용을 통해 배선된다. <세부 조정(Tuning)>과 <가지치기(Pruning)> 과정을 통해 신경 연결이 최적화된다. 따라서 양육 환경은 한 인간의 뇌 구조를 결정짓는 결정적인 요소가 된다.
제4강: 뇌는 당신의 거의 모든 행동을 예측한다
우리는 세상을 있는 그대로 보는 것이 아니라, 뇌가 과거의 경험을 바탕으로 예측한 결과를 본다. 뇌는 끊임없이 외부 신호를 예측하고, 실제 들어오는 감각 정보와의 오차를 수정한다. 우리가 경험하는 현실은 뇌가 만들어낸 <제어된 환각>에 가깝다.
제5강: 당신의 뇌는 보이지 않게 다른 뇌와 협력한다
인간은 사회적 동물로서 서로의 신체 예산을 조절한다. 우리의 말과 행동은 타인의 심박수나 호르몬 수치에 영향을 미친다. 이러한 상호 연결성은 협력의 토대가 되지만, 동시에 타인에게 스트레스를 줌으로써 신체적 해를 끼칠 수도 있는 양날의 검이다.
제6강: 뇌는 다양한 종류의 마음을 만든다
보편적인 하나의 인간 정신이란 존재하지 않는다. 뇌의 기본 구조는 같을지라도, 문화와 환경에 따라 뇌는 각기 다른 방식의 마음을 구성한다. 인간의 유연성은 다양한 문화적 맥락 속에서 다양한 유형의 자아를 형성하게 한다.
제7강: 뇌는 사회적 현실을 만든다
인간은 물리적 현실 위에 <사회적 현실>을 창조하는 유일한 종이다. 돈, 국가, 법률 등은 우리가 공동으로 합의했기에 존재하는 개념이다. 이러한 사회적 현실을 만드는 능력은 거대한 협력을 가능하게 하지만, 동시에 집단 간의 갈등을 초래하기도 한다.
2. 평론: 이성 중심주의라는 신화의 종말
리사 펠드먼 배럿의 이 저작은 뇌과학의 최신 성과를 빌려 우리가 오랫동안 신봉해 온 <이성적 인간>이라는 서구 철학의 근간을 해체한다. 저자는 뇌의 목적이 사고가 아닌 <신체 예산 관리>에 있다는 점을 강조하며, 정신과 신체의 이분법을 완전히 무너뜨린다.
전통적 뇌 과학 모델에 대한 도발적 반기
이 책의 가장 큰 미덕은 <삼위일체의 뇌>와 같은 대중적이지만 잘못된 통념을 정면으로 반박한다는 점이다. 인간이 다른 동물보다 우월한 이성을 가졌다는 오만함을 걷어내고, 인간의 뇌 역시 생존과 효율을 위해 진화한 복잡한 네트워크임을 역설한다. 이는 인간 존재를 특별한 예외가 아닌 생물학적 연속성 위에서 바라보게 만든다.
예측하는 뇌와 책임의 문제
배럿이 제시하는 <예측하는 뇌> 모델은 인식론적으로 중요한 함의를 갖는다. 우리는 세상을 수동적으로 받아들이는 존재가 아니라, 적극적으로 구성하는 존재다. 이는 우리가 자신의 편견과 행동에 대해 더 큰 책임을 가져야 함을 시사한다. 뇌가 과거의 경험으로 미래를 예측한다면, 새로운 경험을 선택함으로써 미래의 예측 모델을 바꿀 수 있는 주체성 또한 우리에게 있기 때문이다.
사회적 연결성과 윤리적 확장
책의 후반부에서 다루는 사회적 현실과 뇌 간의 상호작용은 뇌과학을 개인의 영역에서 사회적 영역으로 확장시킨다. 타인의 신체 예산에 우리가 영향을 미친다는 통찰은 인간관계와 사회 시스템을 바라보는 새로운 윤리적 잣대를 제공한다. 혐오 표현이나 사회적 고립이 단순한 심리적 타격을 넘어 타인의 생물학적 건강을 직접적으로 파괴할 수 있다는 주장은 현대 사회에 시사하는 바가 크다.
결론: 겸손하고도 강력한 뇌의 재발견
<뇌에 관한 7과 2분의 1강>은 방대한 뇌과학 데이터를 간결하고 명료한 언어로 압축해냈다. 저자는 뇌가 가진 무한한 유연성과 사회적 협업 능력을 조명하며, 인간이라는 종이 가진 잠재력을 긍정한다. 동시에 우리가 가진 이성이 결코 독립적이거나 무결하지 않음을 경고한다.
결국 이 책은 뇌를 이해하는 것이 곧 나 자신과 내가 속한 사회를 이해하는 필수적인 과정임을 일깨워준다. 인간의 뇌는 고정된 기계가 아니라, 끊임없이 주변과 교감하며 스스로를 재배선하는 역동적인 네트워크다. 이 짧은 강의들은 우리에게 뇌라는 경이로운 기관을 어떻게 관리하고, 타인과 어떻게 공존할 것인가에 대한 묵직한 질문을 던진다.
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<『Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain』(리사 펠드먼 배럿, 『뇌에 관한 일곱 가지 반 수업』)>은 신경과학 대중서이지만, 단순한 뇌 설명서가 아니다. 저자는 우리가 흔히 믿는 “뇌는 생각하는 기관이고, 감정은 그 부산물”이라는 상식을 뒤집으며, 인간의 마음·감정·자아·사회성을 완전히 다른 방식으로 이해하게 만든다. 이 책은 짧고 간결하지만 철학적 함의는 매우 크다. 특히 인간을 고립된 개체가 아니라 관계적·예측적 존재로 본다는 점에서 깊은 인문학적 의미를 가진다.
요약
1. 뇌는 생각하기 위해 진화한 것이 아니라 몸을 관리하기 위해 진화했다
저자의 첫 번째 핵심 주장은 매우 도발적이다. 우리는 흔히 뇌를 “생각하는 기계”라고 여기지만, 실제로 뇌의 가장 중요한 기능은 몸의 에너지와 자원을 관리하는 것이다. 이를 저자는 <body budgeting>이라 부른다.
심장 박동, 호흡, 혈당, 면역, 수면 등 생존에 필요한 모든 조절이 우선이며, 사고와 감정은 그 위에 얹혀진 기능이다. 즉, 뇌는 철학자가 아니라 회계사에 가깝다.
이 관점은 정신과 육체를 분리해온 서구적 이원론에 대한 비판이기도 하다. 우울, 불안, 피로 역시 단순한 ‘마음의 문제’가 아니라 몸의 예산 문제로 이해될 수 있다.
2. 뇌는 반응하는 기관이 아니라 예측하는 기관이다
우리는 세상을 보고 반응한다고 생각하지만, 실제로 뇌는 끊임없이 미래를 예측한다. 감각은 단순히 외부 정보를 받아들이는 것이 아니라, 뇌의 예측을 수정하는 재료다.
즉, 우리는 현실을 “보는” 것이 아니라 “예측한 현실을 경험”한다.
예를 들어, 누군가의 표정을 보고 화가 났다고 판단하는 것도 객관적 사실이 아니라 우리의 뇌가 과거 경험을 바탕으로 구성한 해석이다.
이것은 자유의지, 객관성, 기억의 신뢰성에 대한 기존 믿음을 흔든다.
3. 감정은 본능이 아니라 뇌가 구성하는 개념이다
저자의 대표 이론인 <구성주의 감정 이론>이 여기서 등장한다.
전통적으로 분노, 슬픔, 공포 같은 감정은 선천적이고 보편적인 것으로 여겨졌다. 그러나 저자는 감정이 미리 존재하는 것이 아니라, 뇌가 신체 상태와 상황을 해석하여 “구성”한다고 주장한다.
즉, 감정은 발견되는 것이 아니라 만들어진다.
문화에 따라 감정의 분류가 다른 이유도 여기에 있다. 어떤 사회는 우리가 이름 붙이지 않는 미묘한 감정을 명확히 구분한다.
이는 “나는 화가 났다”가 사실은 “내 뇌가 이 상태를 화라고 해석했다”는 뜻이 된다.
4. 당신의 뇌는 혼자 존재하지 않는다
뇌는 개인의 두개골 안에 갇힌 기관이 아니다. 인간은 사회적 동물이므로, 서로의 신경계와 생리 상태에 영향을 준다.
아기의 뇌는 부모의 돌봄 속에서 형성되고, 성인의 스트레스 역시 타인과의 관계 속에서 조절된다.
저자는 이것을 통해 “자기 책임”이라는 현대 사회의 지나친 개인주의를 비판한다. 사회적 불평등, 빈곤, 차별은 단지 외부 조건이 아니라 실제로 뇌를 바꾸는 생물학적 사건이다.
즉, 정의는 도덕 문제가 아니라 신경과학의 문제이기도 하다.
5. 인간의 뇌는 특별하지만 동시에 동물적이다
인간의 뇌는 다른 동물과 완전히 다른 기관이 아니라, 진화의 연속선 위에 있다. 특별함은 절대적 차이가 아니라 복잡성의 차이다.
특히 인간은 언어와 사회적 협력을 통해 뇌의 능력을 확장했다. 언어는 단순한 의사소통 수단이 아니라, 현실을 구성하는 도구다.
우리가 어떤 감정을 느끼는 방식조차 언어에 의해 달라진다.
6. 자유의지는 단순하지 않다
예측하는 뇌라는 관점은 “내가 선택했다”는 감각도 다시 보게 만든다. 우리의 결정은 의식 이전에 이미 준비되고 있을 수 있다.
그러나 저자는 이것이 인간 책임을 없앤다고 보지 않는다. 오히려 우리는 자기 뇌를 훈련하고 환경을 바꾸는 방식으로 미래의 선택을 형성할 수 있다.
책임은 순간의 선택보다 구조의 설계에 있다.
평론
이 책의 가장 큰 장점은 <뇌과학을 통해 인간 이해 전체를 다시 쓰고 있다는 점>이다.
많은 대중 뇌과학 책은 “이 부위는 기억 담당, 저 부위는 감정 담당” 같은 지도식 설명에 머문다. 그러나 배럿은 그런 단순화를 거부한다. 그녀는 뇌를 고정된 기계가 아니라 끊임없이 예측하고 구성하는 살아 있는 과정으로 본다.
이 점은 불교의 무아(無我)와도 흥미로운 공명을 가진다. 고정된 자아가 없고, 감정도 실체가 아니라 조건 속에서 구성된다는 생각은 매우 유사하다. 또한 퀘이커적 관점에서도 인간을 고립된 개인이 아니라 관계 속 존재로 본다는 점에서 공감할 부분이 많다.
특히 “뇌는 사회적이다”라는 장은 현대 자본주의 사회에 대한 강한 비판이 된다. 우리는 흔히 모든 것을 개인 책임으로 돌리지만, 실제로 불평등은 신경계에 새겨진다. 가난과 차별은 단지 경제 문제가 아니라 뇌의 발달 문제다. 이는 aged care, 정신건강, 교육 문제를 이해하는 데도 매우 중요하다.
다만 이 책의 약점도 있다.
첫째, 지나치게 압축적이다. ‘일곱 개 반’이라는 형식 때문에 핵심 통찰은 강하지만, 구체적 실험과 반론 검토는 부족하다. 처음 읽는 독자에게는 오히려 추상적으로 느껴질 수 있다.
둘째, 감정 구성주의 이론은 여전히 학계 논쟁 중이다. 폴 에크만(Paul Ekman) 계열의 보편감정 이론과 완전히 정리된 것은 아니다. 저자의 주장이 지나치게 확정적으로 들릴 위험이 있다. Paul Ekman과의 논쟁을 함께 보면 균형이 더 좋아진다.
셋째, 사회구조 비판은 설득력 있지만 정치적 실천으로 어떻게 이어질지는 상대적으로 약하다. “뇌는 사회적이다”라는 통찰이 복지국가, 돌봄정책, 교육개혁으로 어떻게 번역되는지는 독자의 몫으로 남는다.
결론
이 책은 뇌를 설명하는 책이 아니라, 인간을 다시 정의하는 책이다.
“나는 누구인가?”
“감정은 어디서 오는가?”
“개인은 얼마나 자유로운가?”
“사회는 왜 정의로워야 하는가?”
이 질문들에 대해 배럿은 신경과학으로 답한다.
그 답은 의외로 겸손하다.
우리는 독립된 영웅이 아니라, 서로의 몸과 마음을 함께 조절하며 살아가는 존재라는 것이다.
그래서 이 책의 진짜 메시지는 아마 이것일 것이다.
<당신의 뇌는 당신 혼자만의 것이 아니다.>
==
Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Contents
Author's Note
The Half-Lesson Your Brain Is Not for Thinking
Lesson No. 1 You Have One Brain (Not Three)
Lesson No. 2 Your Brain Is a Network
Lesson No. 3 Little Brains Wire Themselves to Their World
Lesson No. 4 Your Brain Predicts (Almost) Everything You Do
Lesson No. 5 Your Brain Secretly Works with Other Brains
Lesson No. 6 Brains Make More than One Kind of Mind
Lesson No. 7 Our Brains Can Create Reality
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Appendix: The Science Behind the Science
Index
164 customer reviews
From Australia
Book worm
5.0 out of 5 stars Making neuroscience palatable
Reviewed in Australia on 13 April 2024
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book was an easy read for a tricky (and still developing) field and made it approachable for non-scientists. It is wonderful to learn more about how our brains function and see the new discoveries science has made without needing a higher degree to understand it. For anyone wanting to understand themselves better, this book is highly recommended.
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Mr. T. G. Cockerill
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, enlightening and very readable
Reviewed in Australia on 19 August 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is written in such a clear and engaging way that I felt that I was understanding some very complex concepts which otherwise would have been beyond me. Interesting in its own terms but also useful when trying to understand my own behaviour, feelings and emotions.
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Peter Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful insights into you your brain really works
Reviewed in Australia on 13 February 2021
Format: Audiobook
An excellent (and accurate) journey through modern neuroscience that can help any human understand more about who and what they are. As a cognitive neuroscience researcher, I love how simply the author describes complex ideas and relates them to our everyday lives. Highly recommended.
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Zoe E. Routh
3.0 out of 5 stars Great short introduction to the brain
Reviewed in Australia on 19 March 2021
If you haven’t read anything on neuroscience before then this is a great starting point. It takes a lot of genius to distill masses of research into simple insights and this is well done.
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Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing book
Reviewed in France on 14 May 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
So accurate!
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Philip123
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book about the brain
Reviewed in Germany on 25 August 2024
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Loved the book. It’s concise (~100 pages), clearly written (science but not too much) and pleasant to read (little jokes here and there). I’ve discovered a lot about the brain, especially new perspectives. Would have loved a bit more reference material to go further. Would recommend it to any human.
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Shyam
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read Book
Reviewed in India on 22 February 2026
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I found it very interesting book to understand the human brain. If you want to know how human brain works, then this the good book to start..
Very informative and interactive chapters.
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George Young
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Myth-Busting Nobel Prize Quality Information!
Reviewed in Canada on 16 August 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I have listened to this book twice, as well as listening to Feldman-Barrett's more in depth, How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, book three times.
I have listened so often because I am determined to remember all this brilliant researcher has to say about the brain. Her debunking of silly views of the brain, and worse, sillier research on the brain, is so rich, sensible and clear that I am in AWE!
Feldman-Barrett's view of the brain is not just clear, but it allows for each of us to comprehend just how much we can control our behaviour, if we better understand the body/brain connection. Her views on networks, multi-useful neurons, and the body budget are so liberating that I have sent her books to teens I know. I am trying to get these teens to understand that they are NOT part lizard, that they can understand how sleep, nutrition and stress control all lead to better lives.
If you want an overview of Feldman-Barrett's understanding of the brain, get this book, but if you really want to learn the quality of her thinking about the brain, get How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain.
I am not promoting these books because I am associated with them, or their author. I am simply an older man who grew up with all the myths about the brain that Feldman-Barrett clears away. And her comprehension of how the brain/body interact, is useful for all of us, at all ages, to live better lives. We can't control much in this crazy world, but we can control how we think and feel and ultimately act if we understand what Feldman-Barrett is revealing in her brilliant work.
George Young
Montreal Canada
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Alex Kroll
5.0 out of 5 stars Just love it...
Reviewed in Spain on 23 October 2024
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I have read it three times and have recommended it to all my friends and clients so far.
It is written in a very easy-going, engaging style and offers so many powerful new insights of our brain and mind functionalities.
Science in its best.
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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh
5.0 out of 5 stars When Barrett "takes lab coat off", it is wonderful!
Reviewed in the United States on 30 November 2020
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
7&1/2 Lessons is brilliant, thin, metaphor laden, rich, frustrating, sometimes overly professorial and truly wonderful. If you liked her earlier book, How Emotions are Made (HEAM), you will like this book, too! Although it is a completely difference book. If you are new to neuroscience, this is the perfect place to start. If you know too much, this book will rustle the leaves in your dendrites.
A novel feature of this book is that you can follow along with the website to see the notes and references without having to flip to the back notes section. The 36 pages of notes seems to have more exposition that the website, but the references are on the website. You can always go back to the notes. Also, 11 pages of index.
Barrett is a master of what I'll "poke & pour" storytelling, starting with the Title: 7.5 Lessons... Wait! What's a half lessons. That's the poke. The pour is a flow of knowledge that can cling to the freshly poked curiosity. An example from p.10 - there is no why for our brains, "no why to evolution". Followed by a great passage on allostatis and what the brain is good for ... "so you can perform nature's most vital task: passing your genes to the next generation." If that is not WHY, then I am a monkey's uncle.
7.5 Lessons has a more developed metaphor for body budgeting (allostatis) evolving to an accounting department. The 1/2 lesson is that brain is not for thinking but for running our bodies. It is the accountant running our body.
p.50 "As information travels from the world into the newborn brain, some neurons fire together more frequently than others, causing gradual brain changes that we've called plasticity. These changes nudge the infant's brain toward higher complexity via two processes we'll call tuning and pruning."
Pruning Dendrites: Nice tree metaphor where the trunk is an axon and the bark is the myelin. We need to add a subway to this metaphor. Packets or info are gathered by the leaves, flow down the trunk, into the subway, ride to another arboretum, flow up the trunk to the branches and become neurotransmitters flowing to the surrounding dendrites.
p.61 "Childhood poverty is a huge waste of human opportunity" (early brain development is critical) Finlay's model of mammal brain development timeline.
The lesson on prediction was a little frustrating. Barrett understands this deeply, but, this rendition does not capture it. From previous book, HEAM: "Through prediction and correction, your brain continually creates and revises your mental model of the world. It's a huge ongoing simulation that constructs everything you perceive while determining how you act..."
The best nugget on prediction is not in the chapter, but on page 100 - "Your brain's predictions prepare your body for action and then contribute to what you sense and otherwise experience."
What happens when prediction overrules the senses?
p.71 hallucinations - "Most of the time when you look at cows, you see cows. But you've almost certainly had an experience ... where the information inside your head triumphs over the data from the outside world. ... Neuroscientists like to say that your day-to-day experience is a carefully controlled hallucination, constrained by the world and your body but ultimately constructed by your brain. It's not the kind of hallucination that sends you to the hospital. It's an everyday kind of hallucination that creates all your experiences and guides all your actions. It's the normal way that your brain gives meaning to your sense data, and you're almost always unaware that it's happening."
p.77 prediction, autopilot, mindlessly eating licorice. Lot's of good info on prediction, but, no Prediction Error at all.
While the science is top notch and great, what is truly wonderful about this book is when Barrett "takes lab coat off". This is from the Social Brains chapter. (Shared gaze, etc. See Cozolino 2006)
p.96 - "Taking our species' interdependence seriously doesn't mean restricting rights. It can mean simply understanding the impact we have on one another. Each of us can be the kind of person who makes more deposits into other people's body budgets than withdrawals or the kind of person who is a drain on the health and welfare of those around us."
I have too many scribbles in the margins of the rest of the book to be able to transcribe it here and now. Scribbles in the margins indicate stuff worth going back to.
Humans' superpower is the construction of social reality, which is Barrett's bailiwick. I'd love to take her 5 C's - creativity, communications, copying, cooperation and (c)abstraction and compare them with Christakis's Social Suite, or perhaps the 8 C's of IFS.
p.100 - "We have learned that humankind has a single brain architecture a complex network and yet each individual brain tunes and prunes itself to its surroundings."
p.101 - "It's important for humans to have many kinds of minds, because variation is critical for the survival of a species. One of Charles Darwin's greatest insights was that variation is a prerequisite for natural selection to work." (my paraphrase: we need both of what John Stuart Mill would have called liberals & conservatives in our populations to survive as a species.)
I am an armchair neuroscientist that has read more than a few books on consciousness. Barrett never mentions consciousness, but if the metaphor for consciousness is a stream, she elucidates the properties of water and gravity, the flows and eddies, as well the grasses and rocks that shape the stream. Just wonderful.
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J. Drew
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at how our brains work
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 August 2022
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This book about the brain includes a number of sessions about this subject that Lisa Barrett has presented and now written a book about. The book begins by talking about the popular idea of metaphors of the brain and exemplified in the chimp paradox whereby we think we have a lizard brain and then a cat brain and on top we have a human brain (all competing for one another - hence why your rational, outer brain says ‘just one more chocolate’ and your monkey brain has eaten the entire packet before you rational brain states ‘what the hell just happened’) but the book states this idea is wrong as we can see in many other animals that are mammals and have similar brain structure. Elephants have larger brains and owls and mice have smaller but they are all in context. The book then goes on to look at how the brain is structured and why it makes the decisions it makes.
- The book describes how the brain is a network of systems. It contains 128 billion brain neuron cells which communicate with different parts of the brain to create a whole single perception of everything we experience.
- The author explains how the neurons in the brain are constantly firing and behave in similar ways to planes in the sky constantly going between airports. Airports have many different functions, selling tickets and allowing planes to fly and take off and land as well as selling bad food. However there are also major hubs that can take on the vast majority of planes should one go down then this can disrupt the system. However the brain is complex and other systems will take over. Many different neurons will work in different ways to do the same task just does you might have different planes and pilots fly new from one place to another
- The third lesson is about how the interaction between the outside world and our brain forms in our skull and discusses how our brains evolved. For example horses come out into the world and within a few hours are able to walk but babies have to develop this skill over 12 months. If a baby's eyes are not exposed to the constant rays of light they will not develop and be able to focus on what they see and construct what they see in their brain. The same is true of many other experiences such as cuddling and skin to skin contact as well as holding a babies face close to yours so that they're at the right distance so they can see and mimic and learn
- The third chapter contains a fascinating description about how our brains begin to prune what they have seen and reduce connections in the brain - this is called pruning. One example of the babies are able to hear all sounds and then slowly the brain will filter out the one that it recognises as its own home language. It is also able to smell breastmilk which as soon as it's released from the mum's breast it will crawl and find its way towards just through smell. This is a chapter that is worth another read.
- It's also really important that babies get social contact and an experiment which occurred by chance was where babies were observed in Romanian orphanages, where they had many babies due to the government asking for more manpower and increases in the number of babies born in Romania. However many families couldn't afford these babies so they were placed in institutions and did not receive cuddles and hugs and skin to skin contact they were just merely fed. Many of these babies grew up damaged and stunted and with learning difficulties. It's an important example of the importance of social touch regarding our brain development. These examples of neglect have been seen in many other circumstances as well. And if babies are neglected they will grow up more prone to a range of medical problems such as diabetes and heart attacks as well as difficulties in forming social attachment with other people. Similar impact has been shown in experiments on attachment using monkees where they are where they were given a model that was made of metal would give milk and another pretend mother that was more like a teddy and these were the monkeys that were attracted to the most - rather than the pretend monkey who was shaped from metal but did offer food. Social interaction is really important from the moment we are born.
- The fourth lesson talks about how the brain is a prediction machine that predicts everything you're going to do next. The brain consists of neurochemicals and swirling electrical activity that makes sense of everything around it and gives it meaning. However it is also determined by memory and what it is already perceived an experienced to help it make sense of how the brain will wire and fire together to help us with the acts of living our life and being who we are and what we perceive and make sense - whether it be taste, vision, hearing, touch and smell.
- The fifth lesson talks about how our brains are social brains and that they are changed and develop through the interactions with others. Being in a relationship that can help you to live a longer life than one where you are alone.
- The brain is always looking for ways of saving energy and the metabolic cost that is required to run it. The average energy required to run a brain is equal to the amount that you might need to light a lightbulb as it is an incredibly efficient machine. However it is really important and there are lots of benefits to having others in your life to help you and support you and the brain needs other brains to develop and support it. People who are lonely will often die earlier and if they get an illness have less of a chance of recovery as those who are in relationships or have a close friend and even a pet. Even the words that people use can help to ensure support brains, or make us angry. When we are given a compliment we can feel good but when someone is threatening us we can also feel rage and anger. Words can impact our hormones and emotions. Words can change the physiology of how we feel by changing the hormones that control our heart rate and sending all sorts of hormones through the body to change how we feel and behave. Words are powerful.
- Lesson six is about how we evolved with many different types and kinds of mind and not just one. Our culture and society and the people we surround us will shape our brains and how brains evolve and our structure can be dependent on the culture and people that surround us. This can include the culture, religion and beliefs that make up different countries.
- There are many types of mind variation. For example a mind may be autistic or schizophrenia but also in less extreme cases minds can produce some people to be thoughtful and others to be more caring and empathetic what we need to do is embrace all these different kinds of minds because they are what helps humans to continue to develop a wide rang of skills on this planet. Having a wide range of minds means we can deal with a wide range of problems.
- Even though people around us will have different types of mind it's also important to be aware that we can change our own mind. This might be temporary either through drinking lots of coffee or and taking vitamins to stay up all night to revise for something or when we drink and become more sociable and find other people more attractive - we have altered the state of our own mind. We can also do this on longer terms for example going to a new country and exploring different cultures as well as learning something new which again changes the structure and way your mind behaves.
- Lesson seven is about how our brains create reality. The wavelength of light that bounces off something that we see and absorbs certain amounts of wavelengths that are then sent to our eyes and then evolve in our brain to create our perception of colour - this is created in the mind. The whole world is created as an illusion in our brains but this helps us to make sense of everything around us. Reality is an illusion created by our brains.
- We live in a world where we give meaning to pieces of paper and little bits of metal that we call money. It's all made up but we give it meaning and reality and we all get together to help us buy things and create things and be paid. Made up illusions we create and they then become real.
- With our brains being a prediction making machine we perceive wine that is more expensive is better than wine that is cheaper or real fair trade coffee tastes better than coffee that comes out of plain paper with no markings. We create this perception that changes how we feel towards something even though it is all made up. We create this reality through the five senses as described in this book.
- A short fascinating book about how our brains work - I really enjoyed reading it.
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Alejandro
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Japan on 16 May 2025
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Excellent book!
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Southern Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars New ideas
Reviewed in Mexico on 6 January 2025
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New ideas presented in an easy-to-understand and often humorous language by Dr. Feldman. After reading it, one gets the impression that ideas and learning take a Darwinian evolution.
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Adair Pinheiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Produtos aprovados
Reviewed in Brazil on 13 October 2025
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A compra foi para meu filho, escolha dele, e sendo assim é excelente pois ele compra já depois de ter pesquisado e ter constatado que é um bom produto
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Monica V.
5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo
Reviewed in Italy on 19 January 2025
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È' un libro molto istruttivo, almeno per me
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars From Dr. Venugopal's desk
Reviewed in India on 21 November 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A masterpiece
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Varghese Parakudiyil
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a must read book.
Reviewed in Italy on 22 November 2023
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It's a small book but with a great content!
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Hussain A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy and quick to read while remaining informative
Reviewed in Canada on 1 November 2022
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The book is surprisingly short but for my interests, it covers just enough. I'm sure there is a lot more to learn about how brains work but for someone like me who is interested in what that means from a psychological and behavioral perspective, I found it sufficient, insightful, and easy to read.
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Norman Bearrentine
5.0 out of 5 stars Stops short of the logical conclusion.
Reviewed in the United States on 24 December 2020
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I love this book, and the down-to-earth clarity with which Lisa describes the workings of the brain. Her sense of humor makes it a fun romp. She fleshes out my own intuitions about the brain and adds a whole raft of things I had never heard or thought of. It’s beautiful the way it all fits together.
As much as I love the book, if falls short of its possibilities. It reminds me of something Jean Klein said about rearranging the furniture in your cell to make it more comfortable, but ignoring the fact that you’re in prison when you could be free.
Here’s Lisa’s advice for rearranging the furniture in your cell:
"When you were a child, your caregivers tended the environment that wired your brain. They created your niche. You didn’t choose that niche—you were a baby. . .
"Things are different after you grow up. You can hang out with all kinds of people. You can challenge the beliefs that you were swaddled in as a child. You can change your own niche. Your actions today become your brain’s predictions for tomorrow, and those predictions automatically drive your future actions. Therefore, you have some freedom to hone your predictions in new directions, and you have some responsibility for the results." Barrett, Lisa Feldman. Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain (p. 62). HMH Books. Kindle Edition.
The problem is that the “you” who is making all these changes is the result, not only of experiences it had as a baby, but of everything that has happened to it since. Your brain is constantly making predictions about what your perception and behavior will be in the current situation, as it always has—this is Lisa's description of how it works. “You” have been constructed by your brain’s interaction with its environment ever since it was born, and that "you" changes, at least a little bit, every time your brain incorporates new information.
Your brain could add Lisa’s information to the way it makes predictions, but whether or not it actually does so depends on its current point of view. Your life may have prepared your brain to be receptive to such an idea, or to recoil in horror, or to be unimpressed. Any one of those reactions is the result of your brain comparing your present circumstances to everything that has happened in the past, and predicting your present behavior based on that comparison. If it is receptive, you may find that your behavior, including your thoughts, will change in the ways Lisa suggests—she’s giving you a recipe, after all. Just rearrange the furniture in your cell in this way and it will be much more comfortable. The whole process occurs within the interaction of neurons that create the perception that “you” are doing something, but it’s as automatic as a baby learning to see faces.
This can be a very scary idea, or hugely liberating, depending on what kind of brain you bring to the party. The scary part is that everything you know about yourself is wrong. You have to look at your whole life—who you are, who your friends are, what human beings are—in a strange new way.
The good news is that the new way can be a helluva lot more fun than the old way, although it takes time to learn. As Lisa says, learning new things is difficult at first, but in time the brain tunes itself to do them automatically. You can get used to the idea that you are a biological machine processing data, not the master of your destiny—being the master of your destiny is way overblown anyway. You can let go of the illusion of mastery, relax, and more thoroughly enjoy the fact that this machine has some pretty nice perks built in.
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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinario
Reviewed in Mexico on 10 February 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Extraordinario
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Joe Bathelt
4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to modern brain science
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2021
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In this very readable book, renowned psychologist, Dr Lisa Feldman-Barrett, goes through takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour of the current understanding of the mind and brain. Each bite-size chapter provides a bitesize introduction to a particular aspect of cognitive neuroscience. Rather than listing facts, Dr Feldman-Barrett focuses on broad conceptual and theoretical insights that have emerged over the last decade. For instance, she discusses how and why the brain is more interested in predicting features of the environment rather than providing an accurate representation of the world. Even though the topics are complex and represent the current scientific consensus, the book is very readable and would even be suited for interested high-school students. The author achieves this feat by replacing jargon with well-crafted analogies and metaphors. In sum, I think that this book is a shining example of science writing that makes complex topics accessible for the public. I think that this book provides the best introduction for anyone with an interest in the mind and brain who has no prior education in this area.
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Sérgio
5.0 out of 5 stars Sete lições e meia imperdíveis!
Reviewed in Brazil on 26 June 2023
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Livro curto, com ideias esclarecedores sobre parte da condição humana. Por exemplo, com elegência e clareza, mostra o básico de como nosso cérebro permite nós humanos sermos os criadors de nosso mundo social. Há bem mais de sete razões em meia para ler com prazer.
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asier
5.0 out of 5 stars I genuinely enjoyed the book
Reviewed in Spain on 14 June 2022
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I stumbled upon the book basically by chance but read it with true enjoyment. I know very little about the brain and
neuroscience in general, and so this book has been a wonderful little introduction to the latest science about them. I also love the style: clear, concise and full of enjoyable comments and metaphors. Very nice book
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Andreas Robert Stocker
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, revealing, entertaining and informative
Reviewed in Germany on 30 November 2020
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Is your brain your thinking device? And/or does it do what it does on its own ? Why does it exist in the first place and how did its evolution come about ? Who is master in the house uphill ? For interested laypeople and seasoned experts alike, this is probably the best you’ve ever read about how your brain works and how it interacts with your body and your environment (and vice versa). And that’s guaranteed, provided you are ready to dismiss many a popular myth about the brain: your neocortex hosting your rational thinking, your owning a ‘reptile brain’, the left-right-side of the brain divide, the presumed ‘ratio-emotio’ combat inside yourself. And much more, including who you are and why you are who your are. Highly intriguing, revealing, entertaining and informative.
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Ashwani
5.0 out of 5 stars Science book
Reviewed in India on 8 September 2025
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Nice book, good font size, excellent content, lucid presentation
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Arthur
4.0 out of 5 stars Ein Buch zum Nachdenken (auch wenn das Gehirn ja nicht dafür gemacht ist).
Reviewed in Germany on 6 April 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
+ Sehr unterhaltsam geschrieben.
+ Offen und klar eine neue Sichtweise dargestellt.
+ Auf dünnem Recyclingpapier gedruckt.
- Bleibt Etwas an der Oberfläche (daher einen Punkt Abzug).
Klare Kaufempfehlung.
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Renato Oliveira Furtado
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it reading
Reviewed in the United States on 4 November 2025
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Great read, thoughtful and entertaining, backed by research.
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Miguel Ángel Sánchez Rodríguez
3.0 out of 5 stars buena introducción pero creo que es mas interesante la expectativa de lo que vas a leer que lo leído
Reviewed in Spain on 1 October 2023
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Lo recomiendo, es ligero y muy superficial pero se subrayan muchos párrafos.
Si bien la autora merece el respeto de una lectora atenta.
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Manoel V F Lemos
5.0 out of 5 stars 7 lessons in the brain
Reviewed in Brazil on 10 May 2024
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gostei do livro
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torze3246
5.0 out of 5 stars Set aside a weekend and indulge
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2024
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An absolutely brilliant read, I couldn’t put this down either! So many good interesting facts and concepts to think about. I’m wondering whether it would be weird to read it again straight away.
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Lori3Niagara
5.0 out of 5 stars Ordered a second copy to send to my son before I finished it!
Reviewed in Canada on 16 June 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
The book is eye-opening and presents a researched-back perspective on how our brain evolved and what that means to how we live our lives today. Short, sweet and practical. Listen to Dr Feldman-Barrett's podcasts to learn even more! She is a vital voice -- not just on the science, but also on the implications for each of us.
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J Curtis Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing
Reviewed in Canada on 27 November 2023
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This is truly mind altering. It has completely changed the way I perceive the world & how I react to others.
I wish this book was longer. It was too short.
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Marc Barcelona
5.0 out of 5 stars A simple explanation for one of the most complex topics.
Reviewed in Spain on 30 April 2021
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Easy to read, mindblowing and even fun at some points. Totally worth it!
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Ken Kardash
5.0 out of 5 stars the real Matrix
Reviewed in the United States on 15 February 2021
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This is a review of the Kindle edition.
Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain is popular science writing at its best. It strikes the elusive balance between detail and accessibility, entertainment and illumination. As the author promises at the outset, her goal is to stimulate insight rather than convince you with exhaustive exposition. She does this in eight short chapters, and wisely puts supporting information in a linked appendix so momentum is never lost.
The revelations do come fast and furious. Even if you are an informed layperson, I guarantee you will find some paradigm-shifting thoughts here. Some of the more eye-opening revelations are the myths she debunks about the reptilian vs neocortical brain model, right vs left brain thinking, and the nature vs nurture duality. To me the most intriguing was the sequence in which we are aware of our sensations and our reactions, to which I will leave you the pleasure of her concise but mind-blowing explanation. It’s the same reality-upending thrill as watching the Matrix, but this is real science!
The best news is, these are not just academic facts. They have real potential to help you think about the mind in new ways that, if applied, not only can improve your own life, but the way we all understand each other.
I can’t praise this book enough. It deserves seven and a half stars!
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querele
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic read
Reviewed in Germany on 11 November 2023
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Very well written and rich on information. A fantastic book to read to better understand brain function and human nature. I had a lot of insights reading this and found it exciting and interesting from the first to the last page
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Brijesh
5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking science explained with simplicity
Reviewed in India on 15 January 2024
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The book starts with explaining why the most popular theory about the brain structure and its evolution is false and what’s true instead; the implications this has in our real world and our day-to-day life. It takes you a step closer to reality and in the process asks you what it means to be human being. Fantastic short read without any fluff. Worth every minute you spend reading this and maybe more.
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Peter Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars Stimulating, well written, informative.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2021
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As a practicing Psychotherapist it is important to me to gain an understanding of the processes underlying human experience. In several important ways Barrett's book has helped by providing new insights and also evidence to support observations in practice. I found the book to be easy to read without being patronised - a real skill. The references to additional information will provide more substantial reading for months to come.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2025
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Awesome book. It is easy to understand and allows you to see our human brain a different way. Simple yet explicit explanation.
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Jim H
3.0 out of 5 stars A Little Uneasy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2021
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This book has received a lot of praise, but I have reservations. It is quite easy to read and the author is clearly very well informed. But I am very unsure about the degree of support that the theory set out has amongst neuroscientists in general. Is the author making out the case for a theory that has a lot of support or very little? I don't know. The claim that our brains did not evolve because thinking - i.e. reasoning - has a big evolutionary advantage seems to me me very unlikely and I am not convinced by the author's argument.
Quite separately, I found the layout of the book unhelpful. It is necessary to read the 35 page appendix bit by bit as you go, but these notes are not referenced in the main text. I had to go through the main text and mark it up in pencil so I knew when to turn to the appendix. Tedious.
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Shawn Kitchen
5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the bifurcation model of the brain
Reviewed in Canada on 10 November 2025
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Barrett's book quickly and incisively updates us on the most recent neuro-scientific understanding of the brain as a complete neuronal network, de-emphasizing the historic view of the past several decades of the predominant bifurcation model of left and right brain.
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