Synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian, Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally looks for and finds patterns - and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed, our brains subconsciously seek out confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop.

In The Believing Brain, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our belief matches reality.

• We started tracking this book on May 4, 2012.
• This book was £6.17 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 38 times in the past 5,110 days.
• The current price of this book is £2.99 last checked one hour ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was £0.99 last reached on February 3, 2014.
• This book has been £0.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £8.49 last reached on April 20, 2026.
• This book has been £8.49 one time since we started tracking it.

• Self-Help & CounsellingPsychologyNeuropsychology
• Science & MathsBehavioural Sciences

• Publication Date: June 7, 2012
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 465 Pages
• File Size: 30 KB