The modern world throws a lot at us - relationships, careers, social media, the list goes on. It can often feel like too much for our brains to handle.
In The Evolving Brain, evolutionary neuroscientist Dr Paul Goldsmith reveals the reason why we feel this way: we're using an ancient tool to navigate the complexities of our modern lives.
Our brains evolved to help us survive the environment of millions of years ago. Yet the world around us has dramatically changed, faster than our brains could ever hope to. Many of the issues we face in our daily lives stem from this mismatch.
It's why so many of us struggle with loneliness; why we apply so much importance to our job title, or the size of our house; and why our brains crave the validation of social media likes. It explains how advertising is able to identify and shape our preferences; why we give up so easily when faced with difficult tasks; and why our brains struggle to differentiate between physical and emotional threat. How can we possibly overcome this many limitations to our brain's hardware?
In The Evolving Brain, Dr Goldsmith uses the latest neuroscience, along with case studies from his neurology practice, to equip readers with a greater understanding of how and why our brain functions in this way, and provide actionable insights into how we can optimise the use of our ancient brain to live happier and healthier lives in the modern world.