Download the Most Popular Audiobooks in Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

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Title: Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain

Subtitle: How to Retrain Your Brain to Overcome Pessimism and Achieve a More Positive Outlook

Author: Elaine Fox

Narrator: Karen Saltus

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-05-12

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Glass half-full or half-empty? Do you look on the bright side or turn towards the dark? These are easy questions for most of us to answer, because our personality types are hardwired into our brains. As pioneering psychologist and neuroscientist Elaine Fox has discovered, our outlook on life reflects our primal inclination to seek pleasure or avoid danger - inclinations that, in many people, are healthily balanced. But when our fear brain or pleasure brain is too strong, the results can be disastrous, as those of us suffering from debilitating shyness, addiction, depression, or anxiety know all too well.

Luckily, anyone suffering from these afflictions has reason to hope. Stunning breakthroughs in neuroscience show that our brains are more malleable than we ever imagined. In Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain, Fox describes a range of techniques - from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy to innovative cognitive-retraining exercises - that can actually alter our brains circuitry, strengthening specific thought processes by exercising the neural systems that control them. The implications are enormous: Lifelong pessimists can train themselves to think positively and find happiness, while pleasure-seekers inclined toward risky or destructive behavior can take control of their lives. Drawing on her own cutting-edge research, Fox shows how we can retrain our brains to brighten our lives and learn to flourish. With keen insights into how genes, life experiences, and cognitive processes interleave together to make us who we are, Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain revolutionizes our basic concept of individuality. We learn that we can influence our own personalities, and that our lives are only as sunny or as rainy as we allow them to be.

Critic Reviews:

"Every day I send my kids out the door to school with this admonition, you can choose to be happy. More often than not, they roll their eyes, but in Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain Elaine Fox (no relation) offers a scientific argument for my contention. After much research, and in comprehensive, but comprehensible detail, Professor Fox provides a mental map to the sunny side of the street. For optimists and pessimists alike, this fascinating audiobook is a must listen. (Michael J. Fox)

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Title: The Self Illusion

Subtitle: Why There Is No "You" Inside Your Head

Author: Bruce Hood

Narrator: Bruce Hood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-12

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 117 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

The Self Illusion provides a fascinating examination of how the latest science shows that our individual concept of a self is in fact an illusion. Most of us believe that we possess a self - an internal individual who resides inside our bodies, making decisions, authoring actions and possessing free will. The feeling that a single, unified, enduring self inhabits the body is compelling and inescapable. But that sovereignty of the self is increasingly under threat from science as our understanding of the brain advances.

Critic Reviews:

Fascinating, timely and important ... Hood's presentation of the science behind our supersense is crystal clear and utterly engaging (New Scientist)

Wonderful. Illuminating. Full of insight, beauty, and humor. Get to know thyself (David Eagleman, author of Sum)

Startling and engrossing (Robin Ince)

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

I began this audiobook with high hopes. Here was a new book arguing for a radical and boldly counterintuitive thesis, namely that the very center of our conscious existence, our sense of self, is an illusion. If there ever was a claim worthy of a book-length defense, this would surely be it.

Sadly, however, the book fell far short of my expectations. In fact, the author spent very little time at all making the (probably very difficult) case for the "self illusion," and instead used this topic as a platform for talking about pretty much anything he seemed interested in, from how the internet is shaping our brains to the psychology of laughter. Basically, the book reads like a low-level tour of psychology, with topics only loosely (and sometimes not at all) connected to the topic of "the self," broadly construed. As a basic introduction to psychology for extremely lay audiences, it succeeds fairly well. As a cogent argument for the illusion of selfhood, it fails abysmally.

Worse still, even if you are looking for an introduction to psychology, I would not waste your credit on this, as most of the material covered has already been covered more thoroughly and more entertainingly in other works, like "Predictably Irrational," "How the Mind Works," "The Happiness Hypothesis," or "The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking."

And as if this weren't enough bad news for "The Self Illusion," Bruce Hood unfortunately succumbed to the "authors make better narrators" fallacy, and the book suffered greatly for it. Hood's voice is dull and plodding, adding very little life to the text, and his faint scottish accent was slightly distracting at times.

A great read!

I really enjoyed this book. It is really interesting, the author's narrative style is easy to listen to, and afterwards I have a better understanding of my 'self' and others. Enjoyable!

provides exciting insite into the mind

What did you love best about The Self Illusion?

Bruce (also the author) has an excellent voice and keen perspectives.

Which character as performed by Bruce Hood was your favorite?

The brain

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was very exciting, listening to it

Any additional comments?

Good for anyone wanting psychology or neuroscience information.

Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched book, and loved the fact that Bruce narrated it himself.

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Title: Overcoming Anger and Irritability

Subtitle: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Author: William Davies

Narrator: William Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-01-12

Publisher: Constable & Robinson

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 33 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

In this series of talks, clinical psychologist Dr. William Davies explores how anger and irritability affects us in different ways and sets out effective strategies to reduce feelings of irritability and become less angry.

This series of nine talks includes:

Members Reviews:

Simple and effective

Would you listen to Overcoming Anger and Irritability again? Why?

This book is not loaded with techniques to deal with your anger like deep breathing, it's more about noticing your anger and using your rational brain, instead of your primitive brain. By noticing your anger and shift in temperament by noting it in a journal, you get an idea of what sets you off. Just by noticing it and logging these things really helps. The book has much more details and examples and I have listened to it over and over again.

What about William Daviess performance did you like?

The speaker has a great voice and accent that helped put me at ease.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, the story about a person in prison for an act they committed while angry.

To the point and easy to apply!

What made the experience of listening to Overcoming Anger and Irritability the most enjoyable?

Simple facts about how the body and brian works. It's scientific but simple in this audio book with a pleasant voice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Overcoming Anger and Irritability?

As humans we all possess the same hardware and it's how we use it :-)

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Diffidently some epiphanies and laughs!!

Great. I wish it was much longer!

Any additional comments?

I really loved it and there was so much content in such a little time. I wanted to know so much more of what he was talking about, please write a longer, much longer book or audio. highly recommended.

Short, simple, real--doable--advice

All the advice was reasonable and doable. The reasoning behind the advice was explained, too.

Awesome awesome book!

I already tried a few of the technics discussed and noticed my irritability has gone down and I am much more aware of my anger instances! I can't wait to fully implement all the techniques and be a better person. The voice is very clear, calm and friendly, perfectly suited for a book like this!

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Title: Smart Thinking

Subtitle: Three Essential Keys to Solve Problems, Innovate, and Get Things Done

Author: Art Markman

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-04-12

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 637 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

Think smart people are just born that way? Think again.

Drawing on diverse studies of the mind, from psychology to linguistics, philosophy, and learning science, Art Markman, Ph.D., demonstrates the difference between "smart thinking" and raw intelligence, showing listeners how memory works, how to learn effectively, and how to use knowledge to get things done. He then introduces his own three-part formula for listeners to employ "smart thinking" in their daily lives.

Smart Thinking gives listeners:

Critic Reviews:

"Novak, chairman and CEO of YUM! Brands, offers powerful and sinceredirectives for creating a cohesive, success-oriented corporate culture..Business people at all levels willfind something of value." (Publisher's Weekly)

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Title: Ben Behind His Voices

Subtitle: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope

Author: Randye Kaye

Narrator: Randye Kaye

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-23-11

Publisher: Spoken Word Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no controlone that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families. Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity.

Members Reviews:

I'm glad I listened to Ben's story!

This audible book was fabulous. I am a mother with a teenager with mental illness. I could relate to their story so well. I learned so much. Randye Kaye reading this book was masterful. So easy to listen to and 'feel' every situation.

Thank you for telling your personal story to help end the stigma of this illness that affects individuals and families alike.

Amazing awesome wonderfully stated message

I have found strength to stay the course with my son. I felt the love for a mother and child to find help in spite of all the challenges dealing with mental health.

Excellent Audio

Great Resource for Families and Providers of people dealing with schizophrenia. Well Done. Enjoyed it.

Interesting, if repetitive, look into this world

Any additional comments?

Schizophrenia is something I find inherently interesting but haven't read a full book about before. Memoirs are often written by people with schizophrenic mothers (apparently such people make horrible parents which makes for good memoir material). Ben was a high achieving popular type whose crashing and burning was that much more tragic for those around him because of the high expectations you have for such people. When this author discusses the grief for the child you had who is now gone it hit a personal cord for me as an Autism parent. All of us grieving for these people who would never exist after all. There are other similarities as well - the medical types telling you nothing is wrong when you know it is, all those horrible episodes of hoping for things to improve. How you have to educate yourself so much and encounter doctors etc.

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Title: The Science of Evil

Subtitle: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty

Author: Simon Baron-Cohen

Narrator: Jonathan Cowley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-15-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 351 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, Asperger's: All of these syndromes have one thing in common---lack of empathy. In some cases, this absence can be dangerous, but in others it can simply mean a different way of seeing the world. In The Science of Evil, Simon Baron-Cohen, an award-winning British researcher who has investigated psychology and autism for decades, develops a new brain-based theory of human cruelty. A true psychologist, however, he examines social and environmental factors that can erode empathy, including neglect and abuse. Based largely on Baron-Cohen's own research, The Science of Evil will change the way we understand and treat human cruelty.

Editorial Reviews:

Famed British psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen has spent the last 25 years publishing his research on theories of mind, consistently demonstrating that he is one of the most experimental and cutting-edge specialists in the field of cognition. The Science of Evil, published abroad as Zero Degrees of Empathy, brings together several strands of Baron-Cohen's work into a unified theory of human cruelty that describes empathy as a brain-based and therefore scientifically accessible phenomenon. East Sussex actor Jonathan Crowley does a superb job of conveying how groundbreaking and interesting Baron-Cohen's premise truly is. A frequent voice worker and recent winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, Crowley is no stranger to the invigorating possibilities of scientific non-fiction narration. The psychologist makes it easy on him, with clear writing that explains cognition in everyday terms and with a view toward the practical applications of his theory.

Crowley's lively rendering of the case studies for each type of person having zero degrees of empathy is deeply engrossing. Listeners will be shocked to recognize bits and pieces of their own less than understanding moments embedded in the anecdotal evidence provided here. The book concludes with a hint of the larger implications for a complete study of empathy as a brain-based behavior. Crowley delivers Baron-Cohen's final plea with all the earnest optimism it deserves: if we could use science to isolate the biological sources of empathy, we could eliminate cruelty, and voila -- world peace. Megan Volpert

Critic Reviews:

"Baron-Cohen's professorial background shines through in the book's tone and in step-by-step, engaging prose urging both academic and lay reader alike to journey with him in scientific inquiry." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

A fine primer...

for the neurological and psychological basis of "non-empathetic" behavior. Baron-Cohen does a fine job in describing the diathesis mode of approach to those who go through the world unable to experience or understand normal human feelings of empathy and the sorts of sensitivity toward one another that most of us take more or less for granted.

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Title: Seeing Voices

Subtitle: A Journey Into the World of the Deaf

Author: Oliver Sacks

Narrator: Jonathan Davis, Oliver Sacks - introduction

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-21-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 109 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

Like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, this is a fascinating voyage into a strange and wonderful land, a provocative meditation on communication, biology, adaptation, and culture. In Seeing Voices, Oliver Sacks turns his attention to the subject of deafness, and the result is a deeply felt portrait of a minority struggling for recognition and respect - a minority with its own rich, sometimes astonishing, culture and unique visual language, an extraordinary mode of communication that tells us much about the basis of language in hearing people as well. Seeing Voices is, as Studs Terkel has written, "an exquisite, as well as revelatory, work".

PLEASE NOTE: Some changes have been made to the original manuscript with the permission of Oliver Sacks.

Critic Reviews:

"This book will shake your preconceptions about the deaf, about language and about thought. Sacks [is] one of the finest and most thoughtful writers of our time." (

Los Angeles Times Book Review)

"Fascinating and richly rewarding. Sacks is a profoundly wise observer." (

The Plain Dealer)

Members Reviews:

A Rich Experience

What I expected when I purchased this book was what one usually gets in an Oliver Sacks book: a neurological examination of a form of perception. In fact, I thought it was a book about synesthesia (especially given the title). It is, rather, a rich and detailed history of the treatment (and, far too often mistreatment) of deafness in the Western world. I highly recommend this book not only for fans of Oliver Sacks who will enjoy this change of pace from this usual fare (which is, I must insist, itself quite good on the whole) but also for those who wish to understand the richness and challenges of the deaf community and the challenges that have faced them in Western culture for the past four hundred years.

Fascinating Brain Science

From the author who has written many other books on the brain, this book is about how pre-lingual deafness differs from those who learned a spoken language before they lost their ability to hear. The connections of language to thought, the mis-assumptions of hearing people and the impact of using sign language has on the brain are wrapped together in a free-flowing, almost stream of consciousness. There were some bits that were technical enough so that I would like to re-read them. Most, however, was very understandable by the amateur.

Wonderful and awakening

Any additional comments?

I've listened to all of Oliver's medical books, but overlooked Seeing voices again and again. "What's interesting about deafness?" I'd ask myself, and put it off. Just after Oliver died, I got this book as well. I found myself as he described himself; finding deafness uninteresting, thinking of sign language as not a language, but pantomime of sorts and thinking of the deaf as "handicapped".

I listened in wonder as if a veil was pulled back exposing a culture of it's own due completely to having it's own unique language and way of perceiving. This is such a fascinating book I listened in two sittings and wanted it to be twice as long, although I don't know what else he could cover.

If, like myself, you've been eyeing this one, go ahead and get it.

Fascinating

I found this book to be really a matter of discovery.

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Title: The Compass of Pleasure

Subtitle: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good

Author: David J. Linden

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-31-11

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 324 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

A leading brain scientist's look at the neurobiology of pleasure - and how pleasures can become addictions. Whether eating, taking drugs, engaging in sex, or doing good deeds, the pursuit of pleasure is a central drive of the human animal. In The Compass of Pleasure Johns Hopkins neuroscientist David J. Linden explains how pleasure affects us at the most fundamental level: in our brain. As he did in his award-winning book, The Accidental Mind, Linden combines cutting-edge science with entertaining anecdotes to illuminate the source of the behaviors that can lead us to ecstasy but that can easily become compulsive. Why are drugs like nicotine and heroin addictive while LSD is not? Why has the search for safe appetite suppressants been such a disappointment? The Compass of Pleasure concludes with a provocative consideration of pleasure in the future, when it may be possible to activate our pleasure circuits at will and in entirely novel patterns.

Critic Reviews:

Linden's conversational style, his abundant use of anecdotes, and his successful coupling of wit with insight makes the book a joy to read. (Publishers Weekly)

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Title: Forensic Psychology

Subtitle: A Very Short Introduction

Author: David V. Canter

Narrator: Ken Kliban

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

Lie detection, offender profiling, jury selection, insanity in the law, predicting the risk of re-offending, the minds of serial killers, and many other topics that fill news and fiction are all aspects of the rapidly developing area of scientific psychology broadly known as Forensic Psychology.

This fascinating Very Short Introduction discusses all the aspects of psychology that are relevant to the legal and criminal process as a whole. It includes explanations of criminal behavior and criminality, including the role of mental disorder in crime, and it reveals how forensic psychology contributes to helping investigate the crime and catching the perpetrators.

David Canter also explains how psychologists provide guidance to all those involved in civil and criminal court proceedings, including both the police and the accused, and what expert testimony can be provided by a psychologist about the offender at the trial. Finally, Canter describes how forensic psychology is used, particularly in prisons, to help in the management, treatment and rehabilitation of offenders, once they have been convicted.

Members Reviews:

A thorough introduction

If you have an interest in possibly going in to forensic psychology, this book will give you a good sense of the varied roles the forensic psychologist fill in the field of psychology. It was easy to follow. I give this 4 stars, because it's well rounded but no real eye opening changes to my view on the world or anything of that nature.....but, a good introduction, certainly.

Performance issues

This book is well written and has great information. I could not get passed the narrator's diction though. His delivery made it difficult for me to pay attention to what was being relayed. The reader appeared to focus too hard too hard on the diction. He was not relating material to a listener, he was reading words in a specific manner which distracted from the material. This information just needed to be read as if telling a friend something, not as if the execution of each word was to be analyzed. Hopefully the reader will become more relaxed in his future readings. I only got half way through the book before giving up. I plan to purchase the physical book because the information is extremely well written and interesting.

A must read for anyone interested in criminology

What other book might you compare Forensic Psychology to and why?

This is the third of three recent books I've read on sociopathy ("The Sociopath Next Door" "Without Conscience," "Forensic Psychology" I rate the three as: deep, deeper, deepest

What aspect of Ken Kliban???s performance would you have changed?

Perhaps not quite as stiff

Any additional comments?

I give Canter much credit for his valiant attempt to suggest a ray of hope for humankind regarding sociopathy. I've often been struck how sociologists and doctors consider the condition "incurable" and "untreatable" and leave it at that. This essentially means that 96% of us are doomed to be potential victims of the 4% of sociopaths among us unless we're simply lucky enough to avoid them. This is unacceptable. Canter at least suggests that new breakthroughs in studying the connection between empathy and mother love could lead to new therapies for these mal-formed individuals and suggests new medications could also alter behavior.

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Title: The Addictive Personality

Subtitle: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior, Second Edition

Author: Craig Nakken

Narrator: Fred Sanders

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 101 votes

Genres: Science & Technology, Psychology & The Mind

Publisher's Summary:

For over two decades, The Addictive Personality has helped people understand the process of addiction. Now, through this second edition, author Craig Nakken brings new depth and dimension to our understanding of how an individual becomes an addict. Going beyond the definition that limits dependency to the realm of alcohol and other drugs, Nakken uncovers the common denominator of all addiction and describes how the process is progressive.

Through research and practical experience, Nakken sheds new light on:

The author examines how addictions start, how society pushes people toward addiction, and what happens inside those who become addicted. This new edition will help anyone seeking a better understanding of the addictive process and its impact on our lives.

Members Reviews:

insightful

as a wife, it gave me great understanding into my husband's thought process and actions

Regretable purchase

Constant repeating defining of addicts and thats all in this book. Boring and dull. No worth even keeping in library. Bye bye.

An awakening!

A must to each an every one. It is easy to follow, organized and succinct. I Recommend it to to any one who is interested in understanding why we behave the way we do, and wants to self empower.

Very informative

Easy to listen. I gained a lot of knowledge in just a few hours. I feel I have now a better understanding of this illness and better idea of which route to go from now on.

sister of addict

This completely opened my mind to what my brother is going through. The book was suggested to me by a man who leads a local Celebrate Recovery.