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The Idiot Brain

Why Your Brain Gets Things Wrong - and Why That's Alright

by Dean Burnett

10th Anniversary Edition

From neuroscientist and internationally bestselling author Dean Burnett comes The Idiot Brain, an accessible, witty examination of how our brains get things wrong - and why that's absolutely fine.

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION AND AFTERWORD

'A great read.' JON RONSON
'A wonderful introduction to neuroscience.' INDEPENDENT

Have you wondered why we recognise people's faces but forget their names?
Or why we get motion sickness? Or jet lag, too, for that matter.
And why do we overthink even the smallest things in our lives?

For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives.

Covering anxiety, memory, intelligence and personality, this expertly researched and entertainingly written book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to get things wrong, and what on earth it's really up to.

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pre-order available

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Pages:

352

Published:

1 Jan 2026

Format

Paperback

Publisher

Faber & Faber, Limited

Imprint

Guardian Faber Publishing

ISBN:

9781783353248

10th Anniversary Edition

From neuroscientist and internationally bestselling author Dean Burnett comes The Idiot Brain, an accessible, witty examination of how our brains get things wrong - and why that's absolutely fine.

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION AND AFTERWORD

'A great read.' JON RONSON
'A wonderful introduction to neuroscience.' INDEPENDENT

Have you wondered why we recognise people's faces but forget their names?
Or why we get motion sickness? Or jet lag, too, for that matter.
And why do we overthink even the smallest things in our lives?

For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives.

Covering anxiety, memory, intelligence and personality, this expertly researched and entertainingly written book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to get things wrong, and what on earth it's really up to.

$28.00