Like I’m sure a lot of people on here, I’m fascinated by the inner workings of the brain and in particular how memory works. Looking for solid scientific content without going full textbook.
Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
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Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#2I really loved Why We Sleep by PhD Walker. It's not specific about the brain, but it does go over how sleep improves memory and learning
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#3Pragmatic Thinking and Learning, Thinking Fast & Slow and Predictably Irrational are the first that come to mind for me.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#4The Other Brain by R. Douglas Fields was really good. It tells the story of glia which make up 85% of the brain
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#5[dead]
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#6I'm very interested in cognitive biases, some of the writing in that area has some interesting takeaways on the pitfalls of memory:
- _Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)_ - Tavris & Aronson
- _Thinking, Fast and Slow_ - Kahneman
Both of these are more "popular science" writing than "solid scientific" writing, however.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#7Eye brain vision by Hubell
On intelligence.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#8I'm very interested in cognitive biases, some of the writing in that area has some interesting takeaways on the pitfalls of memory: - _Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)_ - Tavris & Aronson - _Thinking, Fast and Slow_ - Kahneman Both of these are more "popular science" writing than "solid scientific" writing, however.
I'm aware of how usefull and mind-opening Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" is. However one should know that a lot of the experiments done to corroborate the books arguments are underpowered and people were unable to replicate a bunch of them. So don't take the books ideas too seriously and allow for much more nuance than the arguments allows.
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#9I'm very interested in cognitive biases, some of the writing in that area has some interesting takeaways on the pitfalls of memory: - _Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)_ - Tavris & Aronson - _Thinking, Fast and Slow_ - Kahneman Both of these are more "popular science" writing than "solid scientific" writing, however.
I'm aware of how usefull and mind-opening Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" is. However one should know that a lot of the experiments done to corroborate the books arguments are underpowered and people were unable to replicate a bunch of them. So don't take the books ideas too seriously and allow for much more nuance than the arguments allows.
100%. I take many of the specific results with a grain of salt but I think the general themes are well founded. I think about WYSIATI every day
Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you’ve read about memory and the brain?
#10I found David Eagleman's books, especially Incognito, to be really good introduction to how the brain works.
"Proust was a Neuroscientist" is a delightful look at how non-scientists throughout history (artists, dancers, writers) have intuited truths about how parts of the brain work that have since been proven by science.