The Extended Mind

“Use your head.” That’s what we tell ourselves when facing a tricky problem or a difficult project. But a growing body of research indicates that we’ve got it exactly backwards. What we need to do, says acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul, is think outside the brain. A host of “extra-neural” resources—the feelings and movements of our bodies, the physical spaces in which we learn and work, and the minds of those around us—can help us focus more intently, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively. In The Extended Mind, Paul delves into the research behind this exciting new vision of human ability, exploring the findings of neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and psychologists. She excavates the secret history of how artists, scientists, and authors have employed mental extensions to solve problems, make discoveries, and create new works. And she explains how readers can incorporate outside-the-brain thinking into their everyday lives. In the tradition of Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind or Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, The Extended Mind offers a dramatic new view of how our minds work, full of practical advice on how to think better.