The Brain-Smart Summer Reads You Won’t Want to Miss

Enjoyable yet thought-provoking books to read during the summer holiday (bonus recommendation at the end)

If you are like me, a busy schedule often prevents me from browsing the local Kinokuniya bookstore as often as I might like. Let me help.

Here are three very good reads that you can order online, have conveniently dropped at your doorstop, and will deliver interesting ideas while the kids jump into the water.

The Battle for Your Brain by Nita A. Farahany

This is my early pick for a business book of the year! Fantastic.

Should recent news reports of Ai translating thoughts into text message worry us? Yes it should because Ai has now penetrated that one bastion of privacy and self-control that Victor Frankl swore was ours and ours alone — our thoughts.

Nita A. Farahany is a leading scholar on the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies. She is the Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke Law School.

Don’t let that scare you away.

The book is superbly written in clear and plain English, the author is very considered in her views, and frankly its just a great read about a timely topic.

Highly recommended.

Immersion by Paul J. Zek.

This one was so nice I read it twice.

Prof. Paul Zak (Claremont Graduate University) is another highly thoughtful scholar who writes in plain English. Marketers, especially, will love the work Paul has done around drafting compelling narratives that create a great experience and release oxytocin. The neurochemical is central to people bonding with your brand.

What’s really cool is that now this bonding can be scientifically measured.

It’s fun to read how Paul started his research with DARPA, moved to taking blood samples around his region and has now progressed to a device that can be worn on the arm — providing marketers (or educators, or anyone, really) will data about engagement with your message.

Hint: storytelling is central to this journey and the story of the young boy and his father will engage anyone.

The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul

I like this book because it challenges a dominant paradigm.

Overwhelming, the discussions about our brain that I read have a strong individualistic frame. It’s your brain, inside your head, and you are the one who can take care of it or not. The brain is isolated inside your skull.

The Extended Mind tells us there is more to the story.

Annie Murphy Paul (science writer, NYT and American Scientist) talks about our bodies and movement, our surroundings, and our relationships as critical vehicles for extending our thinking outside the skull.

We improve our thinking by moving, choosing and shaping our environment, and by building and maintaining quality relationships. And of all this has strong links back to BrainHealth, high performance, and longevity.

Being a top-tier science writer, Paul also delivers a very readable book that anyone can understand while also throwing philosophy and solid scientific research into the mix.

Again, an excellent read.

Bonus: Rubicon by Tom Holland

Want something other than brain science that is still smart but tells an amazing story that literally shaped the modern world? Check this out.

Ever heard the expression that someone just “crossed the Rubicon?”

This book, in a fascinating narrative, gives you the whole story behind that popular expression. Published in 2003, Rubicon in a compelling narrative recounts tells the end of the Roman Republic and the subsequent rise of the Roman Empire.

The parallels to today’s world and political battles can at times be profound. We quickly see that histories from other societies offer us insight into our modern choices and warning about what has not worked before.

And yet, it’s just a damned good story and you just might be surprised how profoundly the Romans shaped the world we live in today.

One of my all-time favourite stories. It’s not as academically rigorous as SPQR by Mary Beard, but it is an excellent read.

Enjoy!