Think Before You Think: Understanding Your Brain's Mission Control
Aug 2026 · Faber & Faber
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About this ebook
From a world-renowned neuroscientist comes a revelatory exploration of the neural processes in our brains that shape our day-to-day existence: how they work, what happens when they falter and how we can maintain them throughout our lives.
'Owen is not just one of our top scientists, but a great storyteller.'
DANIEL LEVITIN
'From jewelry heists to the nature of free will, Owen's exploration of our cognitive powers is both a gripping story and a masterful summary of his pioneering research into the inner workings of our minds and brains.'
ANIL SETH, bestselling author of Being You
***
Why is it that some people breeze through life with the mental clarity of a chess grandmaster, while others struggle to organize their thoughts or even remember where they left their keys?
Our brains are miraculous things. Through a set of processes called executive functions, they drive everything over the course of our lives, allowing us to create and retrieve memories, understand our own and others' emotions, plan our short- and long-term goals, and much more.
Drawing on gripping case studies and cutting-edge research, acclaimed neuroscientist Adrian Owen maps out the architecture of our brains and these executive functions. From encounters with memory champions, athletes who have suffered multiple concussions and patients with conditions such as ADHD, autism, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, he reveals the importance of these functions not only for the potential of our brains but to our very ways of being.
Think Before You Think presents a remarkable picture of both the brain's brilliance and its fragility, providing practical advice on maintaining our executive functions at every stage of our lives. In doing so, it brings readers to a closer understanding of what it is that makes each of us human.
***
'Owen is a wonderful guide and takes readers on a fascinating journey into the human mind . . . Think Before You Think provides a practical blueprint for a brighter future.'
PROFESSOR RICHARD WISEMAN, author of 59 Seconds
'Owen is not just one of our top scientists, but a great storyteller.'
DANIEL LEVITIN
'From jewelry heists to the nature of free will, Owen's exploration of our cognitive powers is both a gripping story and a masterful summary of his pioneering research into the inner workings of our minds and brains.'
ANIL SETH, bestselling author of Being You
***
Why is it that some people breeze through life with the mental clarity of a chess grandmaster, while others struggle to organize their thoughts or even remember where they left their keys?
Our brains are miraculous things. Through a set of processes called executive functions, they drive everything over the course of our lives, allowing us to create and retrieve memories, understand our own and others' emotions, plan our short- and long-term goals, and much more.
Drawing on gripping case studies and cutting-edge research, acclaimed neuroscientist Adrian Owen maps out the architecture of our brains and these executive functions. From encounters with memory champions, athletes who have suffered multiple concussions and patients with conditions such as ADHD, autism, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, he reveals the importance of these functions not only for the potential of our brains but to our very ways of being.
Think Before You Think presents a remarkable picture of both the brain's brilliance and its fragility, providing practical advice on maintaining our executive functions at every stage of our lives. In doing so, it brings readers to a closer understanding of what it is that makes each of us human.
***
'Owen is a wonderful guide and takes readers on a fascinating journey into the human mind . . . Think Before You Think provides a practical blueprint for a brighter future.'
PROFESSOR RICHARD WISEMAN, author of 59 Seconds
From a world-renowned neuroscientist comes a revelatory exploration of the neural processes in our brains that shape our day-to-day existence: how they work, what happens when they falter and how we can maintain them throughout our lives.
'Owen is not just one of our top scientists, but a great...
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About the author
Dr Adrian Owen is a British neuroscientist. He is currently the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, Canada. His work has appeared in many of the world's most prestigious science and medical journals, and his research has been widely discussed on radio and television stations around the world. He has worked with institutions such as the BBC, TED, and the Science Museum. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2024.
Dr Adrian Owen is a British neuroscientist. He is currently the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, Canada. His work has appeared in many of the world's most prestigious science and medical journals, and his r...
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