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Emotional Ignorance

Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion

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Emotional Ignorance

By: Dean Burnett
Narrated by: Matt Addis
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About this listen

Why can't we think straight when hungry? What's the point of nightmares? And why is it so impossible to forget embarrassing memories?

Emotions can be a pain. After losing his dad to Covid-19, Dean Burnett found himself wondering what life would be like without them. And so, he decided to put his feelings under the microscope - for science.

In Emotional Ignorance, Dean takes us on an incredible journey of discovery, stretching from the origins of life to the end of the universe. Along the way he reveals:

  • why we would ever follow our gut;
  • whether things really were better in the old days;
  • why doomscrolling is so addictive;
  • and how sad music can make us happier.

Combining expert analysis, brilliant humour and powerful insights into the grieving process, Dean uncovers how, far from holding us back, our emotions make us who we are.

©2023 Guardian Faber Publishing (P)2023 Guardian Faber Publishing Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

"Thoughtful and thought-provoking - you need to read this book." (Gina Rippon)

"An affecting and illuminating book for anyone who has feelings, and who wants to know why." (Katie Mack)
All stars
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If you’ve previously listened to or read The Idiot Brain by the good Dr Burnett then this will be right up your street. He has an ability to make complex topics understandable, with plenty of humour to highlight the sometimes sheer ridiculousness of how our brains function (or not as the case may be!). The poignant and personal thread running through this book gave added depth and relevance.
As for the narration, Matt Addis is superb again. He reads with warmth and clear articulation of the more medical terms, and makes it feel like you are listening to the author tell you his ideas over a cold pint in a cosy pub.
If you have any interest in how your brain is the way it is, and how it manages to be brilliant and baffling at the same time then this book (along with the author’s other works) is a must have.
I could really have done with fewer exclamations of “footnote” but the rest of the book was so good I won’t be mean and deduct any stars 😁

Engaging, enlightening, and entertaining

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Love the narration, great choice of reader in Matt Addis. The book is, on the whole, pretty interesting and informative. In many respects it feels like a book that has been very cathartic for the author, Dean Burnett. However, it’s full of all kinds of interesting stuff. It’s a lot longer than the previous book I listened to on the brain, and towards the end I have to admit I was looking forward to it ending! It’s been good for my commutes. I think with audible books you definitely miss some points that you’d maybe flick back to in the book itself, but find harder to go back to listen to again. But you’ll be remembering bits and pieces from time to time.

Quite long, so buckle up for the ride!

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I was not disappointed. As always a really great explanation of how our emotional brain works.
Making it interesting to listen to by relating the authors own life experiences and his emotions.
It's informative and the right amount of humour makes it enjoyable, and it makes you really think about how our brains experience our emotional events.

A brilliant book

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"Yay! My favourite neuroscientist has written a new book!"

I love Dr Burnett's style of writing, and I love the narrator's voice and gentle accent. This book brought me to the verge of tears as well as some laugh out loud moments. Always so informative in such a non patronising way, and perhaps unsurprisingly this is (in my opinion) the most personal and raw of his books which have been on Audible.

Any chance of "Why your parents are driving you up the wall and what to do about it" being created into Audible content please?? love from a parent of a 17 year old.

Well, I ran the full gamut of emotions listening!

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Whilst there is nothing ‘wrong’ with the book, I found that the pace was so slow and long winded that I often forgot what point the author was trying to make. The intonation of the narrator was also frustrating to me, as I constantly felt like he was reading a story to children.

If you’re new to the subject and want a very long and slow explanation of the basics, then this may well be a great listen, but I feel that the author ultimately sacrificed depth in exchange for maximum accessibility.

Some people write a book because they have something to say, some people find something to say so that they can write a book.

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