Similar to the stories done for NPR. I enjoyed the stories and research, but I wasn't as happy on the general focus with the unconscious as something working against our own morally conscious decision making. A broader focus on the many facets of how our minds make decisions for and against our true wishes would have been better. There are other works that have done so. Being able to recognize our own decision making process, and when it can be trusted or questioned would be more advantageous. ( )

Fascinating ( )

Well, I learned a lot from this book. It was fascinating when I heard the author talk about his book on NPR and I realized that I had to have it. That hasn't happened in awhile. The whole idea that our unconscious minds may play a larger part of our actions than we'd care to admit is intriguing. Vedantam supports these ideas with true-life stories that are sad, surprising and shocking at times. His biases show at times and I think the editing could have been better but I really enjoyed the read. I hope he takes it further and we can not only be aware of our own unconscious thoughts and how we act on them but how to access them and have some honest discussions. This would be a great book to discuss in so many different settings. ( )

An amazingly interesting book about how the hidden brain (subconscious) controls us, why it does and how it is set up to protect us, but fails us at times. ( )

I know a fair amount about social psychology, but the way the author and the scientists he cites apply their knowledge to major societal problems is mind blowing. I absolutely loved this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in racism, terrorism, and other problems of modern life. It's brilliant. ( )