Books like Proust and the Squid

A lyrical, mind-expanding journey into the biological miracle that allows us to decode symbols into stories. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Proust and the Squid.

intellectual
contemplative
illuminating
awe-inspiring

01
The Brain That Changes Itself
Norman Doidge
An awe-inspiring exploration of human resilience that will fundamentally change how you view your own mind's potential.
Shares:
- illuminating
02
How we learn
Benedict Carey
A reassuring, science-backed permission slip to stop cramming and start letting your brain learn the way it actually wants to.
Shares:
- inquisitive
03
Livewired
David Eagleman
A thrilling, metaphor-rich surf along the leading edge of neuroscience that will completely change how you view your own mind.
Shares:
- awe-inspiring
04
The Shallows
Nicholas Carr
A fascinating, slightly unsettling exploration of how the medium of the internet is fundamentally rewiring our neural pathways.
Shares:
- intellectual
- contemplative
- neuroplasticity
05
The brain
David Eagleman
A mind-expanding journey into the dark, silent fortress of the skull to discover how biological matter constructs our entire reality.
Shares:
- contemplative
- awe-inspiring
06
Brain Rules
John Medina · 2008
A witty, science-backed user manual for the human mind that turns complex neurology into actionable daily habits.
Feels:
- optimistic
- curious
- enlightening
07
Musicophilia
Oliver Sacks · 2007
A compassionate, awe-inspiring journey into the mysterious ways melody and rhythm shape, break, and heal the human mind.
Shares:
- contemplative
- empathetic
08
Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain
Lisa Feldman Barrett
A brisk, mind-expanding tour through the gray blob between your ears that shatters popular myths about human behavior.
Feels:
- curious
- enlightening
- mind-expanding
09
The Organized Mind
Daniel J. Levitin
A clarifying deep dive into the brain's mechanics that offers a scientific life raft for the chronically overwhelmed.
Shares:
- intellectual
10
Moonwalking with Einstein
Joshua Foer
A witty, mind-expanding plunge into an eccentric subculture that will completely change how you think about your own brain.
Shares:
- erudite
11
Social Intelligence
Daniel Goleman · 2006
An illuminating journey into the hidden neural pathways that make us fundamentally wired for human connection.
Shares:
- contemplative
- illuminating
- inquisitive
- empathetic
12
How Emotions Are Made
Lisa Feldman Barrett
A paradigm-shifting journey into the brain that dismantles everything you thought you knew about human feeling.
Shares:
- inquisitive

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