The human brain is the most powerful and intriguing thing on the planet, and is still the least understood part of the human body. The last few years have brought huge strides in understanding, thanks in part to the fMRI technology (functional magnetic resonance imaging), but we know even that is a crude tool for capturing the complexity, speed and magnificence of our marvelous brains.
I find that the more I study brains, the mind, thinking and intelligence (as a layperson – in another life perhaps I’ll get to be a brain scientist), the more wonder and compassion I find for the human race.
Intelligence, The Brain and The Mind Book List
Click here for a list of my favorite books on intelligence, the brain and the mind.
Emotional Intelligence
Some of the most interesting work that’s been done in the the field of psychology and leadership in the past two decades centers on emotional intelligence. Emotions were long thought to be the primitive heritage of our evolved minds, best overcome, shunned and shut down. Today people recognize the emotional processes of our brains as not only vital to our health and happiness, but also to our decision-making and intelligent thought processes. Here are some great books on emotional intelligence.
Decision Making Book List
One particular aspect of thinking that I find to be really useful to understand as a coach, a consultant, a project manager and a business analyst is decision making. Here are some great books on decision making that I’ve read.
Brain Dominance Book List
One of the tools I’ve used relates to brain dominance, and the idea that we can have preferences where there are pairs in our body. The jury is out on how physically true this is, but it does provide another useful way of understanding differences in how we see the world. Click here for the Brain Dominance Book List.
