The Emotional Life of Your Brain
by Richard J. Davidson (Hudson Street, $26)
Perhaps none of us are ever too old to dramatically change our ways, said Jack Goodstein in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Neuroscientist Richard Davidson has identified patterns of brain activity that correspond to an individual’s emotional style, and the University of Wisconsin professor argues that those patterns can be rewired through conscious effort. It’s hard, as a layman, to judge if he’s right, but “he makes a convincing case, and he certainly has the academic credentials to back up his ideas.”
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The Righteous Mind
by Jonathan Haidt (Pantheon, $29)
Jonathan Haidt’s “sophisticated and stimulating” book explains how partisans come to believe what they do, said Glenn C. Altschuler in NPR​.org. Haidt, a psychologist, argues that political choice is rooted in emotions but shaped by the relative value that an individual’s cultural environment puts on each of six foundations of moral behavior—care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority, and sanctity. “Haidt makes a compelling case” that Republicans are more alert to all six categories than Democrats are.
Wired for Culture
by Mark Pagel (Norton, $30)
Human culture, rather than any other aspect of our environment, has become the prime force shaping human evolution, said Fred Bortz in The Dallas Morning News. So says evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel in this striking work, which plumbs human history to locate the origins of “the social mind.” Pagel isn’t afraid to stir controversy, as when he asks if the shrinking human brain indicates that we’re not as smart as our recent ancestors. His book is an invitation to “an intellectual wrestling match.”
Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck
by Eric G. Wilson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $22)
Humans are “natural-born rubberneckers,” said Kevin Canfield in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In his latest book, author Eric Wilson explores why we’re drawn to car wrecks, horror movies, and other glimpses of darkness, and concludes that we each harbor a “secret” wish: “Let it all fall down.” He visits a collector of serial-killer memorabilia and similar curators of the morbid, but he “builds his strongest arguments” around considerations of great art, including the paintings of Francisco Goya.
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Weapons: Julia Garner stars in 'hyper-eerie' psychological thrillerThe Week Recommends Zach Cregger's 'top notch' new film opens with 17 children disappearing at exactly the same time
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Freakier Friday: Lohan and Curtis reunite for 'uneven' but 'endearing' sequelThe Week Recommends Mother-and-daughter comedy returns with four characters switching bodies
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Al fresco art: the UK's best sculpture parksThe Week Recommends Soak up the scenery with a stroll through these open-air galleries
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Also of interest...in picture books for grown-upsfeature How About Never—Is Never Good for You?; The Undertaking of Lily Chen; Meanwhile, in San Francisco; The Portlandia Activity Book
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Author of the week: Karen Russell
feature Karen Russell could use a rest.
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The Double Life of Paul de Man by Evelyn Barish
feature Evelyn Barish “has an amazing tale to tell” about the Belgian-born intellectual who enthralled a generation of students and academic colleagues.
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Book of the week: Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
feature Michael Lewis's description of how high-frequency traders use lightning-fast computers to their advantage is “guaranteed to make blood boil.”
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Also of interest...in creative rebellion
feature A Man Called Destruction; Rebel Music; American Fun; The Scarlet Sisters
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Author of the week: Susanna Kaysen
feature For a famous memoirist, Susanna Kaysen is highly ambivalent about sharing details about her life.
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You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood’s Golden Age by Robert Wagner
feature Robert Wagner “seems to have known anybody who was anybody in Hollywood.”
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Book of the week: Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire by Peter Stark
feature The tale of Astoria’s rise and fall turns out to be “as exciting as anything in American history.”