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Inventing Ourselves

The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain

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About this listen

Until very recently, scientists believed our brains were fully developed in childhood. Now, thanks to imaging technology, we know that the brain goes on developing and changing right through adolescence into adulthood.

So, what makes the adolescent brain different? Why does an easy child become a challenging teenager? And why is it that many mental illnesses begin during these formative years?

Drawing upon her cutting-edge research, award-winning neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains how adolescence is fundamental to how we invent ourselves.

©2018 Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (P)2018 W.F. Howes Ltd Adolescent Psychology Biological Sciences Developmental Psychology Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Science Social Sciences Teenagers Mental Health Human Brain Health
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couldn't stand the narrator. Heavy subject matter to stay focused on! A lot of interesting stuff but I tuned out many times listening.

Very dense

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Interesting content, however I found the narrator’s accent very distracting. Shame, because I found content engaging but had to concentrate hard not to be distracted by the narrator.

Interesting content, distracting accent

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Dad of two teens. Having read a couple of books on the teen brain I really enjoyed this book as it’s based on science, rather than anecdote.

I loved the fact that this was by a UK author, and found it to be more liberal and less scare mongering thank another US published book

Very interesting read

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Writing science that is accessible to non-experts while also being accurate and interesting to those in the field is very difficult, and I think this book strikes a good balance. It's an accessible look at adolescent brain development, suitable for teachers and parents as well as scientists or students looking for an introduction to the field. Some of the cases will be familiar to anyone who has taken a psychology class (if I had a dime for every time Gage was "introduced" to me...), but that doesn't detract from the overall quality, as research is well-used to illustrate points.

I'd listen on 1.1x or 1.2x speed.

A useful, research-grounded overview

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Well researched, interesting and I enjoyed learning about mental health and adolescence. However, talks a lot about babies brains and the narrators voice is horrible.

Good Book

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