
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
$16.59$16.59
FREE delivery: Saturday, March 23 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
Buy used: $12.68
Other Sellers on Amazon
+ $5.98 shipping
99% positive over last 12 months
FREE Shipping
100% positive over lifetime

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Follow the author
OK
The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain Hardcover – June 8, 2021
Purchase options and add-ons
A New York Times Editors' Choice
A Washington Post Best Nonfiction Book of 2021
A New York Times Notable Book
A bold new book reveals how we can tap the intelligence that exists beyond our brains—in our bodies, our surroundings, and our relationships
Use your head.
That’s what we tell ourselves when facing a tricky problem or a difficult project. But a growing body of research indicates that we’ve got it exactly backwards. What we need to do, says acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul, is think outside the brain. A host of “extra-neural” resources—the feelings and movements of our bodies, the physical spaces in which we learn and work, and the minds of those around us— can help us focus more intently, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively.
The Extended Mind outlines the research behind this exciting new vision of human ability, exploring the findings of neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists, and examining the practices of educators, managers, and leaders who are already reaping the benefits of thinking outside the brain. She excavates the untold history of how artists, scientists, and authors—from Jackson Pollock to Jonas Salk to Robert Caro—have used mental extensions to solve problems, make discoveries, and create new works. In the tradition of Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind or Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, The Extended Mind offers a dramatic new view of how our minds work, full of practical advice on how we can all think better.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherMariner Books
- Publication dateJune 8, 2021
- Dimensions6 x 1.19 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100544947665
- ISBN-13978-0544947665
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
From the Publisher
|
|
|
---|---|---|
|
|
|

Science writer Annie Murphy Paul on THE EXTENDED MIND: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
Over many years of elementary school, high school, and even college and graduate school, we’re never explicitly taught to think outside the brain; we’re not shown how to employ our bodies and spaces and relationships in the service of intelligent thought. Yet this instruction is available if we know where to look; our teachers are the artists and scientists and authors who have figured out these methods for themselves, and the researchers who are, at last, making these methods the object of study.
Our culture insists that the brain is the sole locus of thinking, a cordoned-off space where cognition happens, much like the workings of my laptop are sealed inside its aluminum case. This book argues otherwise: it holds that the mind is something more like the nest-building bird I spotted on my walk, plucking a bit of string here, a twig there, constructing a whole out of available parts.
For humans these parts include, most notably, the feelings and movements of our bodies; the physical spaces in which we learn and work; and the other minds with which we interact—our classmates, colleagues, teachers, supervisors, friends.
The Extended Mind suggests that the things and the space around us have a profound effect on how we think, feel, and develop. There are profound cultural implications and socioeconomic implications that are essential for us to understand. Here are a few of the lessons we all can learn to take better advantage of the world outside our brains to improve the way we think and help our brains reach their full potential. Some lessons from The Extended Mind:
- Information Overload: The world is full of too much information for our conscious minds to register. But our non-conscious minds are far more capacious, and they are continually collecting data points and identifying patterns in the world around us. It’s the internal sensations of the body—our “gut feelings”—that alert us to these patterns, and our sensitivity to these signals can be increased with simple exercises.
- Moving Our Bodies: Working at a treadmill desk, taking a brisk walk during a coffee break, or even engaging in fidgeting or doodling helps keep our attention sharp and our ideas flowing. And extremely vigorous exercise can induce state of free-ranging creativity that scientists compare to a drug trip.
- Use Your Hands: The gestures we make are not mere handwaving; when used strategically, they can improve our communication with others and even enhance our own thinking. People we’re talking to are more than 50 percent more likely to remember a point we make when a gesture accompanies it; students who incorporate gestures into their study habits remember almost 40 percent more of the material than students who don’t.
- Better Together: Engaging in synchronous activity with others—walking or exercising together, even sharing a meal—leads us to behave more cooperatively and be more successful in pursuing shared goals. (The effect is heightened if the food is served family-style and if it’s very spicy.)
- Take an “awe walk”: Spend time outdoors, allowing yourself to wonder at and be moved by nature’s majesty. Psychologists say that awe can act as a “reset button” for the human brain, shaking us loose from old patterns and opening us up to new possibilities.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"An acclaimed science journalist demystifies how our most important thinking often happens outside our heads."—Adam Grant, author of Think Again and Originals, on LinkedIn as "The 12 New Leadership Books to Read This Summer" “In The Extended Mind, author Annie Murphy Paul explains why the key to thinking better sometimes lies in using our brains less. By extending our minds through our bodies, physical surroundings, and relationships, we can work more productively and solve problems more creatively. The Extended Mind uses stories and science to show us how it’s done.”—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better "Fascinating, sure-footed and wide-ranging"—The Wall Street Journal "In The Extended Mind, science writer Annie Murphy Paul shows us how we can 'think outside the brain'—that is, draw the stuff of the world into our trains of thought. We limit ourselves when we think only with our heads. Extending our minds opens up a host of new possibilities, allowing us to become more focused, more productive, more creative—in a word, smarter."—Susan Cain, author of Quiet "The Extended Mind argues that our creativity, our intelligence, and even our memories are embodied not just in the wet matter of our brains, but in the world all around us. This is a profoundly interesting book that invites us to radically change how we think about thinking."—Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein “Packed with cutting-edge research, compelling real-world examples, and deep insight, The Extended Mind provides a revolutionary framework to help us understand how our brains work. It’s one of those rare books that I found so interesting that I couldn’t put it down, and the minute I finished, I started making changes in my life.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project "Just when I thought I was stuck with the brain I have, Annie Murphy Paul reveals that I can do better! Much better! This fascinating tour of the latest science reveals all the ways we can get smarter by changing our physical spaces, moving our hands and bodies and thinking together, with other humans. An inspiring guide to living fuller lives by getting outside our own heads."—Amanda Ripley, author of High Conflict and The Smartest Kids in the World "Powerful, actionable, and whip-smart, this book is proof that when you rethink how thinking works, you open the door to a world of new possibilities. I guarantee that Annie Murphy Paul's concepts, case studies, and research-based tips will help you and your group connect, create, and perform in new ways."—Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code and The Culture Code "When it comes to your identity, there is no clear line where your brain ends and your body, your environment, and your culture begin. In this tour de force, Annie Murphy Paul unmasks the larger story of who we are."—David Eagleman, Stanford University neuroscientist and author of Incognito and Livewired "The very smartest people know how to draw upon the wisdom of their entire world, including their environment and also their whole body, not just their brain. The Extended Mind i —
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Mariner Books (June 8, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0544947665
- ISBN-13 : 978-0544947665
- Item Weight : 1.28 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.19 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #291,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #122 in Humanist Philosophy
- #418 in Consciousness & Thought Philosophy
- #3,986 in Success Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
Important information
To report an issue with this product or seller, click here.
About the author

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images

-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
The book's introduction reminds us of two metaphors that traditionally describe how the human brain works. One was the brain as a computer. The second was the brain as a muscle. It would get stronger with more use. The brain functions like a computer by analyzing and spitting out the results. The author quotes philosopher John Sorrell, who, in 1984, said, “Because we do not understand the brain very well. We are constantly tempted to use the latest technology as a model for trying to understand it. “
Paul says we need to focus more on internal signals, like how our hearts beat and how cold and clammy our hands are, as it creates a greater awareness of everything around us. Or put simply, learn to trust your gut as our body has sensors that take in information from inside our body, and we are unaware that this is taking place as they relay information to our brains.
This is an excellent work that offers a somewhat different approach to how we think about learning and using all elements of our body, inclusive of our brain.
This book has all three! Really NEW information. Really INTERESTING information. And really USEFUL information.
I just finished reading it and have been taking copious notes.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the few books I have ever read that will actually change my life - and has already changed the way I look at, and think about, life.
I have no reservations at all about recommending this book to anyone who wants to see life in a new, exciting, and expanded way.
But I was again disappointed to discover that this author, too, narrates her own book. I listened to the sample. It was monotonous. And the monotone was, itself, flat, sure to put me to sleep, despite the content!
I wish that authors - and I am one - would think more dispassionately about this, and find skilled readers to bring their work to audiences. It’s not that all authors are bad narrators. It’s that many authors are apparently not good judges of their abilities as narrators.
I am more a listener than a reader, especially as my eyes age, and I really really wanted to listen to this book, partly so that I could keep moving while I did!
I’m sure I will enjoy the book as a reader. But it’s much harder for me these days. I look forward to more of AMP’s work, and hope she will find others to read it aloud.
Top reviews from other countries




