THE BELIEVING BRAIN From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Shermer explores the depths and methodologies of the human brain to determine how we arrive at the beliefs we establish as individual truths—from our sensory perceptions to our cultural values to more challenging beliefs such as the existence of aliens, ghosts, etc. His passion for his topic is evident in his narration. However, that alone doesn’t carry the production. Shermer’s nasally voice moves a bit too quickly through the text, and his enthusiasm has the potential to create a disconnect if the listener does not entirely follow his discussion or disagrees with him. Overall, his delivery is one-dimensional, with his enthusiasm predominant even when he’s speaking about serious and subtle matters. L.E. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2012]