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Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality, 2nd Edition cover art

Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality, 2nd Edition

By: Robert Sapolsky, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert Sapolsky
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Summary

When are we responsible for our own actions, and when are we in the grip of biological forces beyond our control? What determines who we fall in love with? The intensity of our spiritual lives? The degree of our aggressive impulses?

These questions fall into the scientific province of behavioral biology, the field that explores interactions between the brain, mind, body, and environment that have a surprising influence on how we behave. In short, how our brains make us the individuals we are.

In this series of 24 fascinating lectures by a prominent neurobiologist, zoologist, and MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant recipient, you'll investigate how the human brain is sculpted by evolution, constrained or freed by genes, shaped by early experience, modulated by hormones, and otherwise influenced to produce a wide range of behaviors, some of them abnormal. And you'll learn how little can be explained by thinking about any of these factors alone, because some combination of influences is almost always at work.

Professor Sapolsky includes a provocative exploration of the implications of our emerging understanding of the origins of individual differences, considering such questions as: How much do these insights threaten our own sense of self and individuality? Where do we draw the line between the essence of the person and the biological abnormalities? What counts as being ill? Who is biologically impaired, and who is just different? As more and more subtle abnormalities of neurobiology are understood, how much should we worry about the temptation to label people as "abnormal"? And what happens when we each have a few of these labels?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality, 2nd Edition

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Great - but only if you don't get it from Audible

What did you like best about Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality, 2nd Edition? What did you like least?

In this lecture course Sapolsky uses lots of diagrams, charts, graphs, etc.

These are not included if one purchases this course through Audible, and the lectures do not work half as well without access to these diagrams (because repeated reference is made to them).

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19 people found this helpful

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very neuroscience

narrator talks fast and can be difficult to keep up with at times.
very interesting listen though.
a pre existing knowledge of neuroscience is essential.
very detailed and flows well.

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3 people found this helpful

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superb

With clarity, great insight and humour, some groundbreaking and powerful ideas are communicated. I will be listening to the whole series again

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2 people found this helpful

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really interesting

really interesting - lots of stuff I didn't know, interesting philosophical questions re the mind

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1 person found this helpful

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Fascinating topic

Amazing course on tracing human behavior back through the insights of neurology, endocrinology, genetics and evolution.
A few lectures at the end apply this scheme to violent behavior. Here I missed some deeper connections from violent tendencies to other maybe not so destructive behaviors, i.e. going one level up towards psychology, but hey, the scope is already massive, and all the appropriate caveats were in place.
Recommended!!

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One of a kind

Prof. Sapolsky is just amazing scientists and teacher who shears his knowledge about human biology in the most inspiring way

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Fascinating and thought provoking

I love Robert Sapolsky’s insightful analysis and appropriate examples, which help me understand the concepts and apply these of life.

His cross-discipline approach is so rewarding and I love his quirky sense of humour.

He summarises and links each lecture to the next and into the overall structure of the course really well.

Great listening!

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Fantastic

I really admire Robert Sapolsky and I absolutely love listening to his lectures. Both the content and delivery are top notch! I wish he narrated his books as well!

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Absolutely fascinating!

I would listen Professor Sapolsky all day long if I could! The content and the delivery are incredible.

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  • Overall
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Love sapolsky's work and voice

I never get sick of Robert Sapolsky's work and voice... If I had teachers like him in school I would have been into the neuroscience realm a lot earlier!!

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