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Why We Ask Why

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What to expect

'One of my absolute favourite cognitive scientists. Now she's written one of my absolute favourite books!'
Angela Duckworth, author of GRIT

'A delightful tour of how the mind works for anyone who's ever wondered about their own desire to wonder'
Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University

'Fascinating, insightful, and always engaging'
Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS

'One of the most eloquent and creative of cognitive scientists as well as one of the best writers . . . [a] splendid new book'
Alison Gopnik, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley

'Smart, funny, and full of surprises, Why We Ask Why is a gem'
Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University, and author of PSYCH

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An insightful and compelling look at the cognitive science of explanation, revealing why humans crave explanation, what role it plays in our lives, and how we can do it better.

Humans are explanation-seeking creatures. We wonder why there's traffic, why a friend behaved a certain way, why the sky is blue, and - in moments of existential reflection - why we are here. Renowned cognitive scientist Tania Lombrozo has turned this explanation-seeking tendency back on itself to ask: Why do humans explain? What does explanation do for us? And, most importantly, how can we do it better?

Lombrozo explores the role that this overlooked cognitive process plays for each of us as we engage with others and the world around us. She reveals what makes some explanations more satisfying than others, why we seek simpler explanations (and whether we should), how explanations drive learning and science and how explanations give meaning to the world. Along the way, she provides crucial tools for becoming better producers and consumers of explanations.

Astute, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, Why We Ask Why is a book that offers explanations for questions you didn't even know you had.

Critics Review

Tania Lombrozo has for a very long time been one of my absolute favourite cognitive scientists. Now she's written one of my absolute favourite books! Winningly personal, beautifully written and exquisitely crafted, Why We Ask Why is a whirlwind tour of the science of explanation, led by a guide who knows it as well as anyone.
Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of GRIT
Why We Ask Why is an engrossing tour of our species' cognitive superpower: the need to seek explanations. Lombrozo elegantly turns human curiosity back on itself, giving us a glimpse into how explanation drives everything from learning to meaning making. A delightful tour of how the mind works for anyone who's ever wondered about their own desire to wonder.
Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast
Fascinating, insightful, and always engaging, Why We Ask Why explores the deeply human urge to understand what makes things happen, what makes things tick, and what makes things matter.
Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and New York Times bestselling author of STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS
Why are pandas so fat? Why were women in a Vienna maternity clinic dying in childbirth? And why are humans so obsessed with asking why? In this fascinating and original book, Tania Lombrozo explores this defining feature of our species with wit, elegance, and deep insight. Her discussion is wide-ranging and provocative, engaging with debates in the philosophy of science, making the case that a good explanation is a lot like an orgasm, and warning of a world in which increasingly powerful A.I. systems work in ways that nobody can fully explain. Smart, funny, and full of surprises, Why We Ask Why is a gem.
Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, and Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University, and author of PSYCH
Tania Lombrozo is one of the most eloquent and creative of cognitive scientists as well as one of the best writers. Her splendid new book takes on one of the most profound questions about the human mind - why do we ask why? What lies behind our restless quest for explanations? Lombrozo combines lucid analyses of science and philosophy with engaging examples from everyday life to figure out why we ask why and to say why it matters.
Alison Gopnik, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley
Author Tania Lombrozo
Duration 8 hours and 29 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781035419197
Format Audiobook
Publisher Headline
Genre Cognition and cognitive psychology, Popular science
Availability AU, GB, IE

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