Well-Grounded: The Neurobiology of Rational Decisions
Lambert, K. (2018) Yale University Press.
Reviews of Well Grounded
“Well-Grounded: The Neurobiology of Rational Decisions gives us a tour of how our brains try to detect and act upon accurate contingencies – in other words, to make right decisions. And in teaching why we so often fail dismally at this, Kelly Lambert reveals the roots of frequent personal and societal misery. With clear, accessible, and witty writing, Well-Grounded is an important guidebook in a world endlessly luring us into making terrible, irrational decisions.”
—Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
“With a deftly funny touch but a deeply serious message, Kelly Lambert takes us into the world of the brain and its basic need to wrestle with the real world—not the world of soothing superstition and wishful thinking, but the world as it really is. Our brains are more healthy, resilient, happy, and sensible when they engage honestly with the physical and social worlds we live in. Brilliantly done.
—Patricia Churchland, author of Touching a Nerve: The Self as Brain and Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality.
"In her intriguing and compassionate book, Kelly Lambert, one of the most well-grounded scientists I know, provides a timely guide on avoiding the dangers of 'brain bubbles.”
—Katherine Ellison, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention
“Kelly Lambert is one of the few scientists who can see how her research ties into the wider world, who understands why that’s important, and who can explain it all to the rest of us. Read and enjoy this book.”
—Paul Raeburn, co-author of The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting
"Kelly Lambert’s Well-Grounded, written with an informal and light-hearted tone, harbors numerous deep insights regarding human behavior. It’s easy to understand why the author has garnered so many teaching awards."
—Peter Sterling, co-author with Simon Laughlin of Principles of Neural Design
“Kelly Lambert has a gift for popularizing complex scientific concepts and weaving the information into interesting and compelling story lines.”
—Donald G. Stein, Director of the Brain Research Lab, Emory University
