Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self

Summary

A fascinating survey of the forces that shape who we are and how we act—from the author of The Calculus Diaries Following her previous tours through the worlds of physics (Black Bodies and Quantum Cats) and calculus (The Calculus Diaries), acclaimed science writer Jennifer Ouellette now turns her attention to the mysteries of human identity and behavior with Me, Myself, and Why. She draws on genetics, neuroscience, and psychology—enlivened as always with her signature sense of humor and pop-culture references—to explore how we become who we are. Ouellette lets listeners in on her own surprising journey of self-discover, as she has her genome sequenced, her brain mapped, her personality typed, and even samples a popular hallucinogen. Bringing together everything from Mendel’s famous pea plant experiments and mutations in The X-Men to our taste in food and our relationship with avatars and our online selves, Ouellette delivers another fun and enlightening work of popular science that’s sure to be enjoyed by her many fans.