The Brain at Rest: Why doing nothing can change your life
Jun 2025 · Random House
Ebook
256
Pages
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Eligible
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infoThis book will become available on June 26, 2025. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
When was the last time you let yourself do nothing – not scrolling while eating a sandwich, but nothing at all?
We are constantly told to make the most of our time. Stop procrastinating. Optimise. To be happy, creative and successful requires discipline and focus. The most important thing is to be efficient with every precious hour.
But when we let our brains rest, and our minds wander, something magical happens: the brain’s ’default network’ switches on, and suddenly we are able to think in completely new ways.
Blending science and personal stories with practical tips, Dr Joseph Jebelli reveals how neuroscience is solving the mystery of the brain at rest, with profound implications for intelligence, creativity and even life expectancy.
If we dare to break the taboo surrounding rest, we will find that long baths, walks in nature, meditation and simple daydreaming are the key to a happier, healthier – and ironically, more productive – life.
We are constantly told to make the most of our time. Stop procrastinating. Optimise. To be happy, creative and successful requires discipline and focus. The most important thing is to be efficient with every precious hour.
But when we let our brains rest, and our minds wander, something magical happens: the brain’s ’default network’ switches on, and suddenly we are able to think in completely new ways.
Blending science and personal stories with practical tips, Dr Joseph Jebelli reveals how neuroscience is solving the mystery of the brain at rest, with profound implications for intelligence, creativity and even life expectancy.
If we dare to break the taboo surrounding rest, we will find that long baths, walks in nature, meditation and simple daydreaming are the key to a happier, healthier – and ironically, more productive – life.
About the author
Dr Joseph Jebelli received a PhD in neuroscience from University College London, then worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Washington. He has written two books, How the Mind Changed and In Pursuit of Memory, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize and longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. He lives in London.
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