Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English

ME, MYSELF, AND WHY

Jennifer Ouellette

Searching for the Science of Self

For all the diversity we observe among the human race, our brains are 94% alike and our genes 99% identical. So what is it that makes us so different? What determines whether we have blue eyes, black hair, or wet earwax? What makes us introverts, or risk takers, or alcoholics? What can our DNA tell us about our political beliefs or our likelihood of developing Alzheimer's? And just what accounts for the magnificent phenomenon we call consciousness?

Jennifer Ouellette sets out to address these question and more in ME, MYSELF, AND WHY. Following her previous tours through the worlds of physics and calculus, she now turns her attention to the mysteries of human identity and behavior. Ouellette draws on genetics, neuroscience, and psychology--enlivened as always with her signature sense of humor and pop-culture references--to explore what these fields can tell us about who we are. At once journalist and subject, she submits to a battery of tests--from genome sequencing and fMRI scans to personality typing and her very own LSD trip--to seek answers for herself and the rest of us.
ME, MYSELF, AND WHY is fun, voice-driven popular science for fans and readers of A.J. Jacobs, Mary Roach, and Oliver Sacks.

Jennifer Ouellette is a science journalist and author of three previous books: The Calculus Diaries, The Physics of the Buffyverse, and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Discover, Salon, and Nature, among other publications. Ouellette served as the director of the National Academy of Sciences' Science and Entertainment Exchange. She has also been the Journalist in Residence at the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics and an instructor at the Santa Fe Science Writing Workshop. Ouellette is married to Caltech physicist and author Sean Carroll.

Available products
Book Published 2014-01-28 by Penguin Paperback
Book Published 2014-01-28 by Penguin Paperback

Comments

Interview with Jennifer Ouellette about: How much can research really tell us about our essential selves? Read more...

Ouellette is a smart, well-studied, and personable companion.... There are a number of approaches to defining a person, and this task has engaged philosophers, theologians, scientists, and pretty much everyone who has ever lived, at least since mirrors were invented. Ouellette looks at all of the methods listed above, and more, in trying to figure out who she is and what tools are at hand for firguring out who anyone is.

Who are we? Who am I? Those are the questions Ouellette tackles in this elegant and very personal inquiry into identity and the science of the self. . . . An entertaining, insightful, and thoughtful reflection on our assumptions about ourselves and the mystery that is at the heart of the human story.

Solid science well infused with readable history, pop culture and personal stories. . . . Ouellette’s personal anecdotes reveal a writer with keen intelligence, curiosity, a spirit of adventure and a sense of humor. Read more...

National Radio Broadcast - Jennifer Ouellette talks about ther book Read more...

China Citic: Simplified Chinese Baroque Books & Art: Romanian

Q & A: Jennifer Ouellette Read more...

It is hard to imagine a more delightful guide to the science of self than Ouellette. In Me, Myself, and Why, she uses all the devices of contemporary genetics, brain scanning and personality testing to delve deep into the formation of her own self.

Science journalist Jennifer Ouellette's exploration of the science of self is an engrossing and often amusing tour of elite labs and edgy research.

In, Me, Myself, and Why Ouellette offers curiosity-inspiring glimpses into science , coupled with an obvious love for the material and a healthy dose of humor…The combination of historical anecdote and current research is impressive.

An engrossing and often amusing tour of elite labs and edgy research.

Tackling 'the science of self' could easily get tedious or even a little boring, but in the capable hands of Jennifer Ouellette, it's nothing but fun.... Her ability to make rather advanced theories interesting and relatable makes this a must read for those who have a passion for science but would rather be reading Joan Didion.

A clear, direct tour of the biology of the self . . . from an author with a flair for making complex subjects simple. Read more...