Intended AudienceTrade
ReviewsA pioneer of the neuroscience of grief, O'Connor lays out in simple prose how we try to make sense of the impossible conundrum of loss. Anyone who's been through a loss or just wants to know how bereavement works, this is the book for you.
Dewey Decimal155.937
SynopsisNPR SciFri Book Club Pick Next Big Idea Club's "Top 21 Psychology Books of 2022" Behavioral Scientist Notable Books of 2022 A renowned grief expert and neuroscientist shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning. In The Grieving Brain, neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. O'Connor has devoted decades to researching the effects of grief on the brain, and in this book, she makes cutting-edge neuroscience accessible through her contagious enthusiasm, and guides us through how we encode love and grief. With love, our neurons help us form attachments to others; but, with loss, our brain must come to terms with where our loved ones went, or how to imagine a future without them. The Grieving Brain addresses: Why it's so hard to understand that a loved one has died and is gone forever Why grief causes so many emotions--sadness, anger, blame, guilt, and yearning Why grieving takes so long The distinction between grief and prolonged grief Why we ruminate so much after we lose a loved one How we go about restoring a meaningful life while grieving Based on O'Connor's own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and her real-life stories, The Grieving Brain combines storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge that will help us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace., The Grieving Brain is a fascinating new window into what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding. love, loss, and learning. Based on her own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and real-life stories. Mary-Frances O'Connor helps us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss.