New Books in Neuroscience

Today I’m speaking with neuroscientist Stave Ramirez about bullshit and memory. Steve is an associate professor at Boston University, where he runs a lab dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of memory. How memory works, and importantly, how it doesn’t, are crucial questions for understanding everything from the validity of eyewitness testimony to understanding how people overcome traumatic experiences. While the science on memory is far from settled, researchers like Steve are pushing the frontiers of the field forward to better understand how memories are created, stored, and altered. If we can better understand how memory works, we will be better able to understand ourselves. To help us avoid the pitfalls of the bullshit that surrounds the science of memory, I’m pleased to speak with Steve Ramirez.

Caleb Zakarin is CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network.
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Make Your Brain Work By Amy Brann Neuroscience expert, author, consultant and global speaker

Make Your Brain Work: Perform at a Higher Level (Kogan Page, 2025) is a practical, science-backed guide to improving focus, performance
and mental energy without burning out. Written for people balancing
multiple responsibilities, the book explains how to stay productive,
mentally sharp and in control, even when demands and pressure are high.

The
book also explores the neuroscience of smarter leadership,
high-performing teams and innovation. Brann examines working memory,
what the mind needs to achieve goals and how to help the brain perform
at an optimal level.

Drawing from current neuroscience, Amy Brann translates complex research about the brain into clear
strategies readers can apply in everyday work and life. She explores
why attention fades, distractions take over and decision-making becomes
more difficult when the brain is tired or under stress.

The
book emphasizes that high performance is not simply about pushing
harder. It is about understanding what the brain needs to function well
and creating habits that support focus, creativity, resilience, clear thinking and sustainable success. 

Key Ideas:

The brain performs best when its limited attention and energy are managed intentionally.

Understanding working memory can help us process information, solve problems and pursue goals more effectively.

Mental
rehearsal can activate neurons and strengthen neural circuits even when
an action is only imagined. For example, imagining your finger
contracting can prepare your brain and muscles to perform the movement
more effectively.

Neuroscience can help leaders make smarter decisions and create the conditions for high-performing teams.

Brain-aware leadership can encourage collaboration, creativity, innovation and meaningful change.

Mental fatigue can weaken focus, self-control and the quality of our decisions.

Working
with the brain, rather than continually forcing it beyond its limits,
can support greater success while helping to prevent burnout.

Key Takeaway from the Conversation:

One of the strongest ideas from the conversation is recognizing that
our brain can help us become smarter leaders, more creative thinkers and
stronger performers. Brann’s insights about working memory and
high-performing teams show that success is not only about effort. If you
read the book, you’ll learn how to think clearly, innovate, collaborate
and achieve meaningful goals.

Brann does not focus only on
managing fatigue or avoiding burnout. She also demonstrates how
understanding the brain can help people lead more effectively, develop
innovative ideas, make smarter choices and perform at a higher level. 

About Podcast Host

Angela Marie Hutchinson is the author of “Create Your Yes! When You
Keep Hearing No,” named a Forbes No. 4 book to advance your career. She
is a podcast host for New Books Network, where she leads conversations
for the neuroscience and Christianity channels. Hutchinson is also a
talent and intellectual property executive, former social media
professor and BBC commentator. She resides in Los Angeles with her
husband and three children.
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In this episode of the Language on the Move Podcast, Ingrid Piller speaks with Frank Stahnisch, Professor of the History of Medicine and Health Care at the University of Calgary in Canada, about his new book Great Minds in Despair – The Forced Migration of German-Speaking Neuroscientists to North America, 1933 to 1989 (2025, McGill-Queen’s University Press).

Great Minds in Despair examines the long-term effects of the forced migration of neuroscientists from the German lands in the 20th century on scientific and medical cultures in North America, and on the researchers themselves. The book traces the lives and careers of approximately 400 German-speaking doctors, scientists, and researchers over two generations. It is a fascinating read that anyone interested in migration, science history, Nazi Germany, transatlantic relations, Jewish Studies, and much more should read.

Reference

Stahnisch, F. W. (2025). Great Minds in Despair: The Forced Migration of German-Speaking Neuroscientists to North America, 1933 to 1989. McGill-Queen's University Press.

For additional resources, show notes, and transcripts, go here.
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How Deeply Human Is Language? Chomsky, the Brain, and the AI Fantasy (MIT Press, 2026) is Yosef Grodzinsky’s exploration of the criticality of the linguistic theories to the design of LLMs. The book dwells on the significance of the marriage between computational and theoretical fields, specifically “engineering and science” on the development of unique Language Learning Models. Yosef maintains that leveraging linguistic theories for the development of Gen AI chatbots and training of Language Learning Models will help the growing Gen-AI revolution. In the book, LLMs are evaluated from the neurolinguistic perspective, comparing how the human brain works with different LLMs’ reactions to prompts, highlighting how a collaboration between the core linguists and the experts in the technology-related fields could make a change.

Yosef Grodzinzky’s positions in the book is grounded in contemporary linguistics, founded and inspired by Noam Chomsky, the father of the “mentalist” linguistic perspective to language acquisition. In the book, the author employs the historical approach to tell different significant stories to communicate multiple messages of success of interdisciplinary practices. While the main idea is to explore the centrality of linguistic science to other fields with specific emphasis on Engineering and sister’s technological fields, the book dwelled on specific pitfalls of the linguistics and way forward to promote novel interdisciplinary productions.

Mariam Olugbodi is a university teacher and a writer, she is the author of the monograph titled: “Stylistic Features in the 2011 and 2012 Final Matches Commentaries in the UEFA Champions League”, published by Grin Verlag. Mariam’s greatest dream is seeing a world where knowledge is accessible to all. She does this through her volunteering roles on open knowledge platforms as a host and an editor. As part of her effort to maintain inclusion and diversity in knowledge transmission, she volunteers as a teacher in crises contexts. Learn more and connect with Mariam through her social links here. | LinkedIn| here. |ORCID| and here. |Meta|
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Explores the profound power of music to influence brain function and well-being.

IPA 2026 Distinguished Favorite in the Music Category

Why does music influence how we feel so deeply--and what are the scientific mechanisms behind this phenomenon? In Music Between Your Ears: How Musical Engagement Powers the Human Brain (JHU Press, 2025) Dr. Samuel Markind explores the intriguing relationship between music and brain function. Using evolutionary theory, he illuminates the pivotal role that music plays in human survival and procreation. From communication and caregiving to social bonding and partner selection, music has molded the human species and continues to shape our lives in remarkable ways.

This book combines insights from neuroscience and psychology with helpful drawings and vivid examples to present compelling evidence for music's life-enhancing potential. Dr. Markind highlights the brain's instinctive capacity for music: from newborns' natural affinity for rhythm and melody to the effect that music has on brain development throughout the lifespan. Music also helps people learn at any age and in any condition, so it can improve speech, movement, and memory in both healthy individuals and those suffering from illness or injury. Dr. Markind encourages readers to engage actively with music. Whether through singing, dancing, or instrument playing, the benefits of active participation are profound and accessible to everyone, regardless of musical background. This book, filled with straightforward and practical suggestions, is an inspiring guide for anyone seeking to enrich their life through music.

Music Between Your Ears shows how the act of engaging with music can profoundly impact your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. And the benefits of music go far beyond entertainment--they're essential to the very fabric of what makes us human.

Samuel Markind's website here.
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