The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain Is Different and How to Understand Yours

How does the brain work? In Neuroscience of You, Chantel Prat attempts to answer the question in an open, conversational manner. 

There are many differences in individual brain function. There are also different things that provide pleasure to different brains. Some people love novelty, while others thrive more on sameness. Our definition of "abnormal" brain function is arbitrary. We draw a line and say "anything past this line is abnormal". However, it is not that clear. Brain functionality is on a spectrum. Even something seemingly straightforward like being "right handed" or "left handed" is actually a continuum. Some people are "more left handed" than others. 

Language is a key part of human brain development. Once people can read, it is difficult not to read characters that are seen. Learning a second language provides important benefits in brain functionality. (It seems to be more related to the quality of skill in the second language than the number of languages learned.) People have developed skills to understand the great complexity of language.

The book goes into theory of mind and development. The goal is not so much to provide novel research as to provide a relatable summary of where we are today.  The author does mention exercises in "brain control" that have been done, but acknowledges that these are very limited in capability, and require a willing participant. Understanding the brain relies on both the "physical understanding" of relationship with neurons as well as the psychological big picture understanding. There are many different ways that our brains can work, with "normal" being an arbitrary standard.