It is easy to believe that you have a broken brain when you feel mentally ill, but anxiety and depression are natural conditions and remnants from ancient times when we risked dying of starvation and infections. We are not made to be content and happy all the time – if that were the case, our ancestors would not have survived for very long. Anders Hansen shows us how our mind works and instils hope in that we can indeed feel well in today’s stressful and digitally connected society. To succeed, we need to take better care of our brain and body – and perhaps also stop constantly chasing happiness.

“Anders Hansen is our foremost and most accomplished public educator. With his crystal-clear, straightforward prose that never shies away from the difficult questions, he writes about evolution and the brain, and why many of us are left feeling so bad. Brilliant, I think. And very informative.”
–David Lagercrantz

“We are biological beings, a product of evolution. With a warm heart and a light hand, Anders Hansen explains what this means for our mental well-being.”
–Karin Bojs

“The market is flooded with books on how to achieve good mental health, including everything from meditation and mindfulness to treatment with SSRI medication. But the brain is not developed for our well-being, but rather for our survival and reproduction. Stress states, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and even ADHD and autism spectrum diagnoses have evolutionary benefits. The psychiatrist Anders Hansen has understood this and delivers his thoughts in his new ingenious and well-written book: Brain Blues. It’s a must-read!”
–Hugo Lagercrantz, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institutet

“Brain Blues is a fascinating exploration of the ways in which our ancient neurologic wiring is mismatched for the modern ecosystem. By understanding depression and anxiety through the lens of evolution, we can make sense of the growing despair in the world today and do something about it. This is a must read for anyone hoping to understand the human brain.”
–Dr. Anna Lembke, New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence