In The Achilles Heels of Your Brain, psychiatrist Anders Hansen explores how our own brains can lead us astray. The very organ that enabled nuclear physics, DNA technology, art, and music also tempts us to overestimate ourselves, cling to biases, and spend hours glued to our phones. These gray cells drive us to overindulge, crave junk food, misremember, deceive ourselves, feel empty after success, envy our friends, divide the world too quickly into “us” and “them,” and flare up irrationally at fellow drivers.

Yet none of this is the result of malice—quite the opposite. Traits that today may seem like flaws are, in fact, clever adaptations that once helped our ancestors survive. In this book, internationally bestselling author Anders Hansen takes readers on a fascinating journey into the inner workings of the mind. Drawing on cutting-edge research, personal experiences from clinical practice, and practical advice, he shows how to live with a brain that is both primitive and extraordinary. The better we understand the brain’s Achilles heels, the better we can learn to navigate around them. This is a book that sheds light on both who we are and the world we live in.

“Every sentence is crystal clear and utterly fascinating. It’s like seeing the world from a new perspective – from the brain’s own point of view. I don’t understand how he can write so effortlessly and naturally about something so complex. Anders Hansen is our most important popular educator.”
– David Lagercrantz, author

“Clear, accessible insights into what happens when your brain lets you down.”
– Karin Bojs, journalist