A light-hearted look at the brain aimed at a lay audience, it particularly focuses on the neurobiology of emotional intelligence and in many ways is the neurobiological explanation of why emotional intelligence is so important to health, wealth and happiness. From birth to death our brains are learning. In this book Andrew explains the actual events that occurin the learning brain. Understanding the nuts and bolts of learning can only help you learn yourself - but also aid others to learn from you. The Little Book of Big Stuff About the Brain is about understanding why emotional health is so important. It is a book about structure and function - and the immensely reassuring fact that there is nothing occult or sinister or hidden about our emotional selves - there is just a whole pile of circuitry that can be adjusted and changed and remodelled.

Emotional damage is repairable, painful memories can be unlearned, and debilitating conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder can be placed firmly in the past. There is nothing about ourselves that we can't fundamentally change if we are prepared to do the work required. This means that no matter how deep the damage runs, there is still hope that it can (eventually) be unlearned. The most important message in this book - emotions and our emotional brains - underpin most of what we are and how we express ourselves from how we brush our hair to how we solve complex social and intellectual questions.