This book is fascinating and by far, the most detailed scientific book on dreams that I have come across! It covers topics such as dreaming in REM vs non-REM, dream myths, lucid dreaming, nightmares, and more. I found it especially insightful that dreams are so important for us to process the day and make new insights, even if we do not consciously remember doing so. While this book shows that there is so much we simply don't know about dreams, we do know of their importance and of some profound ways that they affect our lives. Great, informative read!

I have always avoided books about dreams before, as although I find the whole topic interesting (I’m a lucid dreamer), I’m highly sceptical of dream interpretation. However, this book sounded like it approached things from a scientific perspective, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.

This book first covers some of the history of dream research, and previous theories about why we dream. This was all interesting to me, as I’ve never read about dreams previously. I feel that it would also be useful summary for those who have read other books on the topic.

The book then moves on to discuss what dreaming is, possible reasons why the brain dreams, and then moves on to cover the authors’ theory of dreaming. To me, it presents a compelling argument, NEXTUP seems like a plausible explanation for most dream phenomena, and why we have evolved to dream at all.

There are then chapters on various aspects of dreaming, and sleep disorders, including a discussion of ESP and precognition, as they relate to dreaming.

Overall, this was a fascinating insight into an aspect of how our brains function. I felt that the authors did a good job of remaining relatively unbiased, presenting the current evidence and their own theory. The summary at the end was great, a reminder of everything covered, and a look ahead. I’d recommend this book both to people who know nothing (apart from their own experience) about dreams, and to those with more knowledge.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

When Brains Dream is a thoroughly researched and comprehensive book on dreaming, and all the current research available on the topic. However, upon completing the book, one is left with one resounding realisation: there simply isn't much information available on the topic at all. Theories and theories abound, with sprinkles of real truth in between.

The lack of knowledge on the subject is hardly the authors' fault, however, the content of the book could have been more clearly expressed so one can align one's expectations accordingly. In the end, I felt like the book could have been halved and I would have covered the same points and learnt the same lessons. The hard truth is that we barely know anything about the dream world and our subconscious mind in comparison to the other sciences.

What an interesting book! I love when I stumble upon a book about a subject I know very little about and end up finding it very compelling.

It starts with the story of how the study of dream have developed and evolved, and of all the mysteries there are still left to uncover regarding the science of dreams. It gives the current research being done on the subject and the authors' studies. The explanations are simple and concise, and as someone with no background I was able to clearly understand it - probably missing the more scientific arguments presented.

I would - and I am - recommend this book to my non-fiction reader's friends

A big thanks to W.W. Norton and Company and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

When Brains Dream is an absolutely fascinating exploration into the cutting edge science of dreams. I had so many 'wow' moments while reading this book.

The book begins with an overview of the history of dream science. This really helps to set the stage and provide a foundation that the book later builds on. I especially enjoyed learning about other scientists that came before Freud and the kinds of questions and experiments they undertook.

A key part of book proposes a new explanation for dreaming and it's potential purpose. While this was absolutely fascinating, I found some of the material hard to grasp and integrate into my understanding. I wonder if this could have been told in a more simplistic way that would appeal to a broader audience?

Overall however, this is a fascinating book for anyone with an interest in dreaming and the brain. It's certainly broadened my horizons and expanded my knowledge in wonderful ways.

Dreaming has always been a strange and interesting thing.
This book presents research into dreams in a way that is easy to understand, interesting and informative. It discusses how dreams help people to process things, helps your memory, as well as the different stages of sleep, how dreams boost creativity as well as other topics.

This is a wonderfully insightful book and I highly recommend to anyone interested in the science behind sleep and dreams.

This was the most comprehensive book I've ever read about dreams written by two scholars. Antonio Zadra is a professor at the University of Montreal and a researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine. Robert Stickgold is a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Sleep Cognition. Many years of knowledge is included within the pages.

"When Brains Dream" starts with a history of scientist - Freud, Jung and many others - who have researched and documented their findings with fierce objections. It follows with over a thousand more recent reports that analyzes sleep by researchers for humans and other animals. Then there's a long explanation of why we need sleep with their own collection of dream logs..

While I'm a casual reader and could have passed over some of the scientific findings, there's an incredible amount of information revealed that makes me want to share with everyone I know. This is the first time, I've read a book with so much detail about sleep as it relates to the brain. It includes the body's function, differences with groups of men and women and how it shapes our lives. They noted how stress is a major contributor of insomnia and how dreams are just "bizarre." They said, "just like movies, our dreams have common themes that make us think about ourselves." Dreams have helped solve problems, used to write songs and novels and develop inventions. They also discuss sleep walkers, lucid dreaming and telepathic dreams. Is it a "coincidence" when someone dreams of something that hasn't happened?

In the end, the authors summarize their findings and provide the reader with a list of suggested reading and resources. For anyone interested in this field with the newest findings, it answers all of your questions and more. For those that need additional excitement, a thriller was recently released by Antonio Zadra, "The Dreamkeepers."

My thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGallery for providing me with this copy.

Absolutely love it when I can read a well-organized, evidence-based non-fiction book that superbly summarizes what we know about an important area of human behavior. Sleep and dreaming are certainly important and this new WW Norton book, When Brains Dream, does a phenomenal job of synthesizing and sharing what we know about dreams (and sleep). Not only does this book help me strengthen the way I teach these key concepts, but it also offered insights that are personally beneficial.

For any of you out there who, like me, enjoy a nice long factoid-sprinkled stroll through Brain Science Park every now and again, then this one should find its way onto your "must read" list without further ado. It's packed to the brim with scientific insight into what dreams are, what they're not, and how researchers have gone about studying this phenomenon of the unconscious mind. It also debunks questions about when we dream (in REM? in non-REM? all night long?), what dreams are for, why some people remember their dreams while others don't, and how our subjective experiences of dreams themselves can and do shape the study of them as a whole.

It's gripping, imagination-whirling stuff!

One of the most profound nuggets of information I took away from this book was the idea that we need to dream. It's important for us. Not simply because it helps to facilitate creativity or gain personal insight but because it's a way to process things congruously and continuously between our waking and dreaming lives. I also liked accruing information about sleep disorders, nightmares, lucid and prophetic dreams. It was interesting to realize that many answers only succeeded in generating more questions about dreams as a scientific concept.

So much has been measured, discovered, or deduced about dreams, and yet, there's still so much more we may never know about them. Incredible!

Many thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton and Company for the ARC in exchange for my review. 3.5 stars

I absolutely loved Dr. Matt Walker's book Why We Sleep and so I was very intrigued when I saw When Brains Dream. And I was not disappointed. This book offers anything and everything you'd ever want to know about dreams, from the history of past research to current scientific studies.

There was so much information in this book.
The authors provide a very in depth history of past researchers, even before Freud, and their revelations about dreaming. They present a new theory, called NEXTUP, that explains their approach for the purpose of dreaming. They offer information on disorders related to dreaming and sleep and debate the philosophical questions surrounding dreams.

My only critique is that at times this book came across as very textbook. I thought the authors actually did a really good job of having a playful tone while presenting this often intense material, but there were still times where I felt myself getting sleepy (no pun intended).

This book truly covers everything and is so fascinating. If you have ever wondered about a dream before you will find this book so thoughtful. I saved so many quotes, that can be found here, that left me pondering much after reading. If you are at all interested in this subject I definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the ARC of this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to allow me to provide an honest review.

This was a fascinating read. The book gave a great overview of the current state of the science of sleeping and dreaming. The presentation of the authors' theory of dreaming was cogent and provided a compelling case for the role of dreaming in memory and interpreting associations.

I think this book would be intriguing to a wide audience and will be recommending it to students in my Health Psychology class, where sleep and dreams are predictable favorite topics of the semester.

I’ve had such strange dreams during the COVID-19 pandemic that I was thrilled to find WHEN BRAINS DREAM.

This neuroscientifically-based exploration provides the answers I sought and so many intriguing insights into dreaming.

Written by two world-famous dream and sleep scientists, WHEN BRAINS DREAM reveals:

. The origin and significance of dreams
. Ways to understand different types of dreams (nightmares, lucid, prophetic)
. How dreams boost creativity and insight
. Dream myths and truths

Comprehensive, easy to understand, ever fascinating, and highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 12 Jan 2021

Thanks to the authors, W. W. Norton & Company, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

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