The Animal and the Thinker

Author John Duncan
Narrator John Sackville
Publisher Ebury Publishing
Publish Date 10 July 2025
Run Time 12 hours and 27 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Behaviourism, Behavioural theory, Biology, life sciences, Humanistic psychology, Psychology: emotions.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Why are we so often in conflict—arguing with ourselves and with others, uncertain over who we are and what we need from our lives?

In The Animal and The Thinker, the world-leading, pioneering neuroscientist John Duncan explains that each of us is not just one person – we are two. On one side are our animal instincts, built on the sophisticated needs of human life through evolution, but struggling to navigate the complexity of modern life. On the other side is our rational brain which calculates and cogitates, but is often helpless in the face of bigger questions of meaning and purpose.

Dovetailing these two competing sides of ourselves, Duncan draws on a lifetime’s pioneering work to attack puzzles that have concerned thinkers, writers and philosophers through human history. Right and wrong. Freedom and responsibility. Women and men. Democracy and justice. Ambition and fulfilment. Understanding how these two sides of ourselves interact offers revealing and often surprising answers to some of the great questions of our lives.

Discover a new perspective on human behaviour, and learn how we can better understand ourselves, our struggles, and our search for meaning.

© John Duncan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

A tour de force. John Duncan has marshalled his experience as a world-class cognitive neuroscientist to remind us that whilst reason seems to define the human mind, the role of our animal instincts, as studied through Darwinian ethology, powerfully shape our behaviour and our social values. Duncan writes with an elegant clarity which is simultaneously thought-provoking and entertaining

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, University of Cambridge

Electric... a book full of good science, sage advice and deep understanding of the human condition

Professor Robin Dunbar, University of Oxford

John Duncan is one of the most interesting and thoughtful scientists to tackle the complexities of the human brain, and in this provocative and enjoyable book he explores how we are simultaneously rational and logical, but also animalistic and reactive in our thoughts and behaviour. Spanning human experience, from laughter to logic, he delves into the conflicts and convergences of these different brain systems with wit and insight

Professor Sophie Scott CBE

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