
Blindsight is 2020
Blindsight is 2020: Reflections on Covid Policies from Dissident Scientists, Philosophers, Artists, and More
Dr. Watson’s review: Five Stars, Highly Recommend. Language not appropriate for children or puckerbutts*. This is the single best book on the market to discuss in detail what happened during CoVID from the eyes of over 40 of the most brilliant minds in the world. Gabrielle Bauer is a healthcare reporter who went and interviewed people with an alternative view of what was happening during CoVID that was censored by mainstream dogma. She summarizes the interviews in each chapter. Some views may challenge your level of comfort, but this certainly does an outstanding job articulating the alternative views that any non-partisan, open-minded, thinking person should consider. I invite all of my patients’ parents to exercise their cognitive complexity to allow new and contrasting views into their field of consideration to enrich our dialogue when I see them in person.
*What is a “Puckerbutt”, this is my tongue-in-cheek label for people that are easily offended and uptight about everything.

Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker, PhD, Why We Sleep, Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.
Dr. Watson’s review: 5 stars, Highly Recommend. Easy to understand and very helpful for anyone who wants to understand the way sleep heals the brain. This book delves into the power of sleep, the necessity of sleep for a healthy brain, immune system and body. It details the effects on your brain when you go to bed late or wake up early. Dr. Walker challenges the education system that requires children to get up too early and makes a powerful argument to reconsider allowing our children to sleep. If you want to understand sleep and why you should take great efforts to protect it, this is the book for you.

You’re Not Listening
By Kate Murphy
Dr. Watson’s review: 5 stars, highly recommend. This book details the importance of truly listening. Have you ever said, “I don[t have time to talk now”? What you mean, is “I don’t have time to listen now.” Kate Murphy discusses the way we listen and the importance of truly listening for meaningful conversations. She introduces the term “cognitive complexity” to describe the maturity to hear differing points of view and still maintain a civil and open conversation. In the wake of the CoVID nightmare, many people simply stopped listening, the dialogue closed down as people retreated to their own echo chambers. Ms. Murphy reveals that critical role of remaining silent to allow others to speak, conversational manners and the difference between listening and going through the motions.

The Righteous Mind
Jonathan Haidt: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
Dr. Watson’s review: 4 stars. Recommend with a disclaimer*. Professor Haidt does a remarkable job breaking down his systematic approach to the development of moral foundations. In effect, he attempts to explore the kinds of things people value in helping them to develop their own concept of morality. He breaks them down into six areas and then goes into great length describing them. Foundation 1: Care/Harm, Foundation 2: Fairness/Cheating, Foundation 3: Loyalty/Betrayal, Foundation 4: Authority/Subversion, Foundation 5: Sanctity/Degradation, and Foundation 6: Liberty/Oppression. He does a decent job exploring why people have stopped communicating across political parties and in religious circles. Have you noticed a trend in regards to books that I recommend? They almost all deal with the importance of meaningful communication. Professor Haidt (a self-described liberal atheist) tries to break down why liberals and conservatives have such diverse (and even opposing) values. He recognizes that conservative thinkers use all six foundations, but liberal thinkers tend to acknowledge on only three. He also breaks down how both liberals and conservatives can re-engage in meaningful conversations again by simply recognizing what and why each party values things respectively. And commendably, he enjoins liberals to open their minds and recognize three entirely new foundations. Disclaimer*: 4 stars because of what I believe is Professor Haidt’s bizarre obsession with Charles Darwin, a necessary requisite for a large branch of atheist thinking that I personally find lacking intellectual honesty. If, however, you are willing to exercise your “Cognitive Complexity” this will prove to be a rewarding read that will challenge your thinking and broaden your understanding.