Mind Wars: The battle for your brain - Tapa blanda

Why do human beings wage war and persecute each other? Why do religious and political factions battle to control nations? Why do seemingly intelligent people cling to beliefs that fly in the face of scientific evidence?In Mind Wars, Ian McFadyen puts forward the startling argument that human beings, the so-called intelligent species, are, in fact, not totally in control of their own thought processes. And human behaviour is not a product of instinct nor of any social, political or economic system. Rather, humans are little more than intellectual puppets - controlled by self-perpetuating belief systems that spread through society like viruses, destroying their rivals and exploiting the human animal for their own survival.This new perspective on human behaviour and history is not merely science fiction, but one which arises from the ideas of neo-Darwinism. McFadyen suggests that, just like biological organisms, our thoughts and behaviour are the result of an evolutionary battle in which it is not the most noble or the most truthful that win out, but the best replicators.Mind Wars will challenge the way you think about your own beliefs and force you to reassess your view of reality. Most importantly, it will make you ask yourself, 'How much of what I know do I really know?'

Ian McFadyen was born in Melbourne. He attended Melbourne High School where, although his initial love was science, he began to develop an interest in literature and film. He went on to study Arts, Education and Criminology at Melbourne University where he also became involved in theatre and film-making.Following university he worked as a social worker and a teacher before moving into theatre and television as an actor, director and producer. In the 1980's, he formed his own television production company, producing, among other things, the hugely popular series 'The Comedy Company', which created a boom in Australian television comedy.Since that time Ian McFadyen had dedicated himself to scriptwriting, teaching young film-makers and writing about entertainment, mass media and the new technologies. He now lives in Brisbane.