Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts—and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.

“This book blew my mind!”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

A BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Finalist for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award and the Porchlight Business Book Award

What is art? Many of us think of the arts as a luxury. This book will show you how arts are essential and can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone.

Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, no matter your skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. They expand our understanding of how playing music builds cognitive skills and enhances learning:

The vibrations of a tuning fork create sound waves to counteract stress.Virtual reality can provide cutting-edge therapeutic benefit.Interactive exhibits dissolve the boundaries between art and viewers, engaging all of our senses and strengthening memory.Doctors have even been prescribing museum visits to address loneliness, dementia, and many other physical and mental health concerns.

Featuring conversations with artists such as David Byrne, Renée Fleming, and evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, Your Brain on Art is an authoritative guide to how neuroaesthetics can help us transform traditional medicine, build healthier communities, and mend an aching planet. The book weaves a tapestry of breakthrough research, insights from multidisciplinary pioneers, and compelling stories from people who are using the arts to enhance their lives.

Publication History:Spring 2023 (HC, EL)

About the Author

Susan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is a faculty member. She works with both the public and private sectors using arts and culture evidence-based approaches in areas including health, child development, workforce innovation, rehabilitation, and social equity.

Ivy Ross is the Chief Design Officer of Consumer Devices at Google, where she leads a team that has won over 225 design awards. She is a National Endowment for Arts grant recipient and was ninth on Fast Company’s list of the 100 most creative people in business in 2019. Ivy believes the intersection of arts and sciences is where the most engaging and creative ideas are found.

Author Residence: Baltimore, MD; San Francisco, CA

Author Hometown: Baltimore, MD