Summer Reading Book Review: “The Extended Mind” by Annie Murphy Paul

Summer’s here, and Tech-Based Teaching is hitting the books! In this series, we’ll be looking at books about teaching, learning and more. Be sure to check back for new reviews over the summer! ☀️

August’s book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul, which explores how people think beyond the brain — through movement, spatial thinking and more.

Overview

The Extended Mind, published during the summer of 2021, considers the following: what if the brain-as-computer model doesn’t provide a whole picture of how cognition works in the modern day? What if the borders of thought extend beyond inputs and outputs?

Paul posits that the mind is extended in different ways. Specifically, she explores how people think through their bodies, their surroundings and their interpersonal connections. Each of these processes is explored in a different part of the book, with chapters making topical dives into related ideas.

The first part looks at cognition as it relates to the body. The chapters include thinking through sensation, through movement and through gestures. Paul shares anecdotes and facts, connecting bigger ideas to smaller tangents. This format continues throughout the book, making for an engaging read.

The second part looks at cognition and its relation to place. This includes not only physical space, such as the natural world and built surroundings, but also an intangible “space of ideas.” Paul looks at both architecture and digital devices as spaces in which people can thrive.

The final part looks at collaborative thinking through three topics: thinking with experts, thinking with peers and thinking in groups. Rather than being solely about collaborative learning, these chapters explore cognitive extensions with a social component. Paul covers everything from active learning and peer feedback to imitation and roleplay.

A Closer Look

The Extended Mind is written in a friendly way. Notes are listed at the back rather than cited in-text, and the endnotes are substantial due to Paul’s research. Examples are paired with stories, such as when Paul describes a man pitching a product to investors using gestural emphasis during his talk. That anecdote leads into information on gesture in general, particularly as it’s used in teaching and learning.

This book is geared toward a general audience rather than educators. Readers interested in cognitive science and the discoveries therein will likely enjoy The Extended Mind. For every teacherly example, there’s information relating to managers or businesspeople or doctors. That said, much of the book can be applied to education. Paul even references online and remote teaching, making ideas applicable to multiple learning situations.

The Extended Mind offers a broad, expansive sweep of neuroscience. A reader can find what interests them, then dig further. Interested in the way that spatial learning connects to memory? Wonder how coding apprenticeships work? Paul touches on these topics and others.

Takeaways

There’s a lot to parse in The Extended Mind. The writing style lends itself well to audio, although some of the italicized terms are lost in the audiobook. For readers with a deeper-level knowledge in a specific area, it’s possible that sections might feel superficial. Lay readers, however, can find something new every few pages.

In the first part, Paul shares information on gesture in teaching — and, following that, recorded gesture. One quick tip she suggests is to make sure hands are visible in lecture videos, as effective gesturing can help to emphasize certain points or provide auxiliary information. In a later part, Paul discusses the “video deficit,” which brings up concerns about recorded video in education. These ideas connect to a single topic — learning through video — but with very different focuses.

These sorts of connections are common in The Extended Mind. Some ideas are untenable — not all teachers can teach outside, where the natural landscape can inspire creativity and quick thinking. But perhaps having a plant in the classroom, or inspiring awe, may be doable. Concept mapping and its shuffling of information en place is not uncommon in classrooms. When viewed through a professional development lens, this book doesn’t provide one-size-fits-all advice. Instead, it gives suggestions that educators can explore for their own learning spaces.

Overall, The Extended Mind is chock full of interesting tidbits. While not an educator-specific book, it nonetheless has value for teachers and students. Its thesis of thinking outside the body is compelling, and with research pointing at an ever-more-diverse range of human thought, it’s likely that an extended mindset will not only be useful, but necessary.

If you’ve read this book, what did you think of it? Share your thoughts below.

For more book ideas, check out this guide for a list of brainy books.

About the blogger:

Jesika Brooks

Jesika Brooks is an editor and bookworm with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. She works in the field of higher education as an educational technology librarian, assisting with everything from setting up Learning Management Systems to teaching students how to use edtech tools. A lifelong learner herself, she has always been fascinated by the intersection of education and technology. She edits the Tech-Based Teaching blog (and always wants to hear from new voices!).