Why we dream has always been a topic that has interested me and I have occasionally read books about it. This book covers a lot of ground. A lot of it is culled from other research and there doesn't seem to be a huge amount that the author has seen himself during his career (unsurprisingly as nearly everyone works in very narrow areas).

The author emphasises the role of the Executive Network and the Imagination Network in our dreams. He believes our dreams partly train us for the future by rehearsing scenarios and that we can learn about ourselves by studying our dreams. I'd always thought dreams were more for information processing and organising our memories, which was my recollection from other books. So it was good to read this side of the debate on why we dream (so much is still unknown).

The book looks at nightmares but the most interesting areas are lucid dreams and the hints of what might be possible in the future such as better dream interpretation and even dream engineering.

I would have liked a few more interesting case studies. It was quite a short book and covers a lot of ground skimming over related research and dipping into history (e.g. Graham Greene) for examples.

This book offers some advice on how to lucid dream, recording your dreams, and what you can learn from your dreams. I think I would have preferred a more practical step-by-step book just about lucid dreaming or dream interpretation. This is a very broad overview of the whole area of our dreams with snippets of advice here and there.

There is a huge bibliography but it's not divided into chapters or subject areas so it's hard to know where to go for more information about the bits I was interested in.

This book was fascinating, I’ve never been a file believer of what you dream means something but this book really made me think differently and I throughly enjoyed

This was a very different approach to dreaming. We spend a third of our life dreaming and these dreams affect our sleeping and our waking lives. What an opening!
This absorbing book has been written by an eminent neurosurgeon who explains all of his experiences so well.
It was amazing to read how much dreams play such a large part in our brain activity and is much more than just a dream by a person. The dreams that we have affect not only our sleep patterns but also our everyday waking hours. I found the references to childrens dreams and nightmares particularly fascinating as well as the timeline depicting the growth of dreams regarding ageism..
The book has been well written with each chapter referencing key topics but in places this is a dry read

How incredible that we can learn so much about dreams from a neuroscientists perspective. So fascinating. Dreams have played a significant role in shaping lives and history, inspiring creativity, and mirroring brain activity during sleep. Neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial delves into the importance of dreams, their impact on daily life, and their correlation to overall health. The book delves into the advantages of dreaming, provides guidance on lucid dreaming, and delves into the interconnection between dreaming and brain functionality. It tackles inquiries regarding the significance and interpretation of dreams, as well as the association between sleep and dreaming.

This was a really interesting book that looked at the topic of sleep. I only
Occasionally remember my dreams but I found the neuroscience behind dreaming illuminating.

What a thought....that we spend a third of our life dreaming! This book is fascinating, not an easy read, but I found that taking it in small helpings worked well. The author's research into childhood dreams and nightmares was particularly interesting. Altogether a highly researched and clever book. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

Absolutely fascinating! This book taught me so much delving into not just dreams and their meaning but how the brain works on different levels. I enjoyed reading about the author's research too. This book has piqued my interest on this topic so completely.

Already an interesting subject, Rahul has broken down every question or thought we have about dreams into key questions and chapters. I found it so well written and engaging, particularly with the references to studies and high profile people. Recommend for anyone who wants to delve a bit deeper into dreams and dreaming!

Coming from a technical background this book interest me. The author a neurosurgeon delves into the reasons why we dream. The book goes into great detail of what happens within our brain when we lay down to rest. At times, this is not an easy read, but it is certainly interesting and gives you food for thought.

Many thanks to the publisher and net Gary for the opportunity to see a DLC

An interesting examination of the sleeping brain and the power of dreams on our waking lives. Rahul Jandial uses his extensive experience as a brain surgeon and neuroscientist to delve into a relatively unexplored part of all our lives. Dreams have long been interpreted and there are many theories as to why we dream, Jandial explores some of these theories, referencing the research which has been carried out in this field. This is grounded in science but written in a clear and accessible way. The referencing is thorough throughout and useful for further reading. The chapters exploring lucid dreaming were especially interesting, something which has been recorded historically and practised, but only fairly recently explored by cognitive scientists. This is not a sleep dictionary which will interpret your dreams, but a far more insightful study into why we dream and what we can learn from our sleeping brain.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book.