Description: Brain science offers incredibly important clues for understanding who I am and the people around me. When my daughter was very young, she got frustrated because she couldn't memorize an internet address. So I told her, "People naturally can't remember more than seven items at once," and she responded, "Oh, so it's normal that I can't memorize this," and seemed to understand. Another time, my younger daughter complained that her parents treated her unfairly compared to her older sister. So I called both girls together and explained, "In our brains, there's a part called the 'insula' that compares whether parents are treating siblings equally. So no matter how hard you try not to feel jealous, that's simply how our brains work. Don't feel guilty about comparing yourself to your sister — instead, if you feel something is unfair, tell Mom and Dad." After hearing this, the girls understood the situation and even made up with each other. Seeing moments like these made me want to write a children's or young adult book someday. So I thought that if I were to publish just one children's book, it should be one that teaches kids brain science — science that helps them understand their own hearts and minds. We never really learn about brain science, not even through the end of high school. Yet brain science provides such crucial clues for understanding who we are, why our friends behave the way they do, and why our communities and society function the way they do. That's why I believe that if we teach children brain science early on, they'll be better able to manage their own emotions and develop deeper empathy for why others act the way they do. This led me to think, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful to teach kids brain science in a fun and fascinating way?' — and that's how this book series came to be. If I had to describe the Human Exploration Report series in one phrase, it would be: a jukebox of curiosity. Most of the worries children have when they're young can actually be answered by understanding the brain. 'Why do I feel this way sometimes? Why do I sometimes fight with others, fail to control my impulses, or want to do exactly what I'm told not to do? Why does my friend act that way? Why do my parents say these things to us?' Most of the questions we had as children can largely be explained by helping kids understand their hearts and minds, and the brain that holds them. That's why I think of the Human Exploration Report series as a jukebox for the curiosities and questions we truly wonder about. You put in the questions you've always had, and out come wonderful answers, explained through brain science — like a jukebox. I hope children come to see brain science not as some difficult academic subject, but as a kind of map for understanding themselves and their friends. The series continues with fascinating topics about us humans, including 'Appearance,' 'Memory,' 'Emotions,' 'Puberty,' and 'Senses.' Everyone is sensitive about their appearance. It seems perfectly natural, but it's actually quite a curious phenomenon — because to our eyes, monkeys or gorillas all look pretty much alike. Yet among themselves, they can tell with great precision which one looks more handsome or impressive, and they compare and compete with one another over it. We're the same way. From an alien's point of view, our eyes, noses, and mouths all look fairly similar, yet it might seem strange just how obsessively we compare who looks prettier or more handsome. Of course, this can lead us toward an unhealthy obsession with appearance, but in the process, we also learn to read others' emotions delicately and understand them through their expressions — all of which is wrapped up in how we perceive appearance. So I wanted children to understand, through exploring why humans are so preoccupied with appearance, how our capacity to understand one another actually develops — and with that in mind, I boldly...