Ep. 1: Band of Brothers

Abdullahi Yusuf went from winning Minnesotan high-school football player to ISIS recruit in less than a year. He opens up publicly for the first time on how his search for identity ended up in radicalization. Plus, leading scientists explore why Abdullahi’s brain may have been hard-wired to make these decisions.©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC

Very timely and relevant

Excellently produced series on topics that are extremely important at this moment in history through the lens of our current scientific understanding.

Very Compelling

I found this to be very compelling. To see how a young teenager could go from a normal high schooler to want to join Isis. I loved how they broke down how the brain works, and why we feel the need to belong. Can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

A MUST LISTEN for parents of teens!

Where does Ep. 1: Band of Brothers (What Were You Thinking?) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Who thought it could be possible to feel compassion and empathy for an accused terrorist?!? Dina Temple-Raston delves into the adolescent brain to see what's going on there from ages 13-24, and why they sometimes make very poor choices. Fascinating stuff!

Who was your favorite character and why?

What about the narrator’s performance did you like?

Dina Temple-Raston makes this challenging subject easy to absorb.

Spot on

What made the experience of listening to Ep. 1: Band of Brothers (What Were You Thinking?) the most enjoyable?

As a high school teacher, I'm very aware of my teens' need for belonging, their need for purpose and identity. As an English teacher I want to use literature to help teens explore the big issues and the life defining moments. I'm not at all interested in standardized test taking.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ep. 1: Band of Brothers (What Were You Thinking?)?

Having teens think about the trajectory of their lives and defining for themselves which way they want to go is crucial. Teaching them how to discern fact from propaganda is a skill that will allow them to make those decisions.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had a sense of relief that it was possible to change one young man's fate, and perhaps he will change the fates of many others through his story.

Interesting and helpful

Any additional comments?

Everyone knows the teen years are rough. This helps explain how the brain works in teens and young adults vs adults. Understanding more about how the brain works can hopefully help people have more patience and stop harshly judging others. I hope we can all learn more and teach our children more. I hope we can all stop and think before making decisions. Actions have consequences, we need to train our brains more carefully. And we all need people that we can talk to and open up to about things, especially teenagers. They need strong supportive people to help guide them to make the right decisions. And sometimes, they just need someone to listen.

This was interesting and helpful in my opinion. It does get emotional. Some of the stories will break your heart. I hope it helps raise awareness and helps educate more people.

The Inexplicable Explained

This review is reflective of all the episodes in this series. Brilliant presentation of why our behavior when we are/were teens. I highly recommend this to anyone with children or who wants to understand their own boggling choices, especially in retrospect. Also to judges, social workers, teachers, or anyone in direct contact with teens and those in their early 20s. I'm not new to the topic yet learned so much from this series and repeatedly listen to it since it is layered and rich.

Just not very captivating

Not much of a start middle end feel. The narrators voice and the irritating merry music do not at all fit the subject matter. Dull.