Have you ever had the feeling that life is passing you by? That somehow, somewhere, you took a wrong turning, and that you're not living the life you should be living? That you're not the person you could be, if only - ? In this stunningly wide-ranging and fascinating book, Andrew Jenkins takes the reader on a journey of exploration into just how these feelings arise, through the development of what he calls the 'acquired self', and how, by making use of the extraordinary plasticity of our brains, we can re-educate our thoughts and behaviours and return to our 'authentic selves' - and have happy, effective and fulfilled lives.