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|  | Author: John J. Ratey
Creator: Eric Hagerman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $12.70
as of 11/23/2009 00:17 CST details
You Save: $12.29 (49%)
New (48) Used (21) from $12.65
Seller: a1books
Rating:  76 reviews
Sales Rank: 712
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 5.8 x 1.3
ISBN: 0316113506
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.76
EAN: 9780316113502
ASIN: 0316113506
Publication Date: January 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new item. Over 6 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Few left in stock - order soon. Code: H20090805220934T
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 76
 Disappointing! January 22, 2009
Loyd E. Eskildson (Phoenix, AZ.)
20 out of 25 found this review helpful
"Spark" consists of hundreds of pages of an overview of brain chemistry, anecdotal accounts of how individuals improved their lives through exercise, and results from pertinent experiments - all aimed at convincing readers that most anything is possible if they exercise more.
The only problem is that science is not that clear, especially science involving educational achievement. This is because potential factors influencing education achievement (eg. exercise) are normally confounded with genetic and home environment factors. As a result, drawing conclusions in this area usually requires numerous replications and large numbers of participants.
The uniformity of results supporting Ratey's thesis makes one suspect that he cherry-picked that data available, making the entire book suspect.
Personally, I'd guess that exercise does help learning - it's just that the book doesn't provide a credible case. And I was impressed with the story of several P.E. teachers who had thoughtfully improved the aerobic condition of their students, and how heart monitors allowed them to identify those making a good effort (though their comparative results may not show it).
 I Love This Book January 20, 2009
Lulu (California)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
After reading this book at the request of my coach Caroline Adams Miller, I felt compelled to reinvent myself into someone who loves to exercise. I now rarely miss a workout and am a much happier person.
Great book January 9, 2009
D. Franks (United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I really liked this book because it helped me to see the science between the brain and exercise. Just another great reason to keep up your heart rate. I enjoyed this book a lot and look forward to any further books by Mr. Ratey.
 Disappointing and Irritating December 31, 2008
Timothy Miller (Stockton, CA USA)
29 out of 44 found this review helpful
Whatever your problem is, exercise will very likely solve it. Whatever your dream is -- living longer, more energy, better mood, and so on -- exercise will make it come true. There. Now you've read the book.
Well, you haven't quite read it... You will have missed hundreds of pages of dull and mostly irrelevant discussions of brain anatomy, neurotransmitters, and stress physiology. If you sometimes read about science, mood, stress, and so on, you've seen it all before.
I gave this book two stars instead of one. I considered one. If you are thinking about exercising more, it's probably a good idea. This book might inspire you to get off the sofa and head to the gym. It deserves a little credit for that.
The truth is, exercise might improve your mood, increase your intelligence, improve your educational success, cure your ADHD, or solve your addiction problem... Or, it might not. There's one way to find out, which is to try it. Exercise a lot, and stick with the program long enough to find out. Good luck with it.
Recent research does seem to indicate that exercise can improve or cure depression, in some cases, and maybe help solve other problems, too. Don't get too excited, though. Most of this research consists of small studies, rat studies, test tube studies and poorly controlled studies. The "revolution" in exercise research has not yet occurred.
The authors have never seen an exercise study they didn't like. They are enthusiasts and true believers. Drop a nickel in the slot -- what comes out? Big surprise! Exercise! Are there contrary studies? Do some people fail to benefit from exercise, and, if so, why? Are some methods more effective than exercise? Are some exercise studies so flawed that they should be disregarded? You'll never find out from reading this book.
Spark is a hodgepodge of anecdotes, case studies from the author's clinical experience, summaries of scientific studies, commentary from the author and useless physiology lessons that almost every reader will skim or skip. It has no literary coherence, no theoretical or scientific coherence.
Desperate to avoid obesity and diabetes, wishing to live longer, hoping to be more attractive, many people are exercising regularly. That's probably wise. Most people aren't exercising at all. It's probably better to exercise. That's about all you're going to learn from this book
Scientific Proof to back up our anecdotal observations December 26, 2008
Wayne Botha (South Windsor, CT, USA)
I was looking for information to help children with Learning Disabilities. This book provides scientific and medical evidence of the benefits of exercise to reduce stress and improve learning abilities as well as to improve self-confidence and reduce anxiety. All information is easy to read and applicable to average people. Every school teacher, phys-ed teacher, parent and adult should read this book. John J. Ratey, MD is THE EXPERT in this field. Now, I will head over to the treadmill to fire up my brain...
Showing reviews 21-25 of 76
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