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|  | Author: John Medina
Publisher: Pear Press
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $16.23
as of 11/21/2009 15:26 CST details
You Save: $13.72 (46%)
New (33) Used (25) Collectible (4) from $10.57
Seller: fantastic_shopping
Rating:  85 reviews
Sales Rank: 10235
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 301
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0979777704
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.82
EAN: 9780979777707
ASIN: 0979777704
Publication Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 36-40 of 85
 A book for anyone with a brain - January 21, 2009
Roy Kirkland
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Most reviewers are focusing on this book as an enhanced performance or heightened productivity title, but John constantly refers to our early ancestors, and how various sensory and information-processing functions of the body (with the brain at the center) developed to insure our survival. This has made me think of the book more in terms of health and wellness. Although not promoting a "smart diet" or "smart drugs", he clearly illustrates that attention to these rules makes for a happy brain, and therefore better overall bodily functioning and behavior that will most likely be in the brain's self interest. That's health.
This is no "think yourself healthy, rich and into a great relationship" tome, like so many others. It is a simple and entertaining look at what neuroscience is learning about our behavior from the standpoint of the brain. Anyone can benefit from the information contained herein, whether in business, sports & health, the IT profession (people should be required to read this before they get service with an internet host LOL), performing and visual arts, culinary arts - you name it. It is an excellent course in human behavior. I have recommended it to everyone I know.
Brain rules rules!! January 15, 2009
George III (Columbus, OH)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is well written in easy to understand language and in a way that is extemely interesting. The brain is our super computer and this book tells you how to make the most of our super computers. Awesome!!
If You Only Have Time to Read One Book on the Brain January 7, 2009
factoid junkie
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am a lay student of this subject and have read 29 other books on this topic. For those who want to get grounded in some basics, based on recent scientific findings, read this book first. Even if you go on to read others you might get a leg up by starting with this one.
 Uses His Own Research In His Book Writing January 6, 2009
D. Sanoy
The author uses a lot of narratives and has them spaced to keep my attention. A few actually seem gratuitous because I didn't exactly see their point - yet, even though I recognized this fact, I was struck that the narratives still have the intended effect of giving my brain regular mode shifts that help retain my interest.
The Brain Rules!!! December 31, 2008
Marmez1@aol.com (Los Angeles, CA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who does a lot of teaching in different venues I read this book with great interest. It is written in a very entertaining style that is itself an example of several of the "rules" articulated in the book.
For those looking to delve deeply into the subjects presented, the book will not provide what you are seeking. Fortunately the author, John Medina, provides a link to his own blog where additional depth can be found.
For those who want to see the current state of the frontier between the disciplines of neuroscience, cognitive sciences, linguistics, behavioral psychology, human development, education, and even sociology intersect, this volume provides an excellent start.
The best sections include Rule #7 in which the importance of sleep to learning is convincingly demonstrated. This is a particularly vexing issue for me, as in my early training I had been taught not to give sleeping aids to insomniac patients. Now I see much more clearly how the reworking of the day's residue is the essential function of sleep, and without it learning is nearly impossible.
Rule #11, Male and Female brains are different, is explained exceptionally well. The differences between the "gist dominated" male brain and the "detail dominated" female brain was initially counterintuitive, but Medina explains it elegantly.
The tension arc between Rule #8, Stressed brains don't learn the same way, and Rule #9, Stimulate more of the senses, was not elucidated sufficiently. This is a topic and an apparent self-contradiction that Dr. Medina might address more clearly in his blog.
Everyone knows that exercise is generally good for one's health, but Rule #1 ties it to the brain in a powerful way.
The war between smell and sight was especially well reviewed in Rule #10 and presents this evolutionary battle in a way that had never occurred to me previously. No doubt this has been aided considerably by our upright posture which takes our nose further away from the source of aromas and places our eyes above obstructions that interfere with vision for similar sized creatures who navigate on all fours.
The final chapter, Rule #12, about the innate drive to be curious and to explore was very sweet and very moving at the same time.
Some of the themes in this book are addressed in a different style in Steven Mithen's book, A Prehistory of the Mind, [...]. Interested readers may wish to refer to my review of that earlier book.
Bottom line: this is a splendid introduction to brain science and its real world applications, written in an especially entertaining and effective style.
Showing reviews 36-40 of 85
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