My Plastic Brain

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My Plastic Brain

Author : Caroline Williams
Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1633883914
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (338 download)

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Book Synopsis My Plastic Brain by : Caroline Williams

Download or read book My Plastic Brain written by Caroline Williams and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2018 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using herself as a guinea pig, a science journalist explores "neuroplasticity" to find out whether she can make meaningful, lasting changes to the way her brain works. In books like THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, THE NO-SPEND YEAR, and THE YEAR OF YES, individuals have tried a specific experience and then reported on it, sharing the takeaway for the rest of us. In MY PLASTIC BRAIN, Caroline Williams spends a year exploring "neuroplasticity"--the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections--to find out whether she can make meaningful, lasting changes to the way her brain works. A science journalist with access to cutting edge experts and facilities, she volunteers herself as a test subject, challenging researchers to make real changes to the function and performance of her brain. She seeks to improve on everyday weaknesses such as her limited attention span and tendency to worry too much. She then branches out into more mysterious areas such as creativity and the perception of time. From Boston to Oxford, England, and Philadelphia to Freiburg, Germany, Williams travels to labs or virtually meets with scientists and tries their techniques of mindfulness meditation, magnetic brain stimulation, sustained focus exercises, stress response retraining, and more. She shares her intimate journey with readers to discover what neuroscience can really do for us.

Brain Power

Author : Michael J. Gelb
Publisher : New World Library
ISBN 13 : 1608680746
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (86 download)

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Book Synopsis Brain Power by : Michael J. Gelb

Download or read book Brain Power written by Michael J. Gelb and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2011-12-26 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virtually everyone fears mental deterioration as they age. But in the past thirty years neuroscientists have discovered that the brain is actually designed to improve throughout life. How can you encourage this improvement?Brain Power shares practical, state-of-the-evidence answers in this inspiring, fun-to-read plan for action. The authors have interviewed physicians, gerontologists, and neuroscientists; studied the habits of men and women who epitomize healthy aging; and applied what they describe in their own lives. The resulting guidance; along with the accompanying downloadable Brain Sync audio program; can help you activate unused brain areas, tone mental muscles, and enliven every faculty.

The Brain That Changes Itself

Author : Norman Doidge
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101147113
Total Pages : 447 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis The Brain That Changes Itself by : Norman Doidge

Download or read book The Brain That Changes Itself written by Norman Doidge and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-03-15 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fascinating. Doidge’s book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.”—Oliver Sacks, MD, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat What is neuroplasticity? Is it possible to change your brain? Norman Doidge’s inspiring guide to the new brain science explains all of this and more An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable, and proving that it is, in fact, possible to change your brain. Psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, its healing powers, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed—people whose mental limitations, brain damage or brain trauma were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, stroke patients learning to speak, children with cerebral palsy learning to move with more grace, depression and anxiety disorders successfully treated, and lifelong character traits changed. Using these marvelous stories to probe mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture, and education, Dr. Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.

The Biological Mind

Author : Alan Jasanoff
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 154164431X
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (416 download)

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Book Synopsis The Biological Mind by : Alan Jasanoff

Download or read book The Biological Mind written by Alan Jasanoff and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2018-03-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pioneering neuroscientist argues that we are more than our brains To many, the brain is the seat of personal identity and autonomy. But the way we talk about the brain is often rooted more in mystical conceptions of the soul than in scientific fact. This blinds us to the physical realities of mental function. We ignore bodily influences on our psychology, from chemicals in the blood to bacteria in the gut, and overlook the ways that the environment affects our behavior, via factors varying from subconscious sights and sounds to the weather. As a result, we alternately overestimate our capacity for free will or equate brains to inorganic machines like computers. But a brain is neither a soul nor an electrical network: it is a bodily organ, and it cannot be separated from its surroundings. Our selves aren't just inside our heads--they're spread throughout our bodies and beyond. Only once we come to terms with this can we grasp the true nature of our humanity.

The Woman Who Changed Her Brain

Author : Barbara Arrowsmith-Young
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451607946
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis The Woman Who Changed Her Brain by : Barbara Arrowsmith-Young

Download or read book The Woman Who Changed Her Brain written by Barbara Arrowsmith-Young and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-09-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Previously published in hardcover: New York: Free Press, 2012.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

Author : JoAnn Deak
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780982993804
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (938 download)

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Book Synopsis Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by : JoAnn Deak

Download or read book Your Fantastic Elastic Brain written by JoAnn Deak and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaches children that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own brains, delivers the crucial message that mistakes are an essential part of learning, and introduces the brain's anatomy and functions.

Rewire Your Brain

Author : John B. Arden
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470487291
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Rewire Your Brain by : John B. Arden

Download or read book Rewire Your Brain written by John B. Arden and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-03-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to rewire your brain to improve virtually every aspect of your life-based on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology on neuroplasticity and evidence-based practices Not long ago, it was thought that the brain you were born with was the brain you would die with, and that the brain cells you had at birth were the most you would ever possess. Your brain was thought to be “hardwired” to function in predetermined ways. It turns out that's not true. Your brain is not hardwired, it's "softwired" by experience. This book shows you how you can rewire parts of the brain to feel more positive about your life, remain calm during stressful times, and improve your social relationships. Written by a leader in the field of Brain-Based Therapy, it teaches you how to activate the parts of your brain that have been underactivated and calm down those areas that have been hyperactivated so that you feel positive about your life and remain calm during stressful times. You will also learn to improve your memory, boost your mood, have better relationships, and get a good night sleep. Reveals how cutting-edge developments in neuroscience, and evidence-based practices can be used to improve your everyday life Other titles by Dr. Arden include: Brain-Based Therapy-Adult, Brain-Based Therapy-Child, Improving Your Memory For Dummies and Heal Your Anxiety Workbook Dr. Arden is a leader in integrating the new developments in neuroscience with psychotherapy and Director of Training in Mental Health for Kaiser Permanente for the Northern California Region Explaining exciting new developments in neuroscience and their applications to daily living, Rewire Your Brain will guide you through the process of changing your brain so you can change your life and be free of self-imposed limitations.

The Plastic Brain

Author : Rommy von Bernhardi
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319628178
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (196 download)

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Book Synopsis The Plastic Brain by : Rommy von Bernhardi

Download or read book The Plastic Brain written by Rommy von Bernhardi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-10-26 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive overview of the many factors that can influence brain plasticity throughout the lifespan. Addresses perinatal plasticity, functional state plasticity, injury-induced plasticity, and stressor-induced plasticity. Because it looks at so many aspects of the field, this volume will serve as a great resource for students as well as researchers interested in expanding their knowledge. The volume comes out as an integrated view based in the expertise of Ibero American neuroscientists working in the field.

Un-train Your Brain

Author : Mike Weeks
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 1473527627
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (735 download)

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Book Synopsis Un-train Your Brain by : Mike Weeks

Download or read book Un-train Your Brain written by Mike Weeks and published by Random House. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Right now, be it great or dire, your life is the sum total of your thoughts, choices, actions and habits; everything in your life can be traced to the way you think and how this influences what you do. But all too often our thoughts and feelings seem to have a mind of their own, with negative beliefs and emotions running amok in our nervous system, making it difficult, if not impossible, to make positive changes in our lives. Until now. Un-train Your Brain is an adventurous guide to freedom from the neurons that hold you back. It will enable you to choose how you feel and experience each moment, transforming your daily patterns and habits into actions that lead you to being your very best. READ THIS BOOK, APPLY ITS METHODS AND BEGIN CREATING THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE.

Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness

Author : Susannah Cahalan
Publisher : Penguin UK
ISBN 13 : 0141975350
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (419 download)

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Book Synopsis Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by : Susannah Cahalan

Download or read book Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness written by Susannah Cahalan and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2012-11-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'My first serious blackout marked the line between sanity and insanity. Though I would have moments of lucidity over the coming days and weeks, I would never again be the same person ...' Susannah Cahalan was a happy, clever, healthy twenty-four-year old. Then one day she woke up in hospital, with no memory of what had happened or how she had got there. Within weeks, she would be transformed into someone unrecognizable, descending into a state of acute psychosis, undergoing rages and convulsions, hallucinating that her father had murdered his wife; that she could control time with her mind. Everything she had taken for granted about her life, and who she was, was wiped out. Brain on Fire is Susannah's story of her terrifying descent into madness and the desperate hunt for a diagnosis, as, after dozens of tests and scans, baffled doctors concluded she should be confined in a psychiatric ward. It is also the story of how one brilliant man, Syria-born Dr Najar, finally proved - using a simple pen and paper - that Susannah's psychotic behaviour was caused by a rare autoimmune disease attacking her brain. His diagnosis of this little-known condition, thought to have been the real cause of devil-possessions through history, saved her life, and possibly the lives of many others. Cahalan takes readers inside this newly-discovered disease through the progress of her own harrowing journey, piecing it together using memories, journals, hospital videos and records. Written with passionate honesty and intelligence, Brain on Fire is a searingly personal yet universal book, which asks what happens when your identity is suddenly destroyed, and how you get it back. 'With eagle-eye precision and brutal honesty, Susannah Cahalan turns her journalistic gaze on herself as she bravely looks back on one of the most harrowing and unimaginable experiences one could ever face: the loss of mind, body and self. Brain on Fire is a mesmerizing story' -Mira Bartók, New York Times bestselling author of The Memory Palace Susannah Cahalan is a reporter on the New York Post, and the recipient of the 2010 Silurian Award of Excellence in Journalism for Feature Writing. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, and is frequently picked up by the Daily Mail, Gawker, Gothamist, AOL and Yahoo among other news aggregrator sites.

Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain

Author : Sharon Begley
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 0307492087
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain by : Sharon Begley

Download or read book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain written by Sharon Begley and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2008-11-12 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cutting-edge science and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism have come together to reveal that, contrary to popular belief, we have the power to literally change our brains by changing our minds. Recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity—the ability of the brain to change in response to experience—reveal that the brain is capable of altering its structure and function, and even of generating new neurons, a power we retain well into old age. The brain can adapt, heal, renew itself after trauma, compensate for disabilities, rewire itself to overcome dyslexia, and break cycles of depression and OCD. And as scientists are learning from studies performed on Buddhist monks, it is not only the outside world that can change the brain, so can the mind and, in particular, focused attention through the classic Buddhist practice of mindfulness. With her gift for making science accessible, meaningful, and compelling, science writer Sharon Begley illuminates a profound shift in our understanding of how the brain and the mind interact and takes us to the leading edge of a revolution in what it means to be human. Praise for Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain “There are two great things about this book. One is that it shows us how nothing about our brains is set in stone. The other is that it is written by Sharon Begley, one of the best science writers around. Begley is superb at framing the latest facts within the larger context of the field. This is a terrific book.”—Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers “Excellent . . . elegant and lucid prose . . . an open mind here will be rewarded.”—Discover “A strong dose of hope along with a strong does of science and Buddhist thought.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune

What Should We Do with Our Brain?

Author : Catherine Malabou
Publisher : Fordham Univ Press
ISBN 13 : 0823229548
Total Pages : 119 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (232 download)

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Book Synopsis What Should We Do with Our Brain? by : Catherine Malabou

Download or read book What Should We Do with Our Brain? written by Catherine Malabou and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2009-08-25 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent neuroscience, in replacing the old model of the brain as a single centralized source of control, has emphasized plasticity,the quality by which our brains develop and change throughout the course of our lives. Our brains exist as historical products, developing in interaction with themselves and with their surroundings.Hence there is a thin line between the organization of the nervous system and the political and social organization that both conditions and is conditioned by human experience. Looking carefully at contemporary neuroscience, it is hard not to notice that the new way of talking about the brain mirrors the management discourse of the neo-liberal capitalist world in which we now live, with its talk of decentralization, networks, and flexibility. Consciously or unconsciously, science cannot but echo the world in which it takes place.In the neo-liberal world, plasticitycan be equated with flexibility-a term that has become a buzzword in economics and management theory. The plastic brain would thus represent just another style of power, which, although less centralized, is still a means of control. In this book, Catherine Malabou develops a second, more radical meaning for plasticity. Not only does plasticity allow our brains to adapt to existing circumstances, it opens a margin of freedom to intervene, to change those very circumstances. Such an understanding opens up a newly transformative aspect of the neurosciences.In insisting on this proximity between the neurosciences and the social sciences, Malabou applies to the brain Marx's well-known phrase about history: people make their own brains, but they do not know it. This book is a summons to such knowledge.

Mind Management, Not Time Management

Author : David Kadavy
Publisher : Kadavy, Inc.
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 137 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (661 download)

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Book Synopsis Mind Management, Not Time Management by : David Kadavy

Download or read book Mind Management, Not Time Management written by David Kadavy and published by Kadavy, Inc.. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: OVER 30,000 COPIES SOLD “An exhilarating but highly structured approach to the creative use of time. Kadavy’s approach is likely to spark a new evaluation of conventional time management. ” —Kirkus Reviews You have the TIME. Do you have the ENERGY? You’ve done everything you can to save time. Every productivity tip, every “life hack,” every time management technique. But the more time you save, the less time you have. The more overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted you feel. “Time management” is squeezing blood from a stone. Introducing a new approach to productivity. Instead of struggling to get more out of your time, start effortlessly getting more out of your mind. In Mind Management, Not Time Management, best-selling author David Kadavy shares the fruits of his decade-long deep dive into how to truly be productive in a constantly changing world. Quit your daily routine. Use the hidden patterns all around you as launchpads to skyrocket your productivity. Do in only five minutes what used to take all day. Let your “passive genius” do your best thinking when you’re not even thinking. “Writer’s block” is a myth. Learn a timeless lesson from the 19th century’s most underrated scientist. Wield all of the power of technology, with none of the distractions. An obscure but inexpensive gadget may be the shortcut to your superpowers. Keep going, even when chaos strikes. Tap into the unexpected to find your next Big Idea. Mind Management, Not Time Management isn’t your typical productivity book. It’s a gripping page-turner chronicling Kadavy’s global search for the keys to unlock the future of productivity. You’ll learn faster, make better decisions, and turn your best ideas into reality. Buy it today.

Boost Your Brain

Author : Majid Fotuhi
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062199307
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (621 download)

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Book Synopsis Boost Your Brain by : Majid Fotuhi

Download or read book Boost Your Brain written by Majid Fotuhi and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on cutting-edge science, Boost Your Brain is internationally recognized neurologist Majid Fotuhi's complete program for increasing brain size and enhancing brain function, including memory, creativity, comprehension, and concentration. Our brains don't have to decline as we get older, argues Dr. Fotuhi. Depending on the things we do or neglect to do, we can actually get smarter and measurably improve our brain speed. In Boost Your Brain, the founder of the NeurExpand Brain Center and host of the PBS series Fight Alzheimer’s Early offers a three-month brain-optimization program—with noticeable results in just a few weeks. Boost Your Brain explores the very latest neuroscience research and offers actionable, authoritative advice on how readers of every age can experience the benefits of a bigger, better brain. Featuring more than two dozen black-and-white illustrations, Boost Your Brain: The New Art and Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance includes a foreword by Michael Roizen, M.D., coauthor of the bestselling YOU series and author of the Real Age books.

The Brain's Way of Healing

Author : Norman Doidge
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0698191439
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (981 download)

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Book Synopsis The Brain's Way of Healing by : Norman Doidge

Download or read book The Brain's Way of Healing written by Norman Doidge and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-01-27 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New York Times–bestselling author of The Brain That Changes Itself presents astounding advances in the treatment of brain injury and illness. Now in an updated and expanded paperback edition. Winner of the 2015 Gold Nautilus Book Award in Science & Cosmology In his groundbreaking work The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge introduced readers to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change its own structure and function in response to activity and mental experience. Now his revolutionary new book shows how the amazing process of neuroplastic healing really works. The Brain’s Way of Healing describes natural, noninvasive avenues into the brain provided by the energy around us—in light, sound, vibration, and movement—that can awaken the brain’s own healing capacities without producing unpleasant side effects. Doidge explores cases where patients alleviated chronic pain; recovered from debilitating strokes, brain injuries, and learning disorders; overcame attention deficit and learning disorders; and found relief from symptoms of autism, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and cerebral palsy. And we learn how to vastly reduce the risk of dementia, with simple approaches anyone can use. For centuries it was believed that the brain’s complexity prevented recovery from damage or disease. The Brain’s Way of Healing shows that this very sophistication is the source of a unique kind of healing. As he did so lucidly in The Brain That Changes Itself, Doidge uses stories to present cutting-edge science with practical real-world applications, and principles that everyone can apply to improve their brain’s performance and health.

Use Your Brain to Change Your Age

Author : Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
Publisher : Harmony
ISBN 13 : 0307888932
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis Use Your Brain to Change Your Age by : Daniel G. Amen, M.D.

Download or read book Use Your Brain to Change Your Age written by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bestselling author and PBS star, a brain healthy program to turn back the clock, and keep your mind sharp and your body fit. “Dr. Amen magically shows us that the aging of our brain need not match the aging of our bodies.”—Mehmet Oz, M.D. A healthy brain is the key to staying vibrant and alive for a long time, and in Use Your Brain to Change Your Age, bestselling author and brain expert Dr. Daniel G. Amen shares ten simple steps to boost your brain to help you live longer, look younger, and dramatically decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Over the last twenty years at Amen Clinics, Dr. Amen has performed more than 70,000 brain scans on patients from ninety different countries. His brain imaging work has taught him that our brains typically become less active with age and we become more vulnerable to memory problems and depression. Yet, one of the most exciting lessons he has learned is that with a little forethought and a brain-smart plan, you can slow, or even reverse, the aging process in the brain. Based on the approach that has helped thousands of people at Amen Clinics along with the most cutting-edge research, Dr. Amen’s breakthrough, easy-to-follow antiaging program shows you how to improve memory, focus, and energy; keep your heart and immune system strong; and reduce the outward signs of aging. By adopting the brain healthy strategies detailed in Use Your Brain to Change Your Age, you can outsmart your genes, put the brakes on aging, and even reverse the aging process. If you change your brain, you can change your life—and your age.

Mind Wide Open

Author : Steven Johnson
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 0743258797
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (432 download)

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Book Synopsis Mind Wide Open by : Steven Johnson

Download or read book Mind Wide Open written by Steven Johnson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2004-02-27 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BRILLIANTLY EXPLORING TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN RESEARCH, MIND WIDE OPEN IS AN UNPRECEDENTED JOURNEY INTO THE ESSENCE OF HUMAN PERSONALITY, ALLOWING READERS TO UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES AND THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES AS NEVER BEFORE. Using a mix of experiential reportage, personal storytelling, and fresh scientific discovery, Steven Johnson describes how the brain works -- its chemicals, structures, and subroutines -- and how these systems connect to the day-to-day realities of individual lives. For a hundred years, he says, many of us have assumed that the most powerful route to self-knowledge took the form of lying on a couch, talking about our childhoods. The possibility entertained in this book is that you can follow another path, in which learning about the brain's mechanics can widen one's self-awareness as powerfully as any therapy or meditation or drug. In Mind Wide Open, Johnson embarks on this path as his own test subject, participating in a battery of attention tests, learning to control video games by altering his brain waves, scanning his own brain with a $2 million fMRI machine, all in search of a modern answer to the oldest of questions: who am I? Along the way, Johnson explores how we "read" other people, how the brain processes frightening events (and how we might rid ourselves of the scars those memories leave), what the neurochemistry is behind love and sex, what it means that our brains are teeming with powerful chemicals closely related to recreational drugs, why music moves us to tears, and where our breakthrough ideas come from. Johnson's clear, engaging explanation of the physical functions of the brain reveals not only the broad strokes of our aptitudes and fears, our skills and weaknesses and desires, but also the momentary brain phenomena that a whole human life comprises. Why, when hearing a tale of woe, do we sometimes smile inappropriately, even if we don't want to? Why are some of us so bad at remembering phone numbers but brilliant at recognizing faces? Why does depression make us feel stupid? To read Mind Wide Open is to rethink family histories, individual fates, and the very nature of the self, and to see that brain science is now personally transformative -- a valuable tool for better relationships and better living.