Best of
Brain

2008

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain


John J. Ratey - 2008
    Ratey, MD.Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance. In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think

Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware


Andy Hunt - 2008
    Not in an editor, IDE, or design tool. You're well educated on how to work with software and hardware, but what about wetware--our own brains? Learning new skills and new technology is critical to your career, and it's all in your head. In this book by Andy Hunt, you'll learn how our brains are wired, and how to take advantage of your brain's architecture. You'll learn new tricks and tips to learn more, faster, and retain more of what you learn. You need a pragmatic approach to thinking and learning. You need to Refactor Your Wetware. Programmers have to learn constantly; not just the stereotypical new technologies, but also the problem domain of the application, the whims of the user community, the quirks of your teammates, the shifting sands of the industry, and the evolving characteristics of the project itself as it is built. We'll journey together through bits of cognitive and neuroscience, learning and behavioral theory. You'll see some surprising aspects of how our brains work, and how you can take advantage of the system to improve your own learning and thinking skills.In this book you'll learn how to:Use the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to become more expertLeverage the architecture of the brain to strengthen different thinking modesAvoid common "known bugs" in your mindLearn more deliberately and more effectivelyManage knowledge more efficientlyPrinted in full color.

Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back Into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life


Ilchi Lee - 2008
    Brain Wave Vibration is a powerful, easy-to-follow method that helps people bring their bodies and minds back into balance for total health, happiness, and peace. The simplest form of practice merely requires moving your body to your own internal rhythms. Author Ilchi Lee teaches this simple truth through the book: creating a miracle is just a matter of coming back to who you really are. More than a physical training technique, Brain Wave Vibration is a call to action, a plea to uncover the vast abilities that lie within your brain. Through this revolutionary brain-body practice, you will stimulate your natural healing ability, manage your stress effectively, rediscover physical vitality, awaken your creative potential, and connect to your highest self.

Neurobiology of “We,” The: How Relationships, the Mind, and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are


Daniel J. Siegel - 2008
    But Daniel J. Siegel suggests that there's another piece to the puzzle: the profound influence of those around us. On The Neurobiology of "We" the founder of the emerging field known as interpersonal neurobiology presents a new model of human potential that he calls the mindbody-relationship connection. Building on more than two decades of scientific research, Siegel offers listeners an in-depth exploration of this new map of human consciousness; insights into how interpersonal experiences shape the developing mind and foster emotional well-being; details on the untapped power this connection holds for individual and societal transformation; and more.

The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science


R. Douglas Fields - 2008
    The Other Brain is the story of glia, which make up approximately 85 percent of the cells in the brain. Long neglected as little more than cerebral packing material ("glia" means glue), glia are sparking a revolution in brain science.Glia are completely different from neurons, the brain cells that we are familiar with. Scientists are discovering that glia have their own communication network, which operates in parallel to the more familiar communication among neurons. Glia provide the insulation for the neurons, and glia even regulate the flow of information between neurons.But it is the potential breakthroughs for medical science that are the most exciting frontier in glia research today. Diseases such as brain cancer and multiple sclerosis are caused by diseased glia. Glia are now believed to play an important role in such psychiatric illnesses as schizophrenia and depression, and in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. They are linked to infectious diseases such as HIV and prion disease (mad cow disease, for example) and to chronic pain. Scientists have discovered that glia repair the brain and spinal cord after injury and stroke. The more we learn about these cells that make up the "other" brain, the more important they seem to be.Written by a neuroscientist who is a leader in the research to reveal the secrets of these brain cells, The Other Brain offers a firsthand account of science in action. It takes us into the laboratories where important discoveries are being made, and it explains how scientists are learning that glial cells come in different types, with different capabilities. It tells the story of glia research from its origins to the most recent discoveries and gives readers a much more complete understanding of how the brain works and where the next breakthroughs in brain science and medicine are likely to come.

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School


John Medina - 2008
    Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—like the need for physical activity to get your brain working its best.How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains?In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.Medina’s fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You’ll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You’ll peer over a surgeon’s shoulder as he proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You’ll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can’t tie his own shoes.You will discover how:Every brain is wired differentlyExercise improves cognitionWe are designed to never stop learning and exploringMemories are volatileSleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learnVision trumps all of the other sensesStress changes the way we learnIn the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works—and how to get the most out of it.

The Secret Law of Attraction as Explained By Napoleon Hill


Napoleon Hill - 2008
    Created by Rhonda Byrnes, the video program and book have taken the ideas of the New Thought Movement that flourished in America at the turn of the twentieth century and made them as intriguing as The Da Vinci Code and as up-to-date as this morning-s headlines. This book, The Secret Law of Attraction as explained by Napoleon Hill, focuses its attention on two of the most famous names mentioned as keepers of the secret--Andrew Carnegie and Napoleon Hill--and on how Carnegie conveyed his understanding of this Secret Law of Attraction to Hill--who, in turn, transformed those concepts into the best-selling success book in the history of publishing: Think and Grow Rich. THE COMPLETE SECRET IN ONE BOOK For the first time, Napoleon Hill-s books have been carefully analyzed to identify those passages dealing with the Law of Attraction as well as the lesser-known of Carnegie-s laws that govern personal achievement and success. These key sections have been brought together between the covers of this one book, The Secret Law of Attraction

Neuroeconomics: Decision Making and the Brain


Paul W. Glimcher - 2008
    This book is the first edited reference to examine the science behind neuroeconomics, including how it influences human behavior and societal decision making from a behavioral economics point of view. Presenting a truly interdisciplinary approach, Neuroeconomics presents research from neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics, and includes chapters by all the major figures in the field, including two Economics Nobel laureates.

Left in the Dark


Graham Gynn - 2008
    It is so totally fresh, unexpected and hitherto un-thought-of that it will probably take a long time before evolutionary anthropologists and psychologists begin to take it on board; but it will make an impact, of that there is no doubt. It will be, it must be, taken very seriously in any discussion of human origins.'Colin Groves - Professor of Biological Anthropology at the School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University and author of several books including A Theory Of Human And Primate Evolution and Bones, Stones and MoleculesLeft in the Dark expounds the most radical reinterpretation of existing evidence from the disciplines of evolution, ecology, neurology, psychology, anthropology and other academic fields, whilst also placing the ancient ‘Ages of Mankind’ mythology and related traditions within a scientific context. These universal traditions were once the only version of history we had, they describe the onset and progression of a neurodegenerative condition that really has left us in the dark. Often considered no more than the imaginings of a primitive mind and easy to dismiss as mere myths, they are in fact a more accurate natural history of humankind than modern science has thus far recognised. The book outlines the origin and nature of a condition that eventually left us virtually blind to its existence. Evidence is cited that supports such a scenario. A means of definitively testing its validity is proposed and most importantly what can be done to treat the condition and prevent its occurrence. While this may seem a challenging prospect it promises amongst other things the restoration of phenomenal abilities, exceptional immune function and most importantly a greatly enhanced state of mind and well being only rarely glimpsed by a tiny minority.For more information visit www.leftinthedark.org.uk

The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health


Carolyn Bernstein - 2008
    But you may not know that migraine actually is a neurological disease. Affecting one in five women, one in twenty men, and one in twenty children, it's a debilitating, complex, and chronic condition that manifests in a combination of symptoms that can include excruciating head pain as well as other distinctive physical and emotional effects. Yet it's also a disease that you can get control of, improve, and manage, as Dr. Carolyn Bernstein has discovered in her seventeen years as a Harvard Medical School faculty member and practicing neurologist. Praised for her excellence and compassion, the founder of the Women's Headache Center near Boston, and a migraine sufferer herself, Dr. Bernstein has helped hundreds of her patients get better. Now, with "The Migraine Brain, " the most comprehensive, up-to-the-minute book on migraines ever written, you will be able to do the same -- reduce the frequency and intensity of your migraines, learn how to prevent and curtail them and how to recover from them more quickly, and mitigate migraine's effects on every aspect of your life: in the workplace and at home and during sex and travel. Every migraine is different because everyone who gets a migraine has a distinctive "Migraine Brain" with its own sensitivities and triggers. That's why it's so important for you to develop a personalized wellness plan to radically reduce the number and severity of your migraines. Dr. Bernstein also explains why migraines happen, why they are so often misdiagnosed, and why so few people get the right treatment for them. She reveals the latest research that shows that Migraine Brains share a hypersensitivity to stimuli -- the Migraine Brain can actually look different from others on a brain scan -- and is more likely to experience a cascade of neurological reactions that give rise to the common clusters of migraine symptoms. This breakthrough medical knowledge makes treatment and recovery possible w

The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Program


William J. Knaus - 2008
    If you're ready to stop letting your anxiety have the upper hand, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety can help. This workbook offers a step-by-step program you can use, on your own or with a therapist, to end anxiety and get back to living a rich and productive life.With this book, you'll develop a personal plan using techniques from rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), powerful treatment methods proven to be even more effective in the long term than anxiety medication. You'll learn to recognize your anxiety triggers, develop skills to stop anxious thoughts before they get out of control, and stop needless fears from coming back.The powerful tools in this book will help you:Silence the irrational thoughts that trigger anxiety Create a personal plan to overcome excessive fears and worries Stop expecting perfection from yourself and start feeling confident Calm yourself when panic takes hold Defeat depression and other conditions that often occur with anxiety Build self-esteem Track your symptoms and maintain your progress This book has received the prestigious accolade of being included in The Albert Ellis Tribute Book Series—created to honor the life and work of Albert Ellis, the founder of rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT). REBT is one of the most widely-practiced therapies throughout the world and is the foundation for cognitive-behavioral therapy and other evidence-based approaches. These books provide proven-effective treatments and tools to improve psychological well-being, while also supporting advancements in psychotherapy for the betterment of humanity.

Growing Up with Three Languages: Birth to Eleven


Xiao-lei Wang - 2008
    It tells the story of two parents from different cultural, linguistic, and ethnic-racial backgrounds who joined to raise their two children with their heritage languages outside their native countries. It also tells the children's story and the way they negotiated three cultures and languages and developed a trilingual identity. It sheds light on how parental support contributed to the children's simultaneous acquisition of three languages in an environment where the main input of the two heritage languages came respectively from the father and from the mother. It addresses the challenges and the unique language developmental characteristics of the two children during their trilingual acquisition process.

Remember, Remember


Ed Cooke - 2008
    Now Grandmaster of Memory Ed Cooke offers up his memory secrets with a fun, quick and completely unforgettable way to remember the things you thought you never could. But this is no boring Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste. With Ed leading the way on unlikely adventures through people and places, Abraham Lincoln may become a circle of bra-wearing hams linking arms in your mind, and you may well encounter a fridge wearing Calvin Klein underpants. You could also soon find yourself rattling off the prime ministers to a rapt audience and adding, in a knowing tone, ’ah yes, Marquess of Rockingham, Whig I believe?’. What is for sure is that you’ll be bursting with knowledge that will stick in your mind and impress your friends for ever.

The Good, the True, and the Beautiful: A Neuronal Approach


Jean-Pierre Changeux - 2008
    Taking into account the newest brain research—morphological, physiological, chemical, genetic—and placing these findings in the context of psychology, philosophy, art, and literature, Changeux ventures into the unexplored territories where these diverse disciplines intersect.Changeux's book draws on Plato's notion that the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are celestial essences or ideas, independent but so intertwined as to be inseparable. Placing these essences within the characteristic features of the human brain's neuronal organization, the author addresses unsolved questions in neuroscience today. With imagination and deep insight, Changeux illuminates the evolution of the brain and deciphers what new developments in neuroscience may portend for the future of humanity.

Standing at Water's Edge: Moving Past Fear, Blocks, and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion


Anne Paris - 2008
    Instead of stepping easily into the creative state, they succumb to chronic procrastination and torturous distraction.In Standing at Water’s Edge, psychologist Anne Paris calls on her extensive experience in working with creative clients to explore the deep psychological fears that block us from creative immersion. Employing cutting-edge theory and research, Paris weaves a new understanding of the artist during the creative process. Rather than presenting the creation of art as a lonely, solitary endeavor, she shows how relationships with others are actually crucial to creativity. Shining a light on the innermost experience of the artist as he or she engages with others, the artwork, and the audience, Paris explores how our sense of connection with others can aid or inhibit creative immersion. She reveals a unique model of “mirrors, heroes, and twins” to explore the key relationships that support creativity. Paris’s groundbreaking psychological approach gives artists valuable new insight into their own creative process, allowing them to unlock their potential and finish their greatest projects.

Who's Who of the Brain: A Guide to Its Inhabitants, Where They Live and What They Do


Kenneth Nunn - 2008
    Each character is introduced and their appearance, role and key functions in the brain explained. The authors also show what happens when things go wrong in the brain, and illustrate the work using examples of classic clinical cases.This book provides an immediate and entertaining way for anyone to gain a basic understanding or to refresh their knowledge of the inside workings of the brain.

The Neurology of Consciousness: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropathology


Steven Laureys - 2008
    One increasingly important method of studying consciousness is to study disorders of consciousness, e.g. brain damage and disease states leading to vegetative states, coma, minimally conscious states, etc. Many of these studies are very much in the public eye because of their relationship to controversies about coma patients (e.g. Terry Schiavo case in the US recently), and the relationship to one of the major philosophical, sociological, political, and religious questions of humankind.This is the first book to summarize our current understanding of the neuroanatomical and functional underpinnings of human consciousness by emphasizing a lesional approach offered via the study of neurological patients. The selected contributors are all outstanding authors and undisputed leaders in their field.

Working Memory and Academic Learning: Assessment and Intervention


Milton J. Dehn - 2008
    Its specific, step-by-step guidance and hands-on case studies enables you to identify how working memory relates to academic attainment and how to apply this knowledge in professional practice.

Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain


David Bainbridge - 2008
    The accessible approach of this book lays out what is known about the brain (its structure), what we can hope to know (its function), and what we may never know (its evolution).

Reality is Plastic: The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis


Anthony Jacquin - 2008
    

The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation


Shanida Nataraja - 2008
    Shanida Nataraja explores the extraordinary research that shows practices such as meditation, tai chi and yoga are not only helpful in reducing stress; they may actually be crucial for good health and optimal brain functioning.  From the effects of meditation on blood pressure and depression to the latest insights from brain imaging studies, this book reveals the scientific evidence that proves meditative practices should be at the very heart of our healthcare system.

Train Your Brain More: 60 Days to an Even Better Brain


Ryuta Kawashima - 2008
    The two-month program includes daily worksheets along with weekly tests and a personal logbook to track progress.

The Man with the Phantom Twin: Adventures in Neuroscience of the Human Brain


V.S. Ramachandran - 2008
     What makes humans different from other beings? Can science explain the nature of human creativity and empathy? While Darwinian science explains how humans evolved just as animals did, modern neuroscience is now unlocking the keys to those less tangible traits that set humans apart. Internationally renowned physician and neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran now gives us twenty-first-century answers to these age-old questions, showcasing the most current researcha much of it his ownainto physical mechanisms in the brain, including the mysterious mirror neurons. Just as Oliver Sacks has entertained a generation of readers with fascinating patient stories, "The Man with the Phantom Twin" features incredible case studies of bizarre behavior, such as a patient who becomes progressively demented yet creates beautiful paintings of extraordinary realism; a woman who suffers from a paranoid terror of the strangers who live in mirrors; a stroke victim who can no longer understand metaphors; and a patient who sees each number as being tinged with a color. Revealing a stunning new approach to the intersection of science and creativity, "The Man with the Phantom Twin" will forever change the way you think about what makes you beautiful and special.

The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents


Nancy A. Ratey - 2008
    The inattention, time-mismanagement, procrastination, impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty with transitions that often go hand-in-hand with ADHD can be overcome with the unique approach that Nancy Ratey brings to turning these behaviors around.The Disorganized Mind addresses the common issues confronted by the ADHD adult: "Where did the time go?""I'll do it later, I always work better under pressure anyway.""I'll just check my e-mail one more time before the meeting...""I'll pay the bills tomorrow - that will give me time to find them."Professional ADHD coach and expert Nancy Ratey helps readers better understand why their ADHD is getting in their way and what they can do about it. Nancy Ratey understands the challenges faced by adults with ADHD from both a personal and professional perspective and is able to help anyone move forward to achieve greater success. Many individuals with ADHD live in turmoil. It doesn't have to be that way. You can make choices and imagine how things can change - this book will teach you how. By using ADHD strategies that have worked for others and will work for you, as well as learning how to organize, plan, and prioritize, you'll clear the hurdles of daily living with a confidence and success you may never before have dreamed possible.Nancy Ratey has the proven strategies that will help anyone with ADHD get focused, stay on track, and get things done - and finally get what they want from their work and their life.For information and resources, please visit www.nancyratey.com""

On the Origin of the Human Mind: Three Theories: Uniqueness of Human Mind, Evolution of Human Mind, and the Neurological Basis of Conscious Experience


Andrey Vyshedskiy - 2008
    How do we think? What makes us so different from all the other animals on planet earth? What was the process that created the human mind? Is this process unique or can it be repeated on other planets? The book 'On the origin of the human mind' attempts to provide an answer to these questions"--Book jacket.

The Intelligent Movement Machine: An Ethological Perspective on the Primate Motor System


Michael S.A. Graziano - 2008
    The action repertoire of an animal is highly dimensional, whereas the cortical sheet is two-dimensional. Rendering the action space onto the cortex therefore results in a complex pattern, explaining the otherwise inexplicable details of the motor cortex organization. This clearly written book book includes a complete history of motor cortex research from its discovery to the present, a discussion of the major issues in motor cortex research, and an account of recent experiments that led to Graziano's action map view. Though focused on the motor cortex, the book includes a range of topics from an explanation of how primates put food in their mouths, to the origins of social beahvior such as smiling and laughing, to the mysterious link between movement disorders and autism. This book is written for a general audience, and should be of interest to experts, students, and the scientific lay.

Biology of Kundalini, Exploring the Fire of Life


Jana Dixon - 2008
    An important innovation in understanding the transformational process and the spiritualization of the body.