Best of
Brain

2011

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain


Brock L. Eide - 2011
     In this paradigm-shifting book, neurolearning experts Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide describe an exciting new brain science that reveals that dyslexic people have unique brain structure and organization. While the differences are responsible for certain challenges with literacy and reading, the dyslexic brain also gives a predisposition to important skills, and special talents. While dyslexics typically struggle to decode the written word, they often also excel in such areas of reasoning as mechanical (required for architects and surgeons), interconnected (artists and inventors); narrative (novelists and lawyers), and dynamic (scientists and business pioneers). The Dyslexic Advantage provides the first complete portrait of dyslexia.

The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human


V.S. Ramachandran - 2011
    S. Ramachandran is at the forefront of his field-so much so that Richard Dawkins dubbed him the "Marco Polo of neuroscience." Now, in a major new work, Ramachandran sets his sights on the mystery of human uniqueness. Taking us to the frontiers of neurology, he reveals what baffling and extreme case studies can teach us about normal brain function and how it evolved. Synesthesia becomes a window into the brain mechanisms that make some of us more creative than others. And autism--for which Ramachandran opens a new direction for treatment--gives us a glimpse of the aspect of being human that we understand least: self-awareness. Ramachandran tackles the most exciting and controversial topics in neurology with a storyteller's eye for compelling case studies and a researcher's flair for new approaches to age-old questions. Tracing the strange links between neurology and behavior, this book unveils a wealth of clues into the deepest mysteries of the human brain.

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain


David Eagleman - 2011
    If the conscious mind—the part you consider you—accounts for only a tiny fraction of the brain’s function, what is all the rest doing? This is the question that David Eagleman—renowned neuroscientist and acclaimed author of Sum—answers in a book as accessible and entertaining as it is deeply informed by startling, up-to-the-minute research.

The Anxiety and Worry Workbook: The Cognitive Behavioral Solution


David A. Clark - 2011
    It is grounded in cognitive behavior therapy, the proven treatment approach developed and tested over more than 25 years by pioneering clinician-researcher Aaron T. Beck. Now Dr. Beck and fellow cognitive therapy expert David A. Clark put the tools and techniques of cognitive behavior therapy at your fingertips in this compassionate guide. Carefully crafted worksheets (you can download and print additional copies as needed), exercises, and examples reflect the authors' decades of experience helping people just like you. Learn practical strategies for identifying your anxiety triggers, challenging the thoughts and beliefs that lead to distress, safely facing the situations you fear, and truly loosening anxiety's grip--one manageable step at a time.Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Self-Help Book of Merit

Beyond the Brain: How Body and Environment Shape Animal and Human Minds


Louise Barrett - 2011
    But as Beyond the Brain indicates, this is a dangerous assumption because animals have different evolutionary trajectories, ecological niches, and physical attributes. How do these differences influence animal thinking and behavior? Removing our human-centered spectacles, Louise Barrett investigates the mind and brain and offers an alternative approach for understanding animal and human cognition. Drawing on examples from animal behavior, comparative psychology, robotics, artificial life, developmental psychology, and cognitive science, Barrett provides remarkable new insights into how animals and humans depend on their bodies and environment--not just their brains--to behave intelligently.Barrett begins with an overview of human cognitive adaptations and how these color our views of other species, brains, and minds. Considering when it is worth having a big brain--or indeed having a brain at all--she investigates exactly what brains are good at. Showing that the brain's evolutionary function guides action in the world, she looks at how physical structure contributes to cognitive processes, and she demonstrates how these processes employ materials and resources in specific environments.Arguing that thinking and behavior constitute a property of the whole organism, not just the brain, Beyond the Brain illustrates how the body, brain, and cognition are tied to the wider world.

I, Mammal: Why Your Brain Links Status and Happiness


Loretta Graziano Breuning - 2011
    An appetite for status develops as naturally as the appetite for food and sex. Status hierarchies emerge spontaneously as each individual strives to meet their needs and avoid harm. You would never think this way in words, but your mammal brain uses neurochemicals instead of words. When you understand the private lives of animals, your neurochemical ups and downs make sense. You have inherited the operating system that helped mammals thrive for millions of years. Nothing is wrong with us. We are mammals. You may say you're "against status." But if you filled a room with people who said they were anti-status, a hierarchy would soon form based on how anti-status they are. That's what mammals do. Our neurochemical ups and downs make sense when you look at the private lives of animals. The field notes of a primatologist are eerily similar to the lyrics of a country western song. A biology textbook resembles a soap opera script. The mammal brain cannot put its reactions into words, so the human cortex struggles to make sense of the limbic system it's attached to. We can finally make sense of our hybrid brain thanks to an accumulation of research in animal science and neuroscience. The frustrations of social hierarchies are not caused by "our society." We are simply heirs to the brain that helped mammals thrive for two hundred million years. It's not easy being human with a mammalian operating system. But when you understand the neurochemistry of mammals, you can stop focusing on our flaws and simply celebrate how well we do with the mental equipment we've got. Mammals live in groups for protection from predators, but group life can be frustrating. Some herd mates always seem to get the best mating opportunities and foraging spots. Fortunately, the mammal brain evolved to handle this. It releases stress chemicals when a mammal needs to hold back to avoid conflict. And it emits happy chemicals- serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins, when a mammal sees a way to forge ahead and meet its needs.

The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit


Melissa Tiers - 2011
    Utilizing the latest research in neuroscience and mind/body medicine, you learn how to rewire your brain and change habituated patterns as you empower yourself with the most cutting edge and easy to apply processes available. Integrating techniques from the fields of clinical hypnosis, NLP, Cognitive, Behavioral and Energy Psychology, this book is comprehensive and life changing.

Power Up Your Brain: The Neuroscience of Enlightenment


David Perlmutter - 2011
    Joining the long-separated worlds of science and spirit, Perlmutter explores the exciting phenomena of neurogenesis and mitochondrial health, while Villoldo brings his vast knowledge of shamanic and spiritual practices to the table.

Memory Improvement: How To Improve Your Memory In Just 30 Days


Ron White - 2011
    * Have you ever walked into a room and couldn't remember what you went there for? * Have you ever grasped the hand of a potential client and then when the handshake broke, the name seemed to disappear from your memory? * Or have you ever left a prospect or an important meeting and as you drove away remembered a key point that you should have shared with them?The problem is NOT with your memory. The problem is with the "Filing System" your brain currently uses to store and retrieve memory items. Change the filing system and you'll double and even triple your memory comprehension.Two-time USA Memory Champion Ron White will teach you the same 2,000-year-old memory method that he has already taught thousands to:* Give presentations and speeches without notes...
 * Memorize chapters of books word for word...* Retain information from workshops or training classes…* Improve your grades and study skills…* Remember names and faces, even years later…* Routinely memorize 100 digit numbers after hearing them only once…* And lots more!--> Includes an offer for a FREE video of Easy As 1-2-3 Memory Tricks <--

Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain


Michael S. Gazzaniga - 2011
    Gazzaniga has been called the “father of cognitive neuroscience.” In his remarkable book, Who’s in Charge?, he makes a powerful and provocative argument that counters the common wisdom that our lives are wholly determined by physical processes we cannot control. His well-reasoned case against the idea that we live in a “determined” world is fascinating and liberating, solidifying his place among the likes of Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio, V.S. Ramachandran, and other bestselling science authors exploring the mysteries of the human brain

Attraction isn't a choice


David DeAngelo - 2011
    

Memory and the Human Lifespan


Steve Joordens - 2011
    The lectures lead a startling voyage into the human mind, explaining not only how the various aspects of your memory operate, but the impact memory has on your daily experience of life.The various memory systems provide the continuity of consciousness that allows the concept of "you" to make sense, creating the ongoing narrative that makes your life truly yours. Without those systems and the overall experience of memory they make possible, you would have no context for the most crucial decisions of your life. You would have to make—without the benefit of experience and knowledge—the decisions that determine not only your quality of life, but your very survival. And your ability to learn, or even to form the personality that makes you unique, would similarly be set adrift.Course Lecture Titles24 Lectures, 30 minutes per lecture 1.Memory Is a PartyUsing the metaphor of a party whose “guests” include the different components of the complex interactions that make up memory, Professor Joordens introduces you to several kinds of memory—including episodic, semantic, and procedural—to arrive at an initial understanding of the variety of processes at work in human “memory.”2. The Ancient “Art of Memory”Techniques to embed and retrieve memories more easily—so-called mnemonic strategies—date back at least to classical Greece. See how one such technique—the Method of Loci—can help improve the episodic memory you depend on to recall a group of items such as grocery or to-do lists.3. Rote Memorization and a Science of ForgettingIs a mnemonic strategy always the most useful? Examine rote memorization and how it differs from mnemonics. Also, get an introduction to the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus, whose 19th-century experiments in remembering and forgetting marked the first scientific examination of memory.4. Sensory Memory—Brief Traces of the PastBegin a deeper discussion of the different kinds of memory, beginning with sensory memory and how its brief retentive power lets you switch from one stimulus to another—and even gives you your sense of “the present moment.” Here, the focus is on iconic (or visual) memory and its auditory counterpart, echoic memory.5. The Conveyor Belt of Working MemoryPlunge into the mental processes that allow you to work with information, often with the goal of solving a problem. You learn that these processes can also be used to keep information briefly “in mind,” though they require effort and are prone to interference.6. Encoding—Our Gateway into Long-Term MemoryHow does information make its way from your temporary working memory into long-term memory so you can access it again when you need it? This introduction to encoding explains the process and offers useful tips for improving your own recall.7. Episodic and Semantic Long-Term MemoryStrengthen your grasp of how these two key memory systems function. You explore the relationship between them with analogies that range from the job requirements of London taxi drivers to the famed “holo-deck” of the Star Trek television series.8. The Secret Passage—Implicit MemoryEncounter still another category of memory—a way in which your experiences can enter long-term memory without the kind of “effortful encoding” discussed earlier. You learn why this sort of memory creation is vitally important, yet also unreliable as a substitute for conscious effort.9. From Procedural Memory to HabitIn this lecture, you see that your memory for procedures is useful not only in the “muscle memory” of physical skills, but also in cognitive processes. Also, learn about constructivist learning, in which the explicit structure of a procedure—which is usually taught verbally—instead is learned implicitly during exploratory practice.10. When Memory Systems Battle—Habits vs. GoalsWhat happens when implicit or procedural memories become so powerful they seize control? In this examination of the tenacity of habits, learn how and why habits are formed and what steps might be useful in changing them, or at least regaining control.11. Sleep and the Consolidation of MemoriesDoes sleep play a role in strengthening memories of your experiences during the day? Gain a sense of the latest research about a subject that is difficult to study as you explore the relationship between sleep and memory, including the possible link between specific sleep stages and specific kinds of memory.12. Infant and Early Childhood MemoryHow does the maturation of memory fit into a child’s overall brain development? Gain invaluable and surprising insights into the month-by-month and year-by-year development of a child’s capacity for memory, beginning in the womb and continuing on with its dramatic development after entry into the world.13. Animal Cognition and MemoryDoes an elephant really never forget? Expand your study of memory to investigate the extent to which the mysterious abilities of humans may also exist in animals and, if so, how they might differ from our own.14. Mapping Memory in the BrainAlmost two decades since its revolutionary appearance, fMRI—functional magnetic resonance imaging—is allowing researchers to watch the living human brain at work, with no harm or discomfort to the subject. Explore what happens in several areas of the brain as memories are created or retrieved.15. Neural Network ModelsCan computer models mimic the operations of the human brain? Examine the use of neural network modeling, in which biologically inspired models posited by researchers in cognitive neuroscience are advancing our understanding of just how those operations take place.16. Learning from Brain Damage and AmnesiasLeave the world of computers for that of neuropsychology as you focus on the life situations of several patients who have suffered some form of brain injury. You learn how damage to different areas of the brain can have dramatically different impacts on memory and how these patients experience the world.17. The Many Challenges of Alzheimer’s DiseaseIn a lecture that explores one of our most frightening diseases from both the caregiver’s and sufferer’s perspectives, learn how Alzheimer’s progresses, how that progression may be forestalled, and ways in which technology may be able to help through the emerging field of “cognitive prosthetics.”18. That Powerful Glow of Warm FamiliarityWhy does something familiar to us actually feel that way? Discover the sources of familiarity as you are introduced to the concepts of perceptual fluency and prototypes, and explore some surprising ways that those feelings of familiarity can trump other considerations.19. Déjà Vu and the Illusion of MemoryIs déjà vu simply an illusion of memory? If so, can we learn more about memory by trying to understand how this common phenomenon comes about? Examine some of the theories that have 20. Recovered Memories or False Memories?Is episodic memory subject to the same pitfalls as misattributed feelings of familiarity? Can we “remember” things that never took place with the same intensity and certainty as those that did? Gain new insights into what is at stake when long-forgotten “memories” resurface.21. Mind the Gaps! Memory as ReconstructionMetaphors for memory usually reference information storehouses of some kind, such as library stacks or computer hard drives, from which episodic memories are “retrieved.” Learn about the extent to which we actually construct our memories anew each time we summon them and how this explains common memory errors.22. How We Choose What's Important to RememberDoes our brain always make decisions for us about which aspects of our experience to encode for later recall, or can we influence that process ourselves? Learn potentially powerful techniques for influencing the shape of future memories.23. Aging, Memory, and Cognitive TransitionApply a reality check to the popularly held belief that memory naturally declines as we age. Learn what happened when a researcher corrected for the age-related variables long-ignored by traditional testers—and what conclusions we can draw about what lies ahead for us as we grow older.24. The Monster at the End of the BookContemplate the significance of what you’ve learned, with special attention to the common question of whether you can improve your episodic memory—remembering what you want to recall, forgetting what you’d rather not, and making choices about how to achieve a balance.

Neuroscience for Dummies


Frank Amthor - 2011
    Neuroscience For Dummies tracks to an introductory neuroscience class, giving you an understanding of the brain's structure and function, as well as a look into the relationship between memory, learning, emotions, and the brain. Providing insight into the biology of mental illness and a glimpse at future treatments and applications of neuroscience, Neuroscience For Dummies is a fascinating read for students and general interest readers alike.The brain holds the secrets to our personalities, our use of language, our love of music, and our memories. Neuroscience For Dummies looks at how this complex structure works, according to the most recent scientific discoveries, illustrated by helpful diagrams and engaging anecdotes.Helpful diagrams and engaging anecdotes enhance material The latest scientific discoveries are sprinkled throughout Tracks to a typical introductory neuroscience class From how the brain works to how you feel emotions, Neuroscience For Dummies offers a comprehensive overview of the fascinating study of the human brain.

Handbook of Functional MRI Data Analysis


Russell A. Poldrack - 2011
    Handbook for Functional MRI Data Analysis provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to the methods used for fMRI data analysis. Using minimal jargon, this book explains the concepts behind processing fMRI data, focusing on the techniques that are most commonly used in the field. This book provides background about the methods employed by common data analysis packages including FSL, SPM, and AFNI. Some of the newest cutting-edge techniques, including pattern classification analysis, connectivity modeling, and resting state network analysis, are also discussed. Readers of this book, whether newcomers to the field or experienced researchers, will obtain a deep and effective knowledge of how to employ fMRI analysis to ask scientific questions and become more sophisticated users of fMRI analysis software.

You Are Not Your Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and Taking Control of Your Life


Jeffrey M. Schwartz - 2011
     A leading neuroplasticity researcher and the coauthor of the groundbreaking books Brain Lock and The Mind and the Brain, Jeffrey M. Schwartz has spent his career studying the structure and neuronal firing patterns of the human brain. He pioneered the first mindfulness-based treatment program for people suffering from OCD, teaching patients how to achieve long-term relief from their compulsions. For the past six years, Schwartz has worked with psychiatrist Rebecca Gladding to refine a program that successfully explains how the brain works and why we often feel besieged by bad brain wiring. Just like with the compulsions of OCD patients, they discovered that bad habits, social anxieties, self-deprecating thoughts, and compulsive overindulgence are all rooted in overactive brain circuits. The key to making life changes that you want-to make your brain work for you-is to consciously choose to "starve" these circuits of focused attention, thereby decreasing their influence and strength. As evidenced by the huge success of Schwartz's previous books, as well as Daniel Amen's Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, and Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself, there is a large audience interested in harnessing the brain's untapped potential, yearning for a step-by-step, scientifically grounded and clinically proven approach. In fact, readers of Brain Lock wrote to the authors in record numbers asking for such a book. In You Are Not Your Brain, Schwartz and Gladding carefully outline their program, showing readers how to identify negative brain impulses, channel them through the power of focused attention, and ultimately lead more fulfilling and empowered lives.

The New Digital Shoreline: How Web 2.0 and Millennials Are Revolutionizing Higher Education


Roger McHaney - 2011
    Parents, teachers, and everyone else involved in learning would be well-advised to read this book.--The FuturistRoger McHaney not only deftly analyzes how Web 2.0 is shaping the attitudes and motivations of today's students, but guides us through the topography of existing and emerging digital media, environments, applications, platforms and devices and the potential they have for disrupting teacher-student relationships; and, if appropriately used, for engaging students in their learning.

I Is for Influence: The New and Surprising Science of Persuasion


Rob Yeung - 2011
    Why do some have it and others don't? And what is it, exactly, that makes someone and their point of view so irresistible? In fact, anyone can master the power of influence and Rob Yeung shows you how. Delving into fascinating psychology, he reveals unexpected insights including: * Why giving people more choice might make them less happy * Why telling people they 'should' do something makes them less likely to do it * Why offering something for free makes it less desirable * When 1 is more persuasive than 50 Revealing the secrets behind effortlessly winning trust and support, "I is for Influence" will open doors to endless potential in your life, whether it's getting that promotion, winning that business contract or finding your perfect match. By the bestselling author of "Confidence" and "The Extra One Per Cent" (Macmillan, 2010).

365 Days of Wisdom: Daily Messages to Inspire You Through the Year


Dadi Janki - 2011
    It offers 365 short but profound spiritual thoughts, one to inspire each day of the year. The quotations of the day have been gathered from people who have devoted their lives to the spiritual path and specially chosen to provoke thought and encourage inner development. But they are far from esoteric or difficult to understand. The quotations address the issues we all struggle with daily: stress and negativity, how we organize our lives and make the best decisions, the joys and difficulties of connecting with others and the nature of love. Organized as one day per page, each day s thought is followed by a short contemplation, practice or project, with space to write your own thoughts and chart your inner journey through the year. The beauty of wisdom is that it is timeless and simple; there is no calendar element to the book and so you can start using it at any point in the year. Whether you need to cool the mind or warm the heart, let this inspired collection of wisdom and insight be your guide through the year."

Reconnected Kids: Help Your Child Achieve Physical, Mental, and Emotional Balance


Robert Melillo - 2011
    This empowering method shows parents how to first identify their own role in their child's behavior, and then how to guide the child to focus on goals, practice lifelong good habits, and stay motivated.This insightful and whole-family approach will help parents and kids reach their full potential.

Play Your Brain: Adopt a Musical Mindset and Change Your Life and Career


Anette Prehn - 2011
    Turn your brain into a co-player not an opponent? Create that crucial readiness to change in yourself and others? Build a stronger repertoire in whatever you do? Then get to know the 8 keys on your inner piano. In Play Your Brain, award-winning trainer Anette Prehn and neuroscience researcher Kjeld Fredens introduce a groundbreaking approach to coaching yourself: through knowledge of how your brain works, combined with a playful, flexible, musical attitude in working along with it. Here are simple yet powerful tools for achieving the goals in your life and career. Whatever your experience in other instruments, you can become a virtuoso at playing your brain and playing your way to success

Whole Foods to Thrive: Nutrient-Dense, Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health


Brendan Brazier - 2011
    What impact do food choices have on your health?  Have you ever been curious as to where your food came from, who grew it, and the path it took to get to your table?  Have you ever wondered how much of each natural resource was used to produce your food - in other words, the soil-to-table environmental cost?  In Whole Foods to Thrive, Brendan Brazier clearly explains how nutrient-dense, plant-based foods are the best choice - not only for your health, but also for the health and sustainability of the planet.  Versatile and packed with flavour, whole foods have an abundance of health benefits for those who want sustainable energy, high-quality sleep, physical strength, and mental sharpness.  Whole Foods to Thrive builds upon Brendan's stress-busting, energy-boosting approach to nutrition and food introduced in his acclaimed bestseller The Thrive Diet, and includes 200 delicious, easy-to-make, plant-based recipes that are all allergen-free and contain no wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, dairy, or corn.  It features recipes such as:Gorilla Food Green Tacos Quinoa Falafels Indian-Spiced Lentil Hemp Burgers Maple Crispy Rice Treats Visit www.brendanbrazier.com

TRIZ for Engineers


Karen Gadd - 2011
    This accessible, colourful and practical guide has been developed from problem-solving workshops run by Oxford Creativity, one of the world's top TRIZ training organizations started by Gadd in 1998. Gadd has successfully introduced TRIZ to many major organisations such as Airbus, Sellafield Sites, Saint-Gobain, DCA, Doosan Babcock, Kraft, Qinetiq, Trelleborg, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, working on diverse major projects including next generation submarines, chocolate packaging, nuclear clean-up, sustainability and cost reduction. Engineering companies are increasingly recognising and acting upon the need to encourage successful, practical and systematic innovation at every stage of the engineering process including product development and design. TRIZ enables greater clarity of thought and taps into the creativity innate in all of us, transforming random, ineffective brainstorming into targeted, audited, creative sessions focussed on the problem at hand and unlocking the engineers' knowledge and genius to identify all the relevant solutions.For good design engineers and technical directors across all industries, as well as students of engineering, entrepreneurship and innovation, TRIZ for Engineers will help unlock and realise the potential of TRIZ. The individual tools are straightforward, the problem-solving process is systematic and repeatable, and the results will speak for themselves. This highly innovative book:Satisfies the need for concise, clearly presented information together with practical advice on TRIZ and problem solving algorithms Employs explanatory techniques, processes and examples that have been used to train thousands of engineers to use TRIZ successfully Contains real, relevant and recent case studies from major blue chip companies Is illustrated throughout with specially commissioned full-colour cartoons that illustrate the various concepts and techniques and bring the theory to life Turns good engineers into great engineers.

Knowing Otherwise: Race, Gender, and Implicit Understanding


Alexis Shotwell - 2011
    Similarly, one may know how to do certain things, like ride a bicycle, without being able to articulate in words what that knowledge is. These are examples of what Alexis Shotwell discusses in Knowing Otherwise as phenomena of "implicit understanding." Presenting a systematic analysis of this concept, she highlights how this kind of understanding may be used to ground positive political and social change, such as combating racism in its less overt and more deep-rooted forms.Shotwell begins by distinguishing four basic types of implicit understanding: nonpropositional, skill-based, or practical knowledge; embodied knowledge; potentially propositional knowledge; and affective knowledge. She then develops the notion of a racialized and gendered "common sense," drawing on Gramsci and critical race theorists, and clarifies the idea of embodied knowledge by showing how it operates in the realm of aesthetics. She also examines the role that both negative affects, like shame, and positive affects, like sympathy, can play in moving us away from racism and toward political solidarity and social justice. Finally, Shotwell looks at the politicized experience of one's body in feminist and transgender theories of liberation in order to elucidate the role of situated sensuous knowledge in bringing about social change and political transformation.

Bridges to Success: Keys to Transforming Learning Difficulties


Olive Hickmott - 2011
    Learn how to transform learning difficulties into successful learning differences, enabling youngsters and adults alike to succeed. Bridges to Success offers visually talented yet challenged individuals a completely new perspective, empowering them to change themselves and the system around them. The focus is on positives and how people can be their very best. Threads of research, a wealth of experience and a variety of evidence have been pieced together to offer simple skills that anyone can learn to start making changes for the whole family and for any educational practice.

Outsmarting Yourself:Catching Your Past Invading The Present And What To Do About It


Karl Lehman - 2011
    

From Neuron to Brain/ Neurons in Action Version 2


John G. Nicholls - 2011
    Book annotation not available for this title.Title: From Neuron to Brain/ Neurons in Action Version 2Author: Nicholls, John G./ Martin, Robert A./ Fuchs, Paul A./ Moore, John W./ Stuart, Ann E.Publisher: Sinauer Associates IncPublication Date: 2011/11/04Number of Pages: Binding Type: HARDCOVERLibrary of Congress:

The Enlightened Brain: The Neuroscience of Awakening


Rick Hanson - 2011
    With modern neuroscience, we're now beginning to understand the brain processes that support these wonderful qualities of mind, explains Dr. Rick Hanson. With The Enlightened Brain, this pioneering neuropsychologist explores how you can activate these same processes inside your own brain to accelerate your own transformation.Self-Directed Neuroplasticity--How Our Mind Shapes Our BrainYour thoughts and feelings continually sculpt your brain--for better or worse. As Dr. Hanson teaches, you can use the power of self-directed neuroplasticity to take control of the evolutionary tendency of your brain to react to life with fear, frustration, and heartache--and return your brain to its natural state of calm, contentment, and caring. With simple and potent practices, he reveals how you can weave positive thoughts and emotions into the fabric of your brain, allowing you to cultivate the qualities of mindfulness, virtue, and wisdom for your own path of awakening.This new science gives us unprecedented tools to individualize psychological growth and spiritual practice, says Dr. Hanson. You'll learn about your unique profile of attention and which methods best strengthen your focus and concentration. You'll also learn how to approach life with equanimity and relax the focus on me, myself, and I. With The Enlightened Brain, Dr. Rick Hanson gives you practical tools for strengthening the neural circuitry of spacious awareness, calm in the midst of stress, contemplative absorption, resilience, and lasting happiness.HIGHLIGHTSKnowing your brain--how to tailor psychological growth and spiritual practice to your unique neurophysiology- Defeating the negativity bias of your brain by internalizing key resources- Pairing positive experiences with negative material to soothe and heal old pain- Activating the neural foundations of mindfulness- Strengthening the five factors of concentration and deep meditative absorption- Building neural shock absorbers for stable inner peace in a turbulent world- Using neuroscience to relax the apparent self and take life less personallyCourse objectives: Explain how to tailor psychological growth and spiritual practice to your unique neurophysiology.- Summarize how to defeat the negativity bias of your brain by internalizing key resources.- Practice pairing positive experiences with negative material to soothe and heal old pain.- Apply techniques to activate the neural foundations of mindfulness.- Practice strengthening the five factors of concentration and deep meditative absorption.- Utilize exercises to build neural shock absorbers for stable inner peace in a turbulent world.

Bullshift: Get More Honesty and Straight Talk at Work


Andrew Horabin - 2011
    This book is aboutBULLSHITThere’s too much in our workplaces.Too much in our lives.There’s too much going into our eyes and ears and too much coming out of our mouths.We have to shift the bull.Bullshit costs time.It costs money.It costs energy.Bullshit is killing you early,making you sick,and keeping you from getting better.It’s stripping the soul from the workplace.Bullshit is a poisonous drugwe need to quit.This text covers several issues relating to behaviours – both conscious and unconscious – that prohibit, distort or confuse authentic or accurate observations and representations of life.There is an excess of these behaviours and their resulting effects in modern working environments.

The Art of Insanity: An Analysis of Ten Schizophrenic Artists


Hans Prinzhorn - 2011
    While working at the psychiatric hospital of the University of Heidelberg, Prinzhorn focused on adding to the hospital’s collection of artwork created by mentally ill patients. Making use of this collection, he published Bildnerei der Geisteskranken or Artistry of the Mentally Ill in 1922, a study of what he termed “schizophrenic art,” richly illustrated with examples of works from asylum inmates. After Max Ernst brought a copy to Paris, it became an essential influence for the Surrealists, who, inspired by Freud, had already begun to explore the unconscious through dreams and automatic writing, simulating madness in their lack of reason, logic, and structure. Prinzhorn’s theories, mainly concerned with the borderline between illness and self-expression, were a perfect fit for the Surrealist aesthetic. At the center of Prinzhorn’s book were case studies of ten psychotic artists whom he refers to as the schizophrenic masters, for their “complete autistic isolation” and “gruesome solipsism.” The Art of Insanity collects these ten case histories along with over ninety original illustrations, and presents them in a new edition designed to focus on Prinzhorn’s unique, anthropological synthesis of psychoanalysis and art theory. Alongside many fascinating and bizarre artworks that cannot be found elsewhere, The Art of Insanity makes available in English this influential and unusual study that was crucial to the eventual formulation of the Art Brut movement by Jean Dubuffet and André Breton, as well as the overall project of the Surrealists.

Brain: Neuroscience. Neuropsychology, Neuropsychiatry, Mind: Introduction, Primer, Overview


R. Joseph - 2011
    Neuropsychology, Neuropsychiatry, Brain & Mind: Introduction, Primer, & OverviewBrain Atlas - 3I. Neuroscience: Neuropsychology, Neuropsychiatry, Brain & Mind -6Localization & Functional Neuroanatomy of the Brain -10Knowing Yet Not Knowing: Disconnected Consciousness - 15The Visual Mind: Denial of Blindness - 17"Blind Sight" - 19Body Consciousness: Denial of the Body, and Phantom Limbs - 21Summary: Brain & Mind. -25The Brainstem - 26Brainstem Cranial Nerves - 31Cerebellum - 32Diencephalon: Hypothalamus and Thalamus - 36The Limbic System: Emotion & Motivation - 40Amygdala, Hippocampus, Septal Nuclei, Cingulate, Hypothalamus. - 40Limbic System Sexuality - 41Social Behavioral & the Limbic System - 44Amygdala, Hippocampus & Memory -45Hippocampus, Memory & Amnesia - 46The Cingulate & Entorhinal Cortex - 48Limbic & Corpus Striatum -50Limbic System vs Neocortex: Consciousness - 53The Neocortex (Gray Matter) - 54Neocortical Layers - 55The Cytoarchitextural Neuronal, & Chemical Organization of the Neocortex - 59Conscious & Unconscious Mind -62Frontal, Parietal, Temporal & Occipital Lobes - 65Frontal Lobes - 66Temporal Lobes - 69Parietal Lobes - 73Occipital Lobes & Vision - 78Primary, Secondary & Association Ares - 81Right & Left Hemisphere: Functional Laterality - 85Dissociation and Self-Consciousness -88Neuroanatomy of Mind - 91Overview: Consciousness, Awareness & the Neuroscience of Mind -92References - 94

Articles on Psychedelic Research, Including: Timothy Leary, Alexander Shulgin, William James, RAM Dass, Terence McKenna, Claudio Naranjo, John C. Lilly, Stanislav Grof, Sidney Gottlieb, Humphry Osmond, R. Gordon Wasson, Robert S de Ropp


Hephaestus Books - 2011
    Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book contains chapters focused on Psychedelic research, and Psychedelic researchers. More info: Psychedelic therapy refers to therapeutic practices involving the use of psychedelic drugs, particularly serotonergic psychedelics such as ergine, LSD, psilocin and DMT. As an alternative to synonyms such as "hallucinogen," "entheogen," "psychotomimetic" and other functionally constructed names, the use of the term psychedelic ("mind-manifesting") emphasizes that those who use these drugs as part of a therapeutic practice believe these drugs can facilitate beneficial exploration of the psyche. Proponents of psychedelic therapy also believe psychedelics enhance or unlock key psychoanalytic abilities, and so make it easier for conventional psychotherapy to take place.

Evolution's Witness: How Eyes Evolved


Ivan R Schwab - 2011
    This period was a crucible of evolution and teemed with anatomic creativity although the journey to formed vision actually began billionsof years before that. The Cambrian period, however, spawned nearly all morphologic forms of the eye, followed by descent over hundreds of millions of years providing an unimaginable variety of eyes with at least ten different designs. Some eyes display spectacular creativity with mirror, scanning or telephoto optics.Some of these ocular designs are merely curiosities, while others offer the finest visual potential packed into a small space, limited only by the laws of diffraction or physiological optics. For example, some spiders developed tiny, well-formed eyes with scanning optics and three visual pigments; scallops have 40-100 eyes circling their mantle, each of which has mirror optics and contains two separate retinae per eye; deep ocean fish have eyes shaped like tubes containing yellow lensesto break camouflage; and some birds have vision five times better than ours; but this is only part of the story. Each animal alive today has an eye that fits is niche perfectly demonstrating the intimacy of the evolutionary process as no other organ could. The evolution of the eye is one of thebest examples of Darwinian principles.Although few eyes fossilize in any significant manner, many details of this evolution are known and understood. From initial photoreception 3.75 billion years ago to early spatial recognition in the first cupped eyespot in Euglena to fully formed camera style eyes the size of beach balls inichthyosaurs, animals have processed light to compete and survive in their respective niches.It is evolution's greatest gift and its greatest triumph. This is the story of the evolution of the eye.

Natural Learning for a Connected World: Education, Technology, and the Human Brain


Renate N. Caine - 2011
    In their new book, Natural Learning for a Connected World, Caine and Caine build a bridge to the future of education with a dynamic model of teaching that works for all grade levels and all cultural and ethnic groups. The authors' education model, the Guided Experience Approach, is based on the scientific foundation of learning as a totally natural, continuous interaction between perception and action. This important book provides a practical, step-by-step description and successful examples from practice so that we can finally provide the learning environments essential for our children to thrive in the knowledge age.Book Features: Describes an approach for integrating technology into teaching that will help all students learn with greater depth and ease. Synthesizes research from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, biology, and education. Contrasts the ways in which video games are designed with the way students are taught in school, demonstrating traditional education's inconsistencies with how the brain learns best.

The Digitally Divided Self: Relinquishing our Awareness to the Internet


David Carr - 2011
    Ivo Quartiroli offers an informed critique based in both an understanding of technology and of human consciousness." - Howard Rheingold, author of The Virtual Community and Smart Mobs."Aware of the profound and rapid psychological and social metamorphosis we are going through as we 'go digital' without paying attention, Ivo Quartiroli is telling us very precisely what we are gaining and what we are losing of the qualities and privileges that, glued as we are to one screen or another, we take for granted in our emotional, cognitive and spiritual life. This book is a wake-up call. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates should read it." - Derrick de Kerckhove, Professor, Facolta di sociologia, Universita Federico II, Naples, former Director of the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology."People today, especially young people, live more on the Internet than in the real world. This has subtle and not-so-subtle effects on their thinking and personality. It is high time to review these effects, to see whether they are a smooth highway to a bright interconnected future, or possibly a deviation that could endanger health and wellbeing for the individual as well as for society. Ivo Quartiroli undertakes to produce this review and does so with deep understanding and dedicated humanism. His book should be read by everyone, whether he or she is addicted to the Internet or has second thoughts about it." - Ervin Laszlo, President, the Club of Budapest, and Chancellor, the Giordano Bruno Globalshift University."Ivo Quartiroli here addresses one of the most pressing questions forced upon us by our latest technologies. In disturbing the deepest relations between the user's faculties and the surrounding world, our electric media, all of them without exception, create profound disorientation and subsequent discord, personal and cultural. Few subjects today demand greater scrutiny." - Dr. Eric McLuhan, Author and Lecturer."Ivo Quartiroli is mining the rich liminal territory between humans and their networks. With the integrity of a scientist and the passion of artist, he forces us to reconsider where we end and technology begins. Or when." - Douglas Rushkoff, Media Theorist and author of Cyberia, Media Virus, Life, Inc. and Program or Be Programmed."You might find what he writes to be challenging, irritating, even blasphemous and sacrilegious. If so, he has proven his point. The Internet, Ivo suggests, might just be the new opium of the masses. Agree with him or not, no other book to date brings together the multitude of issues related to how the seductions of technology impinge upon and affect the development of the self and soul." - Michael Wesch, Associate Professor of Digital Ethnography, Kansas State University.It is nearly half a century since Marshall McLuhan pointed out that the medium is the message. In the interim, digital technologies have found an irresistible hook on our minds. With the soul's quest for the infinite usurped by the ego's desire for unlimited power, the Internet and social media have stepped in to fill our deepest needs for communication, knowledge and creativity - even intimacy and sexuality. Without being grounded in those human qualities which are established through experience and inner exploration, we are vulnerable to being seduced into outsourcing our minds and our fragile identities. Intersecting media studies, psychology and spirituality, The Digitally Divided Self exposes the nature of the malleable mind and explores the religious and philosophical influences which leave it obsessed with the incessant flow of information.