Best of
Brain

2017

Into the Gray Zone: A Neuroscientist Explores the Border Between Life and Death


Adrian Owen - 2017
    People in this middle place have sustained traumatic brain injuries or are the victims of stroke or degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Many are oblivious to the outside world, and their doctors believe they are incapable of thought. But a sizeable number are experiencing something different: intact minds adrift deep within damaged brains and bodies. Following Owen’s journey of exciting medical discovery, Into the Gray Zone asks some tough and terrifying questions, such as: What is life like for these patients? What can their families and friends do to help them? What are the ethical implications for religious organizations, politicians, the Right to Die movement, and even insurers? And perhaps most intriguing of all: in defining what a life worth living is, are we too concerned with the physical and not giving enough emphasis to the power of thought? What, truly, defines a satisfying life?

Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramon y Cajal


Larry W. Swanson - 2017
      Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934) was the father of modern neuroscience and an exceptional artist. He devoted his life to the anatomy of the brain, the body’s most complex and mysterious organ. His superhuman feats of visualization, based on fanatically precise techniques and countless hours at the microscope, resulted in some of the most remarkable illustrations in the history of science. Beautiful Brain presents a selection of his exquisite drawings of brain cells, brain regions, and neural circuits with accessible descriptive commentary.   These drawings are explored from multiple perspectives: Larry W. Swanson describes Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience; Lyndel King and Eric Himmel explore his artistic roots and achievement; Eric A. Newman provides commentary on the drawings; and Janet M. Dubinsky describes contemporary neuroscience imaging techniques. This book is the companion to a traveling exhibition opening at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis in February 2017, marking the first time that many of these works, which are housed at the Instituto Cajal in Madrid, have been seen outside of Spain.  Beautiful Brain showcases Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience, explores his artistic roots and achievement, and looks at his work in relation to contemporary neuroscience imaging, appealing to general readers and professionals alike.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Psychology: A Manifesto for Reforming the Culture of Scientific Practice


Chris Chambers - 2017
    The Seven Deadly Sins of Psychology diagnoses the ills besetting the discipline today and proposes sensible, practical solutions to ensure that it remains a legitimate and reliable science in the years ahead.In this unflinchingly candid manifesto, Chris Chambers draws on his own experiences as a working scientist to reveal a dark side to psychology that few of us ever see. Using the seven deadly sins as a metaphor, he shows how practitioners are vulnerable to powerful biases that undercut the scientific method, how they routinely torture data until it produces outcomes that can be published in prestigious journals, and how studies are much less reliable than advertised. He reveals how a culture of secrecy denies the public and other researchers access to the results of psychology experiments, how fraudulent academics can operate with impunity, and how an obsession with bean counting creates perverse incentives for academics. Left unchecked, these problems threaten the very future of psychology as a science--but help is here.Outlining a core set of best practices that can be applied across the sciences, Chambers demonstrates how all these sins can be corrected by embracing open science, an emerging philosophy that seeks to make research and its outcomes as transparent as possible.

It Takes One to Tango: How I Rescued My Marriage with (Almost) No Help from My Spouse—and How You Can, Too


Winifred M. Reilly - 2017
    So when couples can’t agree on how—or whether—to make their marriage better, many give up or settle for a less-than-satisfying marriage (or think the only way out is divorce). Fortunately, there is an alternative. It Takes One to Tango is a groundbreaking guide that shows how one determined partner—acting alone—can spark lasting, significant change in a marriage, often accomplishing change that cannot be made any other way. It doesn’t matter how short-fused, argumentative, or seemingly impossible your partner can be—or how long you’ve been stuck. Marriage and family therapist Winifred Reilly has this message for struggling partners: Take the lead. Doing so is effective—and powerful. Through Reilly’s own story of reclaiming her now nearly forty-year marriage, along with anecdotes from many clients she’s worked with, you’ll learn how to: -Focus on your own behaviors and change them in ways that make you feel good about yourself and your marriage -Take a firm stand for what truly matters to you without arguing, cajoling, or resorting to threats -Identify the “big picture” issues at the basis of your repetitive fights—and learn how to unhook from them -Be less reactive, especially in the face of your spouse’s provocations -Develop the strength and stamina to be the sole agent of change Combining psychological theory, practical advice, and personal narrative, It Takes One to Tango is a fresh and engaging guide that will empower those who choose to take a bold, proactive approach to creating a loving and lasting marriage.

The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads


Daniel T. Willingham - 2017
    Daniel T. Willingham, the bestselling author of Why Don't Students Like School?, offers a perspective that is rooted in contemporary cognitive research. He deftly describes the incredibly complex and nearly instantaneous series of events that occur from the moment a child sees a single letter to the time they finish reading. The Reading Mind explains the fascinating journey from seeing letters, then words, sentences, and so on, with the author highlighting each step along the way. This resource covers every aspect of reading, starting with two fundamental processes: reading by sight and reading by sound. It also addresses reading comprehension at all levels, from reading for understanding at early levels to inferring deeper meaning from texts and novels in high school. The author also considers the undeniable connection between reading and writing, as well as the important role of motivation as it relates to reading. Finally, as a cutting-edge researcher, Willingham tackles the intersection of our rapidly changing technology and its effects on learning to read and reading.Every teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and school administrator will find this book invaluable. Understanding the fascinating science behind the magic of reading is essential for every educator. Indeed, every "reader" will be captivated by the dynamic but invisible workings of their own minds.

Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience


Indre Viskontas - 2017
    To start building a more straightforward, accurate understanding of current breakthroughs in neuroscience, you have to start by shattering popular brain myths.Each of these 24 lectures takes as its focus a single powerful, prevalent brain myth, and uses it as a launch pad from which to explore myriad topics in neuroscience: decision making, memory, dreams, emotions, neuroplasticity, consciousness, mental illness, and much more.Our memory is an accurate, objective record of the past. Our senses reflect the world as it really exists. Our dreams have hidden meanings. We are only using 10% of our total brain power. Modern technology (including social media) is making us less intelligent. Dr. Viskontas doesn't just settle for obliterating these and other myths. Instead, she replaces them with scientific facts gathered from experiments, research, and case studies. The result is an eye-opening adventure into the latest understanding of why the brain works the way it does.Whatever order you enjoy these lectures in, you'll be left with insights that will help you better determine the hard scientific truths behind the breaking news (and myths) of tomorrow.

Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp


John Medina - 2017
    Your Aging Brain, by developmental molecular biologist Dr. John Medina, gives you the facts -- and the prescription to age well -- in his engaging signature style.With so many discoveries over the years, science is literally changing our minds about the optimal care and feeding of the brain. All of it is captivating. A great deal of it is unexpected.In his New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. Medina showed us how our brains really work--and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools to match. Now, in Your Aging Brain, he shares how you can make the most of the years you have left. In a book destined to be a classic on aging, Medina's fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into the science.Your Aging Brain, is organized into four sections, each laying out familiar problems with surprising solutions. First up, an overview: looking under the hood of an aging brain as it motors through life. The second part focuses on the feeling brain, using topics ranging from relationships and stress to happiness and gullibility to illustrate how our emotions change with age. The third focuses on the thinking brain, explaining how various cognitive gadgets such as working memory and executive function change with time. Each section is sprinkled with practical advice: for example, a certain style of dancing may be better for your brain than eating fish. Medina explains not only how taking certain actions can improve your brain's performance, but also what is known about the brain science behind each intervention.The final section is about the future. Your future. It's filled with topics as joyful as retirement and as heartbreaking as Alzheimer's. Medina connects all of the chapters into a plan, checklist-style, for maintaining your brain health.You may already be experiencing the sometimes unpleasant effects of the aging process. Or you may be deeply concerned about your loved ones who are. Either way, Your Aging Brain is for you.

Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep


Kamini Desai - 2017
    In Yoga Nidra you enter a state of non-doing in which transformation happens from beyond the mind rather than through the mind. In this highly regenerative meditative state you can restore and rejuvenate your body, heal and recover from illness and re-wire your brain for greater mental and emotional balance and resiliency. This comprehensive guidebook explores the core of Yogic philosophy and modern applications of Yoga Nidra backed by scientific research - affirming what Yogis have known for thousands of years. You will receive instruction on the practice of Yoga Nidra and the use of intention. You will discover how unconscious thinking patterns and resulting biochemical states contribute to ill health, stress, insomnia, depression, anxiety, bad habits, trauma and addictions and most importantly, how to neutralize them with the Six Tools of Yoga Nidra.

The Leading Brain: Powerful Science-Based Strategies for Achieving Peak Performance


Friederike Fabritius - 2017
    **Featured on NPR, Success, Investor Business Daily, Thrive Global, MindBodyGreen, The Chicago Tribune, and more**There's a revolution taking place that most businesses are still unaware of. The understanding of how our brains work has radically shifted, exploding long-held myths about our everyday cognitive performance and fundamentally changing the way we engage and succeed in the workplace.Combining their expertise in both neuropsychology and management consulting, neuropsychologist Friederike Fabritius and leadership expert Dr. Hans W. Hagemann present simple yet powerful strategies for:- Sharpening focus- Achieving the highest performance- Learning and retaining information more efficiently- Improving complex decision-making- Cultivating trust and building strong teamsBased on the authors' popular leadership programs, which have been delivered to tens of thousands of leaders all over the world, this clear, insightful, and engaging book will help both individuals and teams perform at their maximum potential, delivering extraordinary results.**Named a Best Business Book of 2017 by Strategy+Business**

Map It: The hands-on guide to strategic training design


Cathy Moore - 2017
    You'll learn how to: Help the client identify what's really causing the performance problem. Determine the role (if any!) of training. Create realistic activities that help people practice what they need to do, not just show what they know. Choose the best format for each activity -- online, projected to a group, on paper, as a small-group activity, over email... Provide each activity at the best time -- in the workflow, available on demand, spaced over time... Let people pull the information they need to complete the activity -- no more information dumps! Enjoy creating challenging activities that people want to complete. Show how your project has improved the performance of the organization. Using humor and lots of examples, Map It walks you through action mapping, a visual approach to needs analysis and training design. Organizations around the world use action mapping to improve performance with targeted, efficient training.Try sample activities, download job aids, and learn more at map-it-book.com.

The Word Search Sage- Yoga for the Brain


Cristina Smith - 2017
    Fun puzzles and fascinating facts. Brain boosting playfulness. Secret messages to decode. Profound philosophy. Inspiring quotes. The Word Search Sage invites you to play!Featuring Ingrid Coffin’s soul satisfying Meta-Thoughts® messages, these 60 easy to advanced puzzles make every page both a challenge to be solved and a meditation for self-realization. It gets even better. Once all words are found, a hidden message is revealed, a powerful truth to affirm the reading. Plus, find fascinating facts and enlightening insights inside, providing tasty food for thought. Who would have thought that increasing mental skills, boosting creativity and empowering personal mastery could be so much fun? This book can help you:· Stay sharp with a more flexible brain· Master the magical and mystical elements of life· Reduce the risk of early onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease· Have fun with a purpose Complete the 60 puzzles inside! In the process, discover that you have also solved more of the puzzle that is YOU.

The Science of Accelerated Learning: Advanced Strategies for Quicker Comprehension, Greater Retention, and Systematic Expertise


Peter Hollins - 2017
    Absorb info like a human sponge. We’ve never been taught how to learn, and that’s a shame. This book is the key to reversing all the misconceptions you have and making learning fun again. Scientifically-proven, step-by-step methods for effective learning. The Science of Accelerated Learning is not a textbook - it’s a guidebook for your journeys in learning. It will show you the most effective methods, the pitfalls we must avoid, and the habits we must cultivate. This book is highly organized and addresses all phases of the learning process, from creating a positive environment, to the biological basis of memory, to learning theories, and more. It borrows from multiple scientific disciplines to present comprehensive techniques to simply learn more, faster. Master your approach and save countless hours. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Smarter, faster, and better ways to achieve expertise. • The physical and psychological pre-conditions to effective learning. • How our memory works and how to make it work for you. • The learning techniques that work - with evidence. • How to never need to cram again. Tame distractions and procrastination through specialized habits. • Why Einstein loved to play violin while working. • The learning mistakes you are probably committing right now. • Steps to building true expertise. • How to teach effectively, and teach to learn. Outpace others, beat the competition, and get where you want to go in record time. Learning to learn is one of the most valuable skills you will ever possess because it unlocks everything you want in life. You will achieve: better grades, better work product, better relationships, more enjoyable hobbies, and each day you will grow closer to the life you truly want. It unlocks the paths you can take, and it unlocks the happiness you can potentially feel. Learning is growing, and life without growing is not a life worth living. Save your valuable time by clicking the BUY NOW button at the top of this page.

Memory Rescue: Supercharge Your Brain, Reverse Memory Loss, and Remember What Matters Most


Daniel G. Amen - 2017
    Daniel Amen to help you change your brain and improve your memory today!Brain imaging research demonstrates that memory loss actually starts in the brain decades before you have any symptoms. Learn the actions you can take to help not just prevent memory loss later in life . . . but to begin restoring the memory you may have already lost.Expert physician Dr. Amen reveals how a multipronged strategy--including dietary changes, physical and mental exercises, and spiritual practices--can improve your brain health, enhance your memory, and reduce the likelihood that you'll develop Alzheimer's and other memory loss-related conditions.Keeping your brain healthy isn't just a medical issue; it's a God-given capacity and an essential building block for physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Take action against the fast-increasing memory crisis that threatens this crucial part of who you are--and help your brain, body, and soul stay strong for the rest of your life.

The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook: A 14-Day Plan to Transform Your Relationship with Yourself


Tim Desmond - 2017
    Cutting-edge research shows that self-compassion is not only a skill anyone can strengthen through practice but also one of the strongest predictors of mental health and wellness. The practices in this book have been specially formulated to target and fortify what neuroscientists call the “care circuit” of the brain.Devoting thirty minutes a day for just fourteen days to these simple practices can have life-changing results. Tim Desmond’s “Map to Self-Compassion” will engage your mind, heart, and spirit. It will improve your ability to motivate yourself with kindness; regulate and defuse intense emotions, anxiety, and depression; be resilient during life’s challenges; let go of self-criticism and destructive behavior; heal painful experiences; and be more present and compassionate with others. Experience the benefits firsthand! Features downloadable audio recordings for on-the-go practice.

Where It Hurts


Sarah de Leeuw - 2017
    Sarah de Leeuw's creative non-fiction captures strange inconsistencies and aberrations of human behaviour, urging us to be observant and aware. The essays are wide in scope and expose what--and who--goes missing.With the insight of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, Sarah de Leeuw reflects on missing geographies and people, including missing women, both those she has known and those whom she will never get to know. As in Lynn Coady's Hellgoing, but hell-going made real, the writing is courageously focused, juxtaposing places and things that can be touched and known--emotionally, physically, psychologically--with what has become intangible, unnoticed, or actively ignored. Throughout these essays, de Leeuw's imagistic memories are layered with meaning, providing a survival guide for the present, including a survival that comes with the profound responsibility to bear witness.

Empath: An Empowering Book for the Highly Sensitive Person on Utilizing Your Unique Ability and Maximizing Your Human Potential (Positive Psychology Coaching Series 12)


Ian Tuhovsky - 2017
    Maybe you have tried to “grow a thicker skin,” or attempted to cover up your feelings with humor? Perhaps you have always felt different to others since childhood, but could never quite put your finger on why. If this description resonates with you, congratulations! You may well be an Empath. Unfortunately, an Empath who lacks insight into their own nature is likely to be miserable. Most of us are familiar with the concept of empathy. Aside from sociopaths, who are largely incapable of appreciating what another individual may be feeling, humans are generally able to understand what others are going through in most situations. Empaths, however, constitute the small group of people who not only understand the emotions of others, but literally feel them too. In short, an Empath takes this common human ability of relating to other peoples’ emotions to extremes. If you have no idea why you are so readily affected by the emotions of others and the events around you, you will become psychologically unstable. You will be unsure as to where your true feelings end, and those of other people begin. Hypersensitivity can be a burden if not properly managed, which is why it’s so important that all Empaths learn to harness the special gift they have been given. That’s where this book comes in. Millions of other people around the world share your gifts and lead happy, fulfilling lives. Make no mistake – the world needs us. It’s time to learn how to put your rare gift to use, maximize your human potential, and thrive in life! If you think you (or anyone around you) might be an Empath or the Highly Sensitive Person – this book is written for you. What you will learn from this book: -What it really means to be an Empath and the science behind the “Empath” and “the Highly Sensitive Person” classification. Find out how our brains work and why some people are way more sensitive than others. -What are the upsides of being an Empath – find your strengths and thrive while making the most of your potential and providing value to this world (it NEEDS Empaths!) by making it a better place. -What are the usual problems that sensitive people struggle with – overcome them by lessening the impact that other people’s emotions and actions have on you, while still being truthful to your true nature, and learn how to take care of your mental health. -The great importance of becoming an emotionally intelligent person – learn what EQ is and how you can actively develop it to become much more peaceful, effective, and a happy person. Discover the strategies that will help you stay balanced and be much more immune to the everyday struggles. -The workplace and career choices – realize what you should be aware of and find how to make sure you don’t stumble into the most common problems that sensitive people often fall prey to. -How to effectively handle conflicts, negative people, and toxic relationships – since sensitive people are more much more immune to difficult relations and often become an easy target for those who tend to take advantage of others – it’s time to put

On Anxiety


3 of Cups PressNicole Froio - 2017
    Worry, fear, longing, impatience. One word can mean so many things, be it the medical term for a mental health condition or a colloquialism for various forms of stress. Anxiety has affected all of us in one way or another; that's why we chose it as the theme for our first book, which you now have an opportunity to buy and bring to life. On Anxiety is a collection of short fiction, essays, poetry and art around anxiety in all its various guises, featuring over twenty artists exploring them.Featuring work from the following writers and artists:Shanicka AndersonErin AnikerGrace AuKa BradleySiobhan BrittonLori EnglandDeborah FrempongNicole FroioClaire Gamblep.e. garciaEli GoldstoneSarvat HasinAmberin HuqDr. Rachel KowertSophie MackintoshNarayani MenonCornelia PriorAlice SlaterMarianne TatepoSharlene TeoHarriet ThompsonRosemary WaughEley WilliamsHannah Williams

Hemingway's Brain


Andrew Farah - 2017
    After committing seventeen years to researching Hemingway's life and medical history, Andrew Farah, a forensic psychiatrist, has concluded that the writer's diagnoses were incorrect. Contrary to the commonly accepted diagnoses of bipolar disorder and alcoholism, Farah provides a comprehensive explanation of the medical conditions that led to Hemingway's suicide.Hemingway received state-of-the-art psychiatric treatment at one of the nation's finest medical institutes, but according to Farah it was for the wrong illness. Hemingway's death was not the result of medical mismanagement, but medical misunderstanding. Farah argues that despite popular mythology Hemingway was not manic-depressive and his alcohol abuse and characteristic narcissism were simply pieces of a much larger puzzle. Through a thorough examination of biographies, letters, memoirs of friends and family, and even Hemingway's FBI file, combined with recent insights on the effects of trauma on the brain, Farah pieces together this compelling, alternative narrative of Hemingway's illness, one that has been missing from the scholarship for too long. Though Hemingway's life has been researched extensively and many biographies written, those authors relied on the original diagnoses and turned to psychoanalysis and conjecture regarding Hemingway's mental state. Through his research Farah has sought to understand why Hemingway's decline accelerated after two courses of electroconvulsive therapy and in this volume explains which current options might benefit a similar patient today. Hemingway's Brain provides a full and accurate accounting of this psychiatric diagnosis by exploring the genetic influences, traumatic brain injuries, and neurological and psychological forces that resulted in what many have described as his tortured final years. It aims to eliminate the confusion and define for all future scholarship the specifics of the mental illnesses that shaped legendary literary works and destroyed the life of a master.

The Word Search Oracle- Yoga for the Brain


Cristina Smith - 2017
    Excellent puzzles. Secret messages. Brain boosting fun. Interesting information. Positive affirmations to help make your life better. The Word Search Oracle invites you to play! Featuring Darity Wesley's inspirational Oracle messages, these 60 easy to advanced puzzles make every page both a challenge to be solved and a meditation for self-realization.It gets even better. Once all words are found, a hidden message is revealed; a powerful mantra to affirm the Oracle reading. Plus, find fascinating facts and enlightening insights inside, providing tasty food for thought. Who would have thought that practicing mental yoga, boosting creativity and empowering personal mastery could be so much fun?This book can help you: Stay sharp with a more flexible brain Make your life better now through the power of positive affirmation Reduce the risk of early onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease Have fun with a purpose!Complete the 60 puzzles inside! In the process, discover that you have also solved more of the puzzle that is YOU.

Lovable Racists, Magical Negroes, and White Messiahs


David H. Ikard - 2017
    Lovable Racists, Magical Negroes, and White Messiahs investigates the tenacity and cultural capital of white redemption narratives in literature and popular media from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to The Help. In the book, Ikard explodes the fiction of a postracial society while awakening us to the sobering reality that we must continue to fight for racial equality or risk losing the hard-fought gains of the Civil Rights movement. Through his close reading of novels, films, journalism, and political campaigns, he analyzes willful white blindness and attendant master narratives of white redemption—arguing powerfully that he who controls the master narrative controls the perception of reality. The book sounds the alarm about seemingly innocuous tropes of white redemption that abound in our society and generate the notion that blacks are perpetually indebted to whites for liberating, civilizing, and enlightening them. In Lovable Racists, Magical Negroes, and White Messiahs, Ikard expertly and unflinchingly gives us a necessary critical historical intervention.

Attachment-Based Yoga Meditation for Trauma Recovery: Simple, Safe, and Effective Practices for Therapy


Deirdre Fay - 2017
    The result is both erudite and accessible, emphasizing ready-to-implement skills and approaches that are as groundbreaking as they are effective. Organized around key trauma issues and symptoms, this book offers clinicians a practical but far-reaching look at mind-body skills and techniques for helping trauma clients access their individual wisdom, develop secure internal attachment, and find the path home to the Self.

Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain


Peter Shankman - 2017
    Simply put, he always seems to have more than 24 hours in a day. How does he do it? Peter attributes his unusually high energy level and extreme productivity to his ADHD. In Faster Than Normal, Shankman shares his hard-won insights and daily hacks for making ADHD a secret weapon for living a full and deeply satisfying life. Both inspiring and practical, the book presents life rules, best practices, and simple but powerful ways to: Harness your creative energy to generate and execute your ideasDirect your hyperfocus to get things done Identify your pitfalls--and avoid themStreamline your daily routine to eliminate distractionsUse apps and other tech innovations to free up your time and energy Filled with ingenious hacks and supportive self-care advice, this is the positive, practical book the ADHD community has long needed - and is also an invaluable handbook for anyone who's sick of feeling overwhelmed and wants to drive their faster-than-normal brain at maximum speed...without crashing.

The Brain: What Everyone Needs To Know®


Gary L. Wenk - 2017
    So critical for our everyday existence, the brain still remains somewhat of a mystery. Gary L. Wenk takes us on a tour of what we do know about this enigmatic organ, showing us how the workings of the human brain produce our thoughts, feelings, and fears, and answering questions such as: How did humans evolve such a big brain? What is an emotion and why do we have them? What is a memory and why do we forget so easily? How does your diet affect how you think and feel? What happens when your brain gets old?Throughout human history, ignorance about the brain has caused numerous non-scientific, sometimes harmful interventions to be devised based on interpretations of scientific facts that were misguided. Wenk discusses why these neuroscientific myths are so popular, and why some of the interventions based on them are a waste of time and money. With illuminating insights, gentle humor, and welcome simplicity, The Brain: What Everyone Needs to Know® makes the complex biology of our brains accessible to the general reader.

Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study


Tom Chatfield - 2017
    

Treading Darkness


Lyle Nicholson - 2017
     A routine chase of a stolen car in a small western Canadian town leads her into a dilemma. The suspect escapes into an abandoned mine. She hates the dark. Her overriding duty to catch the suspect and keep safe him from possible danger pushes her forward. What happens next will push her to the edge. What she’ll find is as surprising to her as it is the reader. This short story is taken from one day in the life of Corporal Callahan. Before she became a Detective in the Serious Crime Division of the RCMP she was struggling with a sexist commanding officer and a career that looked like it was going nowhere. The author said he was compelled to write this story after reading about the class action lawsuit the female members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had brought against the force for the years of sexual harassment they claimed they were subjected to. In 2016, a 100 million dollar settlement was reached for two lawsuits brought by over 1,000 female officers. The commanding officer of the RCMP apologized to all the women who’d joined the force since 1974, who had wanted to bring something of value to this historic force and were harassed instead. The fictional Bernadette would deal with the harassment in her own way.

A Pair of Miracles: A Story of Autism, Faith, and Determined Parenting


Karla Akins - 2017
    She set out to prove that, despite those warnings, all things are possible through God. Laced with humor and compassion, A Pair of Miracles is the heartwarming story of her journey rearing adopted twin sons, each diagnosed with autism and fetal alcohol disorder. This is more than a moving biography from a mom on the front lines, however. It is a powerful tool, full of practical help for parents, educators, and church members working with children who have intellectual disabilities, speech impairments, and other limitations on the autism spectrum. It is also a challenge to the church to welcome and celebrate all the members of their congregation, no matter their abilities. Thanks to Karla's determination, faith, and unconditional love--and contrary to the doctors' predictions--her adult twins are now able to function independently in many ways. They help their dad install pools, do carpentry work, and serve in the church as ushers, sound engineers, and children's ministry workers. For parents seeking hope, answers, and peace, Karla leads the way to all three down a path she's already been.

Your Life in Color: Empowering Your Soul with the Energy of Color


Dougall Fraser - 2017
    From white to gold to emerald green, every color has qualities that you can consciously draw strength and purpose from in order to support you in achieving your highest goals and dreams.Fraser explores each key color’s unique spiritual and practical qualities, providing insight into its history and shadow sides, real-world personal and professional anecdotes, and exercises and inspiration to evoke each color’s maximum power. His step-by-step plan will help you to integrate color energy into your daily life, from the inside out.Unlock the full magnitude of your soul’s potential by letting its true colors shine bold and bright!

Language in Our Brain: The Origins of a Uniquely Human Capacity


Angela D. Friederici - 2017
    It is an intrinsic part of us, although we seldom think about it. Language is also an extremely complex entity with subcomponents responsible for its phonological, syntactic, and semantic aspects. In this landmark work, Angela Friederici offers a comprehensive account of these subcomponents and how they are integrated. Tracing the neurobiological basis of language across brain regions in humans and other primate species, she argues that species-specific brain differences may be at the root of the human capacity for language.Friederici shows which brain regions support the different language processes and, more important, how these brain regions are connected structurally and functionally to make language processes that take place in milliseconds possible. She finds that one particular brain structure (a white matter dorsal tract), connecting syntax-relevant brain regions, is present only in the mature human brain and only weakly present in other primate brains. Is this the "missing link" that explains humans' capacity for language?Friederici describes the basic language functions and their brain basis; the language networks connecting different language-related brain regions; the brain basis of language acquisition during early childhood and when learning a second language, proposing a neurocognitive model of the ontogeny of language; and the evolution of language and underlying neural constraints. She finds that it is the information exchange between the relevant brain regions, supported by the white matter tract, that is the crucial factor in both language development and evolution.

Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles


Susana Martinez-Conde - 2017
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Unthought: The Power of the Cognitive Nonconscious


N. Katherine Hayles - 2017
    Katherine Hayles is known for breaking new ground at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities. In Unthought, she once again bridges disciplines by revealing how we think without thinking—how we use cognitive processes that are inaccessible to consciousness yet necessary for it to function. Marshalling fresh insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, cognitive biology, and literature, Hayles expands our understanding of cognition and demonstrates that it involves more than consciousness alone. Cognition, as Hayles defines it, is applicable not only to nonconscious processes in humans but to all forms of life, including unicellular organisms and plants. Startlingly, she also shows that cognition operates in the sophisticated information-processing abilities of technical systems: when humans and cognitive technical systems interact, they form “cognitive assemblages”—as found in urban traffic control, drones, and the trading algorithms of finance capital, for instance—and these assemblages are transforming life on earth. The result is what Hayles calls a “planetary cognitive ecology,” which includes both human and technical actors and which poses urgent questions to humanists and social scientists alike. At a time when scientific and technological advances are bringing far-reaching aspects of cognition into the public eye, Unthought reflects deeply on our contemporary situation and moves us toward a more sustainable and flourishing environment for all beings.

Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do


John A. Bargh - 2017
    John Bargh, the world’s leading expert on the unconscious mind, presents a “brilliant and convincing book” (Malcolm Gladwell) cited as an outstanding read of 2017 by Business Insider and The Financial Times—giving us an entirely new understanding of the hidden mental processes that secretly govern every aspect of our behavior.For more than three decades, Dr. John Bargh has conducted revolutionary research into the unconscious mind, research featured in bestsellers like Blink and Thinking Fast and Slow. Now, in what Dr. John Gottman said was “the most important and exciting book in psychology that has been written in the past twenty years,” Dr. Bargh takes us on an entertaining and enlightening tour of the forces that affect everyday behavior while transforming our understanding of ourselves in profound ways. Dr. Bargh takes us into his labs at New York University and Yale—where he and his colleagues have discovered how the unconscious guides our behavior, goals, and motivations in areas like race relations, parenting, business, consumer behavior, and addiction. With infectious enthusiasm he reveals what science now knows about the pervasive influence of the unconscious mind in who we choose to date or vote for, what we buy, where we live, how we perform on tests and in job interviews, and much more. Because the unconscious works in ways we are completely unaware of, Before You Know It is full of surprising and entertaining revelations as well as useful tricks to help you remember items on your to-do list, to shop smarter, and to sleep better. Before You Know It is “a fascinating compendium of landmark social-psychology research” (Publishers Weekly) and an introduction to a fabulous world that exists below the surface of your awareness and yet is the key to knowing yourself and unlocking new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

The Evolution of Memory Systems: Ancestors, Anatomy, and Adaptations


Elisabeth A. Murray - 2017
    This doctrine holds that the medial temporal lobe subserves one memory system for explicit or declarative memories, while the basal ganglia subserves a separate memory system for implicit or procedural memories, including habits. Cortical areas outside the medial temporal lobe are said to function in perception, motor control, attention, or other aspects of executive function, but not in memory.'The Evolution of Memory Systems' advances dramatically different ideas on all counts. It proposes that several memory systems arose during evolution and that they did so for the same general reason: to transcend problems and exploit opportunities encountered by specific ancestors at particular times and places in the distant past.Instead of classifying cortical areas in terms of mutually exclusive perception, executive, or memory functions, the authors show that all cortical areas contribute to memory and that they do so in their own ways-using specialized neural representations. The book also presents a proposal on the evolution of explicit memory. According to this idea, explicit (declarative) memory depends on interactions between a phylogenetically ancient navigation system and a representational system that evolved in humans to represent one's self and others. As a result, people embed representations of themselves into the events they experience and the facts they learn, which leads to the perception of participating in events and knowing facts.'The Evolution of Memory Systems' is an important new work for students and researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and biology.

The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion


Simon Marshall - 2017
     You don’t have one brain—you have three; your ancient Chimp brain that keeps you alive, your modern Professor brain that navigates the civilized world, and your Computer brain that accesses your memories and runs your habits (good and bad). They fight for control all the time and that’s when bad things happen; you get crazy nervous before a race, you choke under pressure, you quit when the going gets tough, you make dumb mistakes, you worry about how you look. What if you could stop the thoughts and feelings you don’t want? What if you could feel confident, suffer like a hero, and handle any stress? You can. The Brave Athlete from Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson will help you take control of your brain so you can train harder, race faster, and better enjoy your sport. Dr. Marshall is a sport psychology expert who trains the brains of elite professional athletes. Paterson is a three-time world champion triathlete and coach. Together, they offer this innovative, brain training guide that is the first to draw from both clinical science and real-world experience with athletes. That means you won’t find outdated “positive self-talk” or visualization gimmicks here. No, the set of cutting-edge mental skills revealed in The Brave Athlete actually work because they challenge the source of the thoughts and feelings you don’t want. The Brave Athlete is packed with practical, evidence-based solutions to the most common mental challenges athletes face. Which of these sound like you?· Why do I have thoughts and feelings I don’t want?· I wish I felt more like an athlete.· I don’t think I can.· I don’t achieve my goals.· Other athletes seem tougher, happier, and more badass than me.· I feel fat.· I don’t cope well with injury.· People are worried about how much I exercise.· I don’t like leaving my comfort zone.· When the going gets tough, the tough leave me behind.· I need to harden the f*ck up.· I keep screwing up.· I don’t handle pressure well.With The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, you can solve these problems to become mentally strong and make your brain your most powerful asset.

The Measure of All Minds: Evaluating Natural and Artificial Intelligence


Jose Hernandez-Orallo - 2017
    By replacing the dominant anthropocentric stance with a universal perspective where living organisms are considered as a special case, long-standing questions in the evaluation of behavior can be addressed in a wider landscape. Can we derive task difficulty intrinsically? Is a universal g factor - a common general component for all abilities - theoretically possible? Using algorithmic information theory as a foundation, the book elaborates on the evaluation of perceptual, developmental, social, verbal and collective features and critically analyzes what the future of intelligence might look like.

The Healthy Brain: Optimize Brain Power at Any Age


Aileen Burford-Mason - 2017
    As the most metabolically active organ of the body, the brain’s nutritional needs are ten times higher than those of any other organ. That means the brain is the first organ to falter when it is improperly fed.Well respected for her ability to take complex nutritional research and translate it into clear, evidence-based guidelines for the safe, effective use of supplements, Dr. Burford-Mason offers step-by-step guidance on how to implement dietary changes and select appropriate supplements for optimal brain power at any age. She makes liberal use of real-life case histories from her practice and summarizes leading-edge scientific research to support her advice.The immediate payoff of adopting Dr. Burford-Mason’s strategies is a noticeable increase in brain vitality: better mood, focus, creativity and workplace performance, and an improved capacity to enjoy life, sleep soundly and cope well under stress. The long-term benefit is that these same dietary changes have shown the most promise in helping us avoid Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.The Healthy Brain argues that feeding the brain properly is a lifelong project, and that memory and cognition in later life depend on the care and feeding our brains receive throughout our entire lives.

The Science of Emotional Resilience: Find Balance and Strength, Become Unbreakable, and Overcome Adversity


Peter Hollins - 2017
    Bounce back from hurt. Be Calm. Bend without ever breaking. We all get knocked down, but everyone has the choice to get back up or not. How will your life your life? The art of emotional self-defense. The Science of Emotional Resilience is the rare book that understands where you’ve been, the obstacles you’ve overcome, and what you need to make sure you are in full control of your life at all times. This is a stunningly detailed and insightful guide into our emotions, our triggers, and why we act against our own interests so frequently. Emotional resiliency is NOT just “think calm and meditate” or “be mindful and grateful.” This book avoids unhelpful platitudes and gives you real advice, borrowing from all fields, such as psychology, counseling, behavior science, evolutionary biology, and even Buddhism and Stoicism. This book gives you the tools for emotional success. Control your emotions; don’t let emotional instability dictate your life. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Persevere and adapt to any challenge. • Understand the biological and psychological purposes of emotions. • Find what triggers your deepest, strongest emotions. • Learn how to properly express yourself for greater understanding. • How to recognize and regulate in the heat of the moment. Discover your inner strength and resolve. • What journaling and gratitude really mean. • How to activate your “emotional immune system.” • Self-defense from manipulators and users. Gain the calm confidence to handle anything. Research has shown that resilience and grit is more important to success and happiness - more than EQ, IQ, and even money. It takes you where you want to go in your career, relationships, and friendships. This book is the first step to emotional resilience, and gives you the true blueprint to what to do when you inevitably get knocked down. It’s your choice what to do next. Pick up your copy today by clicking the BUY NOW button at the top of this page.

Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body for Optimal Health


Derek Beres - 2017
    Whole Motion offers a complete picture of how to strengthen your resolve, gain laser-sharp focus, boost your ability to remember, calm your anxiety levels, master your emotional responses, and embody your body like never before. Author Derek Beres uncovers the latest research in how the brain is affected by a number of different exercise formats. The book offers sample workouts designed to give your brain the greatest stimulation and regeneration possible.Whole Motion is divided into two main sections. In the Movement section, Beres looks at the movement science and neuroscience behind Feldenkrais, strength training, HIIT, yoga, and meditation. He reveals the latest research behind each movement discipline and incorporates anecdotal examples from clients and students. He also includes information on when and why to perform each exercise.In the Mind section, Beres investigates the other side of fitness: nutrition, regeneration, flow, and disruption, as well as how to choose music for optimal workouts and the neurological cost of distraction. This section is the lifestyle component, focusing on how to create the best environment to achieve a sense of completeness in brain and body.

The Brain Show - Behind the Scenes: What is Going on Inside Our Brain While We are Living Our Life


Zeev Nitsan - 2017
    This important volume showcases your brain's development, from the embryonic phase until old-age, while describing the changes the brain goes through in all of its emotional and social states, such as love, depression, joy, concentration, sleep and dream. Understand your mind What are dreams made of? How are memories formed and preserved, and how can we improve our memory? How is a thought born and materialized? What is the duration of a thought-beat and how much electricity does it consume? How does your spouse affect your brain and how does your offspring change it? How do thoughts jump from one brain to another and why do some thoughts go 'viral', and spread to numerous brains? Get the answers to these questions and improve your understanding of yourself. Gain surprising and practical insights that will impact your daily life. Get to know the patterns of your brain activity to illuminate and control hidden elements in your life and potential. Get your copy of Behind the Scenes of the Brain Show now!

How People Change: Relationships and Neuroplasticity in Psychotherapy


Marion Solomon - 2017
    Regardless of one's clinical orientation or style, psychotherapy is an emerging process that s created moment by moment, between client and therapist. How People Change explores the complexities of attachment, the brain, mind, and body as they aid change during psychotherapy. Research is presented about the properties of healing relationships and communication strategies that facilitate change in the social brain. Contributions by Philip M. Bromberg, Louis Cozolino and Vanessa Davis, Margaret Wilkinson, Pat Ogden, Peter A. Levine, Russell Meares, Dan Hughes, Martha Stark, Stan Tatkin, Marion Solomon, and Daniel J. Siegel and Bonnie Goldstein.

The MIND Diet Cookbook: Quick and Delicious Recipes for Enhancing Brain Function and Helping Prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia


Kristin Diversi - 2017
    The 140 easy-to-make recipes provide a mouth watering way to keeps one's mind sharp by eating the right foods while avoiding brain-harming ones. The wide range of recipes include quick-and-hearty breakfasts, concentration-boosting lunches, fast-and-fabulous snacks, dinners made from foods that help with mental acuity and even dessert that can improve memory while still tasting oh so sweet. Including a 28-day meal plan, easy-to-follow advice, and tips for keeping to the diet when on the go, this cookbook is the ultimate guide to maintaining one's cognitive abilities for years to come.

MATLAB for Brain and Cognitive Scientists


Mike X. Cohen - 2017
    Its balance of usability, visualization, and widespread use makes it one of the most powerful tools in a scientist's toolbox. In this book, Mike Cohen teaches brain scientists how to program in MATLAB, with a focus on applications most commonly used in neuroscience and psychology. Although most MATLAB tutorials will abandon users at the beginner's level, leaving them to sink or swim, MATLAB for Brain and Cognitive Scientists takes readers from beginning to intermediate and advanced levels of MATLAB programming, helping them gain real expertise in applications that they will use in their work.The book offers a mix of instructive text and rigorous explanations of MATLAB code along with programming tips and tricks. The goal is to teach the reader how to program data analyses in neuroscience and psychology. Readers will learn not only how to but also how not to program, with examples of bad code that they are invited to correct or improve. Chapters end with exercises that test and develop the skills taught in each chapter. Interviews with neuroscientists and cognitive scientists who have made significant contributions their field using MATLAB appear throughout the book. MATLAB for Brain and Cognitive Scientists is an essential resource for both students and instructors, in the classroom or for independent study.

Diet for the MIND: The Latest Science on What to Eat to Prevent Alzheimer's and Cognitive Decline


Martha Clare Morris - 2017
    But now there is scientific evidence indicating that diet plays a bigger role in brain health than we ever thought before. In Diet for the MIND, one of the leaders in this research provides an easy, non-invasive, and effective way to prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease through diet and lifestyle.There are specific foods and nutrients that are important for keeping the brain functioning optimally, and also foods to limit because they can cause brain injury. With 80 delicious recipes for every occasion, Diet for the MIND is your roadmap to a healthy brain -- for life.