I had great expectations for this book and was not disappointed.
This book is a great resource for learning the basics of the different brain areas and varied brain functions. I learned in Chapter 1 how to improve learning abilities based on the varied ways of learning. If a child is having a difficult time in learning, changing the technique of learning is indicated. In schools, variations must be used with learners that are not learning in the traditional manner. The interview with Dr. James Zull discussed this point. This was not a central point of Chapter 1 but I thought that the comments on education were really interesting.
Chapter 1 also discussed how neuroplasticity is at the core of brain fitness. An interesting study was described, stating that London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than London bus drivers due to the taxi drivers need to decide on varying routes compared to the bus drivers having set routes during their day.
The most helpful chapter of this book for me was Chapter 2. The chapter delved in to the 4 pillars of brain health. The four pillars of brain health are: balanced nutrition, stress management, physical exercise, and mental stimulation. Before reading this book, I knew that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. What I learned was how critical physical exercise is for brain health. The chapter went into great detail for each of the 4 pillars and discussed scientific studies related to each area. The book stated that brisk walking for a total of 3 hours each week can halt or reverse brain atrophy. This chapter has straight forward information on how to make a difference in how you work towards brain health and fitness.
Chapter 4 delved in to the different brain training programs that are available to the public. I had no idea that there were so many different programs available outside of the medical and educational professions. The different programs were discussed without bias, which was really appreciated. The programs were broken down into an easy to compare chart and then discussed in detail. This chapter was quite helpful to me in finding a stress management product.
This book also has thought provoking questions for group discussions and or book clubs listed in Chapter 7. The questions listed will bring the topic of brain fitness front and center to debates with families, friends, and colleagues. What better way to stimulate the brain than to take a walk with a friend and talk about the book.
Highly recommended.
