Excellent book.

It's a mature book from a mature writer. It's organized, fairly to the point, and has not of the personal rhetoric that plagues many writers of this field. A lot of these books tend to have writers that want to spout off their personal crap without proper finding/or half decent research to back it up. Ratey usually stops before too much of his opinions start to effect what he was really trying to say.

There are a lot of new information even for a reader like me who reads a lot of these types of materials. I was especially intrigued by the researches into the motor functions, memories and learning. The parts about language learning in the brain also helped to reinforce some of my ideas about language learning.(since I have taught ESL part time for nearly 10 years) I had some indications/ideas that motor functions effects learning and memories, but I never knew that it was this much.

I would say that this is a level up book from books like "Mind, Wide Open", since we are introduced to more technical jargons/research, but it's still in plain enough writing for us to understand.

It also opened my eyes to other possibilities of psychological problems, such as perception. Frankly, as wanna be student of psychology, I am ashamed to say that I didn't think a Vision problem can contribute that much to a person's psyche. It helped me organized some ideas that I had about the brain, and it also challenged some of my beliefs on psychology.

All in all, an excellent book. I would recommend it. Use it or Lose it! ( )

Humbling, isn't it? Your brain makes you smart, or a great tennis player, renowned explorer, or beloved parent. Our emotional life rules us - that's the way it had to be for our ancestors. They had to be quick on the draw to assess other people's motives, to react to danger, to respond appropriately with joy, sadness, commiseration, surprise and all the other roles others expect of us, if they expect to remain tightly bonded to their group.

Each brain is a universe unto itself. Even the brains of twins are different, not genetically, but due to environmental factors, even in utero.

I wish I could express the surprise and dismay about how brief are the 'windows of opportunity' for being able to recognize phonemes (vital to being really good at languages), develop language syntax, acquire spatial ability, move the limbs, even to see. As early as the first six months and as late as six to twelve years important windows can be passed by, leaving the child berift of major abiities. In effect, the 'Mozart effect' occurs much earlier than most of us think. The first two or three years determine quite a bit of how the adult will fare later in life.

Love and constant encouragement are vital. Continual talking to and around baby, and yes, even to the late stage fetus. Music is vital to develop intellectual ability and spatial ability.

Ratey urges pre-pregnant women, let alone the already pregnant, to not: smoke, drink, take drugs, and to carefully monitor prescription usage with their doctor. In fact, smoking after birth won't do baby any good, either. He relates how there are substantial bad effects which reduce the baby's chances in life in regard to intelligence, emotional stability, mental health, general health, job prospects. A kid can't do much these days without a good brain. A mother wouldn't want to be responsible for any of these serious deficits, would she?

The layout of the book is very well considered, with good illustrations (but for the best illustrated brain book see my reviews on: 'Mapping The Mind' by Rita Carter. Another great guide to getting a better picture of the brain's structures is: 'Colorful Introduction To The Anatomy Of The Human Brain' by John Pinel. Click on my 'Other Reviews' section).

However, I have to say how impressed I am with John Ratey's writing style and with his knowledge. Not surprisingly, he is a neuro-psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. He comes across as a remarkable likable individual. I thought well of his advice to his daughter on going off to college, "Remember who you are."

In fact, in his chaper on memory it turns out that memory IS who we are. If we did not have a constantly accessable, contiguous knowing of 'Which I is I", as the poet Theodore Roethke put it, we would be in personal and social chaos.

And then there is the issue of consciousness - a real can of worms if ever there was one. Researchers from Philosophy to Physics are getting in on it. In my view the neurologists are the key to resolving the debate eventually, though maybe not in this century. Parts of the brain stem along with other brain centers orchestrate consciousness - in fact, that is the analogy he uses: a conductor leading an orchestra. A 40Hz electrical synchronization of many brain areas is what brings about consciosness. When enough significant areas of the brain synchronize, voila! You are jumping out of bed and heading for the shower.

The brain needs exercise! Movement is vital. Many intellectual functions are actually derived from movement. Intellectual stimulation is vital. Listen! Toss out that TV, really. It may be better to get the latest, most challenging video game if you want to challenge the brain. Better than listening passively to some 'talking head' carrying on about the day's latest disaster somewhere else in the world.

Walking, Tai-Chi (did I spell that right?), golf, volleyball, dancing, playing (not just listening to) music ... Non-passive things to DO. In the brain's development, at critical times we must be DOING activities which will enable the brain's connections to form properly. Action is the name of the game.

Ratey uses extensive referal to the latest research, but in general does it in a way that is not too irritating to the lay reader. You have to understand that in the world of Science, immortality is gained by dying after having been mentioned in the greatest number of citations.

My advice: you need to read this book! You will be surprised by what you have been carrying around on your shoulders all these years. And my hat's off to John Ratey for a supurb survey of the latest in neuro-psychiatry. ( )

Humbling, isn't it? Your brain makes you smart, or a great tennis player, renowned explorer, or beloved parent. Our emotional life rules us - that's the way it had to be for our ancestors. They had to be quick on the draw to assess other people's motives, to react to danger, to respond appropriately with joy, sadness, commiseration, surprise and all the other roles others expect of us, if they expect to remain tightly bonded to their group.

Each brain is a universe unto itself. Even the brains of twins are different, not genetically, but due to environmental factors, even in utero.

I wish I could express the surprise and dismay about how brief are the 'windows of opportunity' for being able to recognize phonemes (vital to being really good at languages), develop language syntax, acquire spatial ability, move the limbs, even to see. As early as the first six months and as late as six to twelve years important windows can be passed by, leaving the child berift of major abiities. In effect, the 'Mozart effect' occurs much earlier than most of us think. The first two or three years determine quite a bit of how the adult will fare later in life.

Love and constant encouragement are vital. Continual talking to and around baby, and yes, even to the late stage fetus. Music is vital to develop intellectual ability and spatial ability.

Ratery urges pre-pregnant women, let alone the already pregnant, to not: smoke, drink, take drugs, and to carefully monitor prescription usage with their doctor. In fact, smoking after birth won't do baby any good, either. He relates how there are substantial bad effects which reduce the baby's chances in life in regard to intelligence, emotional stability, mental health, general health, job prospects. A kid can't do much these days without a good brain. A mother wouldn't want to be responsible for any of these serious deficits, would she?

The layout of the book is very well considered, with good illustrations (but for the best illustrated brain book see my reviews on: 'Mapping The Mind' by Rita Carter. Another great guide to getting a better picture of the brain's structures is: 'Colorful Introduction To The Anatomy Of The Human Brain' by John Pinel. Click on my 'Other Reviews' section).

However, I have to say how impressed I am with John Ratey's writing style and with his knowledge. Not surprisingly, he is a neuro-psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. He comes across as a remarkable likable individual. I thought well of his advice to his daughter on going off to college, "Remember who you are."

In fact, in his chaper on memory it turns out that memory IS who we are. If we did not have a constantly accessable, contiguous knowing of 'Which I is I", as the poet Theodore Roethke put it, we would be in personal and social chaos.

And then there is the issue of consciousness - a real can of worms if ever there was one. Researchers from Philosophy to Physics are getting in on it. In my view the neurologists are the key to resolving the debate eventually, though maybe not in this century. Parts of the brain stem along with other brain centers orchestrate consciousness - in fact, that is the analogy he uses: a conductor leading an orchestra. A 40Hz electrical synchronization of many brain areas is what brings about consciosness. When enough significant areas of the brain synchronize, voila! You are jumping out of bed and heading for the shower.

The brain needs exercise! Movement is vital. Many intellectual functions are actually derived from movement. Intellectual stimulation is vital. Listen! Toss out that TV, really. It may be better to get the latest, most challenging video game if you want to challenge the brain. Better than listening passively to some 'talking head' carrying on about the day's latest disaster somewhere else in the world.

Walking, Tai-Chi (did I spell that right?), golf, volleyball, dancing, playing (not just listening to) music ... Non-passive things to DO. In the brain's development, at critical times we must be DOING activities which will enable the brain's connections to form properly. Action is the name of the game.

Ratey uses extensive referal to the latest research, but in general does it in a way that is not too irritating to the lay reader. You have to understand that in the world of Science, immortality is gained by dying after having been mentioned in the greatest number of citations.

My advice: you need to read this book! You will be surprised by what you have been carrying around on your shoulders all these years. And my hat's off to John Ratey for a supurb survey of the latest in neuro-psychiatry. ( )