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Maximum Brainpower
Challenging the Brain for Health and Wisdom
2 of 2 copies available
Did you know that experts are often less mentally agile than jacks-of-all-trades? That crossword puzzles and sudoku are of minimal help in building brainpower? That multitasking poses unique dangers to the brain? Cognitive psychologist Shlomo Breznitz knows—and what’s more, he knows what to do about it. In Maximum Brainpower, Breznitz and technologist Collins Hemingway provide both an in-depth look at how the brain works and proven methods to increase its capabilities. Armed with the results of cutting-edge research, they champion the stimulus of continual change over the deadening effects of comfortable routine, show how to separate good mental stress from bad, and demonstrate how hope and socialization can help defend against forgetfulness, memory loss, even dementia. Filled with colorful real-life stories and fascinating psychological experiments, this revelatory work will help adults of any age keep their minds sharp, healthy, and cognitively fit throughout life. It’s a no-brainer!
Praise for Maximum Brainpower
“Everyone knows the importance of physical fitness; less appreciated is the necessity of cognitive fitness. How do you maintain an exercised, stimulated, flexible brain? Start by reading this book.”—David Eagleman, New York Times bestselling author of Incognito
“Profound, rich, and enriching . . . Because of its forceful suggestions, its analyses, and its wide knowledge, this book is well worth reading. And rereading.”—Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and author
“Many of us are petrified of Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, and other maladies that impair the functioning of the brain. Breznitz and Hemingway can deliver no ‘magic bullet’ to prevent dementia. But their book does get you thinking about what you can do to develop and maintain your gray matter, build on the plasticity of the brain, and increase the likelihood that you’ll live not just a longer but a fuller life.”—The Huffington Post
“Most books about healthy brain maintenance just give you the ‘how’; this one tells you why. And it helps you do it.”—Rita Carter, author of Mapping the Mind
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 26, 2012 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780345526168
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780345526168
- File size: 2756 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 15, 2012
An internationally recognized authority on the relationship between stress and mental functioning explores how the same mechanisms that lay the basis for human creativity and expertise can also set us up for cognitive stagnation. Cognitive psychologist Breznitz (Memory Fields, 1992, etc.) suggests that "our [unique] ability to find solutions buried in our experience is a hallmark of human creativity," yet to be matched by any computer. It is the basis of an expert's rapid intuitive grasp of a situation. But it has a downside as well. With the assistance of Hemingway (co-author: The Fifth Wave: A Strategic Vision for Mobile Internet Innovation, Investment & Return, 2012, etc.), Breznitz explains how our major cognitive strength is also a potential weakness, leading us to overlook danger signals or new possibilities and trapping the brain in the "tomb of experience." Breznitz cites research that demonstrates the proclivity of the brain to take shortcuts--e.g., automatically accepting a solution to a problem based on past experience. In a rapidly changing world, to adapt by unlearning old ways can be critical to survival. Mental rigidity, writes the author, can create a vulnerability for Alzheimer's disease and dementia later in life. However, this need not be the case. "[T]axing mental challenges" are necessary at every stage of our lives. By embracing them, we create cognitive reserves that can slow down mental deterioration even as our brains age. Despite the known problems caused by chronic stress--anxiety, depression, immune disorders, etc.--and despite the fact that any change can be stressful, it is necessary if we are to avoid mental stagnation. Among Breznitz's recommended activities, reading ranks high. A refreshing look at a well-worked topic.COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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