The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age

With the growing occurrence of degenerative brain conditions in modern society, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, comes an increased awareness and interest from people of all ages, in the preventative tools available to help slow the ageing process and improve general brain health and cognitive function. This book takes a no nonsense approach to the topic, offering a truly refreshing outlook on brain health and empowering readers with both the skills and knowledge needed to assess and improve their own brain performance. I have to admit I laughed when I first read the statement, "Brain fitness...much more than crossword puzzles and blueberries", but in actual fact it isn't a laughing matter. It is this very statement, I believe, that best highlights the feeling so many of us have about the meaning of brain health and fitness - confusion. All too often this confusion is caused by media entities trying to benefit from a selling headline, but this text casts out the would be profiteers and looks in-depth at the scientific research and studies - studies that have uncovered many interesting aspects about how the brain functions and the importance that neuroplasticity has throughout life. It also highlights the complementary nature of both physical and mental exercise in stimulating, understanding and improving cognitive performance; and then presents this information in an easy-to-understand manner for audiences of all ages and levels to enjoy, learn and adapt from themselves. The topics covered are divided into nine easy-to-follow chapters (listed below), with the content of each growing on knowledge obtained in the previous. 1. Start with the brain in mind 2. Be a coach, not a patient 3. Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body) 4. You are what you eat and drink (to a point) 5. Oh, the places you'll go (Structural benefits of mental change) 6. Oh, the people you'll meet (Benefits of social engagement) 7. Manage stress, build resilience 8. Cross-train your brain; and finally, 9. How to be your own brain fitness coach Personally, coming from a family that recently discovered the effects of Alzheimer's first hand, I jumped at the chance to read The SharpBrains Guide. Like so many other individuals and families in similar situations, I was hungry for knowledge, and I wanted more than the surface 'facts' the ongoing media coverage was providing me - I wanted facts and research studies that I could understand and put to use in my everyday life. One of the simplest learnings I have taken away from reading this text is the definition of neuroplasticity - which the guide defines as "rewiring the brain through experience". I have a lot of experience, both positive and negative with this subject, but I plan to draw upon my own experiences, focusing on improving and better understanding my own neuroplasticity, so that I may help others around me to also improve their cognitive understanding and brain fitness. Without a doubt in my mind, I find this guide to be one of the clearest and most relatable texts I have read to date on the emerging, and constantly evolving subject of neuroplasticity; and taking a 'use it or lose it' approach, it drives home the ultimate message to all readers, even if you only choose to read snippets - that "brain fitness matters for life, and throughout life". I would recommend this book to my family, friends and colleagues 100%.

My mother died from complications of dementia. So did my best friend's dad. I have a dear friend with a (mild) TBI and I thought this was something we had to accept as part of life as we age or if you have head trauma- unlucky you. The book helped me understand that it doesn't have to be that way. There are things we can do every day to improve out memories and keep dementia at bay, and improve brain function even after an injury. I was happy to discover I was already doing some of the "right things": Moderate alcohol consumption, (yay! Red Wine!) a, a regular aerobic exercise at least a few days a week, a consistant sleep schedule. The book was laid out in such a way that you could skip around if there was a particular topic that you want to focus on or readable cover to cover. I confess, I skimmed over some of the interviews. Phew- no need to waste my money on supplements that have no benefit. I love yoga and my practice has fallen away in the last few years, so this has been another incentive to pick it back up- yoga is a meditative practice and that helps to boost memory and cognition. Other sggestions from the authors: I work at home so I could use more face- to face social interaction. My work requires analysis and is challenging and full of variety so that is another advantage. The breakdown of what is helpful and what isn't helped me feel like at least I have some control rather than trying to keep up with the latest headline touting this or that latest finding or "cure". I may still have issues with dementia later in life, just hoping that if I do as many of the right things as possible I can postpone/minimize the effects for as long as possible. Overall I enjoyed and recommend it.

If you're looking for a way to kick-start a more brain-healthy lifestyle, then turn off the TV and read this book. As someone who teaches a brain health course to older adults, I was somewhat skeptical of the new book, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness. There are so many books out there on this topic that I was wary of reading yet another book that would tread on the same ground. Nonetheless I purchased the book and am delighted that I did so. This is a wonderful book that would be useful to both professionals in the field as well as individuals with an interest in improving their own brain health. It is written at a level appropriate for people with no prior knowledge of brain function or brain fitness information, yet it also provides a comprehensive, up-to-date and thoughtful review of the most pertinent research on the topic. Given the depth of the information provided, this is a surprisingly easy read. Relative to other literature on this topic, I found the first chapter on brain function and anatomy to be one of the most lucid and helpful overviews I've seen yet. There is some built-in redundancy in the book (e.g. "chapter highlights" and interviews with contributors that follow each topic discussion) that serves as a helpful tool for integrating and recalling so much information. Much of the book provides an opportunity to look beyond the simplistic and somewhat misleading popular "headlines" to a much more thoughtful understanding of what the research actually does or does not show. There is an extensive reference section at the end for more scholarly readers who want to examine the original research. But for individuals who just wish to improve their own brain health, this book also provides a reliable road map on how to get started. I intend to revise our adult education curriculum on brain health using information from this book and will be encouraging all participants to read the book as well. Although I consider my own lifestyle to be fairly brain healthy, this book has inspired me to make some changes to my brain fitness program--for example, in an effort to add "novelty, variety, and challenge" to my mental stimulation activities, I've set a goal of memorizing one poem per week (two weeks and two poems down thus far!). I might even try playing some of the video games for which this book shows there is some evidence of a positive cognitive effect, which would certainly add novelty to my current routine. Regardless of where you are in your own path toward brain fitness, The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness will serve as an excellent resource.

This book is a readable and thought-provoking introduction to the field of "brain training" or more broadly "brain fitness." The authors clear away a number of misconceptions about brain fitness, and provide thoughtful guidelines for keeping your own brain well-nourished and robust at any age. They identify three primary aspects of 'brain fitness' including: promoting growth of neurons ("neurogenesis"), enhancing the connections between neurons ("neuroplasticity"), and keeping the brain active to stave off the harmful effects of aging or disease (building "cognitive reserve"). They also identify other factors in brain health including nutrition, oxidative damage and how to minimize it, and maintaining vascular health. The main body of the book consists of short chapters on activities or lifestyle changes that the reader can adopt to promote all these areas of brain fitness. A large number of topics are discussed including exercise, sleep, stress reduction, lifelong intellectual enrichment, computerized brain training programs, endeavors that involve novelty, variety, and challenge, the Mediterranean diet, supplements, social engagement, and meditation. Overall, an excellent - detailed yet readable - overview of how to optimize your brain health. I also enjoyed the authors' debunking of a number of common misconceptions about brain fitness, including the idea that taking Gingko Biloba and doing a daily crossword puzzle will stave off Alzheimer's disease. Turns out that to develop the "cognitive reserve" that preserves brain function, you need novelty and a variety of challenges because that's what prompts the brain to create new synaptic connections ("neuroplasticity"); there is little gain in terms of increased brain fitness to doing your one millionth crossword puzzle, for example. Finally, the authors do a great service to readers by emphasizing throughout that different people have differing needs and priorities according to age and life circumstances, so everyone's brain fitness program should be somewhat individualized. Consider: an elderly person wanting to preserve "working memory" and processing speed; an adolescent diagnosed with ADHD; an adult in mid-life coping with an overload of stressful demands. All these individuals have different priorities and the authors suggest individualized strategies for brain fitness. A major plus of this book is that the authors are careful not to make claims unwarranted by the current state of research. They are not trying to sell you a dietary supplement or computer program and therefore they come off as unbiased in their recommendations. They also include interviews with brain experts at the end of each chapter; these interviews help to reveal the extraordinary breadth and scope of current brain fitness research. Another book that I found very enjoyable and informative on the topic of understanding your own individual brain and maximizing its effectiveness is David Rock's "Your Brain at Work."

I found aspects to this book useful for my own research purposes, in that it gives brief summaries of research studies, some too old for my tastes, but some newer ones have been put in in this updated version. The book talks about the wide range of brain fitness, diet, sleep, exercise, reducing stress through meditation and mental challenges being necessary to stave off age related cognitive decline. So it's good in that way, but not new. I think this book is priming people to buy Sharp Brains programs or tools.

For anyone interested in getting up to speed on this burgeoning field, this is a great place to start. They are not biased, they put science before opinion, and they try to look at all the important variables. Three aspects of this book are noteworthy: the layout of the book itself is an overview of the field. Secondly, the brief interviews at the end of each chapter with notables in the field is, by itself worth the price of admission. Thirdly, the book is well-referenced with a useful glossary. Also, Dr. Goldberg's lists at the end are both a useful summary of the key ideas plus an interesting set of lists in it's own right. If you are looking for one book to help you get your bearings in this new and exciting field, this is the one!

In the early introduction of computers, some people thought, "I don't have to bother with technology. It's a phase." They were wrong. Similarly the introduction of neuroscience in the mainstream isn't a phase. It's a necessity for us as individuals, as parents, and as adult children of older parents to understand and use what we are learning about brain fitness. Did you know you're brain is constantly growing -- or shrinking? Building more neurons and neuronal pathways or dismantling them? Did you know that age doesn't have to mean cognitive decline? Or that meditation is one of the best techniques to reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and increase attention? Did you know that some computerized brain games can contribute to long-term brain function improvement? Or that "Use it or Lose It" is somewhat of an understatement when it comes to your brain? As a psychologist and long-time follower of sharpbrains.com I've been looking forward to this second edition of the SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness. I particularly like the solid discussions about research and the evaluation when there are conflicting results. We all need to understand the difference between media reporting on brain research (which of course can be good) and academic research. The authors explain theory and practice without bias, hype, or a sales pitch mode. This is a serious, informative, ethical book that gives the reader the newest information about brain fitness. It's beneficial for adolescents,those in middle age and to seniors as well. We all need to know how to reduce stress (which physically damages our brains), how to regulate our emotions, build cognitive reserve,improve working memory and fluid intelligence, and manage the attention/distraction see-saw. You can read the book from front to back, from back to front, in chunks or paragraphs, use it as an encyclopedia and focus only on specific topics, or use it as a very sophisticated self-help book that's solid and accurate, with no fluff or filler. I found the Appendix with 55 Brain Fitness Facts, the chapters on Managing Stress, Cross-training your Brain, and How to be your own Brain Fitness Coach particularly useful. These sections are all specific,concrete and practical;immediately useful for everyone, everyday. I'm finding that being my own brain fitness coach is fun. The book also ties brain fitness to good physical and nutritional fitness, which means you're probably already doing some of the brain fitness techniques suggested.

My family has a history of dementia and Alzheimer's, so my wife and I are always on the lookout for new and helpful information about keeping our brains strong as we age. We've read more than a few and I haven't written reviews of any of them. I wanted to share a bit about why I did like this book and what prompted me to take the time to write a review. I found this book to be bursting with useful information. It is very easy to read and the information is presented beautifully for what I consider to be the intended audience - people like me without an advanced degree in brain-related science! At the same time, the content is very up-to-date so I am sure those in the field could learn quite a bit, too. The section of the book that I found most enlightening and interesting is about how exercise affects the brain. As a not-too-avid, but fairly consistent exerciser, I read this chapter hoping for it to rejuvenate my effort and it did because it presented the how and why of exercise's benefits for the brain. When my young son asked me why I was exercising again, I almost replied, "It turns out that the research shows that exercise can trigger changes in the brain that spur neuroplasticity, which is the production of new neurons and the connections between them!" But, instead I just said because it is good for me and for my brain... not because I don't think he could have understood, but more because I didn't want his follow-up questions to delay my neuroplasticity workout! I think another section that will be interesting to many readers as it was for me is the section about nutrition and the brain. The Mediterranean Diet, supplements' effect on brain health (or not), smoking, and obesity are a few of the topics covered. One last note... Each chapter ends with an interview with a prominent expert in the area covered in the previous chapter. This is great! The interviews provide points of emphasis and put a nice bow on each chapter. My wife is reading it now and we'll share it with relatives after that. Thank you, Doctors Fernandez, Goldberg, and Michelon.

El libro proporciona de forma ordenada y fácil de comprender los últimos avances científicos sobre el cerebro, de forma que cualquier persona interesada puede mejorar significativamente sus hábitos para obtener una vida más plena.

Testo interessante per chi ama il miglioramento della propria mente.

A great summary of how the brain works with many, many helpful tips and strategies to deal with brain related issues. Highly recommended.

I downloaded this book onto my kindle because it gives me the opportunity to highlight key issues. This has proved excellent since there are so many interesting and relevant points to explore by reading again and again. An invaluable read which focuses on the mind and the body which is explained in a fairly straightforward way.

Having bought several other books on the subject, I find that the Sharp Brains Guide gives an excellent overview of the subject. After each chapter, there are transcripts of interviews with subject matter experts that are very informative. For anyone not familiar with the subject, this easy to read book is the place to start.