The owner's manual for the brain : the ultimate guide to peak mental performance at all ages

Summary: Distills the very latest reseach on the brain and explains the practical, real-world applications for our daily lives. Draws information from the frontiers of psychology, neurobiology, and cognitive science.

Record details

ISBN: 9780062227355 (pbk.)
Physical Description: print
1049 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Edition: Fourth edition.
Publisher: New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2014]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Forming a foundation: the context for using your owner's manual. Getting started: a framework for exploring mind-brain concepts ; Brain basics: a refresher course in hardware and hormones ; The trouble with drugs: of crutches and cures -- From the cradle to the grave-- with a turbulent stop at adolescence. Starting well: windows of opportunity ; The tumultuous teens: understanding the adolescent brain ; Finishing well: use it or lose it ; The brain gone awry: when your lobes get sick ; Sex differences: how the brains of females and males differ ; Social neuroscience: human interaction and connecting minds -- Wellness: getting the most out of every day. Brain wellness: habits that lead to optimum brain performance ; Music-- as a means and as an end ; Powders and elixirs: mind-altering agents ; Humoring the mind: laughter as free (or cheap) medicine ; Nourishment: food for the body, fuel for the brain ; Love and romance: the wiring is the name of the game ; A good night's sleep: cycles, naps, dreams, and nightmares ; Pain: God's big joke? ; The body cognitive: the effects of exercise ; Woofers, bleaters, and mewers: the neuroscience of pets and other animals -- Learning: the brain as student. How we learn: acquiring and remembering information ; Giftedness: letting the genius out of the bottle ; Building Babel: acquiring and developing language ; Learning mathematics: inborn talent is just part of the equation -- Creativity and problem solving: making mountains out of hills. Getting to new you: the psychobiology of creativity ; Chipping off the old block: removing barriers to creativity ; Creating leverage: brain-based decision making ; Neuromarketing: brain-based selling and influencing ; Forensic neuroscience: brains, free will, and legal responsibility -- Putting it all together: how we differ, and what makes us tick. Getting smart about IQ: the many ways to be intelligent ; The big five: at last, a universal language for personality traits ; EQ, call home: getting savvy about your emotional side ; Violence and aggression: running hot and cold in a global society ; Stress and burnout: the unrelenting fire alarm ; Happiness: the false god -- Closing with a prayer: a peek at states of consciousness. States of consciousness: phases of the mind ; Updating your owner's manual: the continuing search for new mind-body applications.