Brain Building in Just 12 Weeks

by Marilyn vos Savant

The works smartest person shows you how to develop your brain power and strengthen your intelligence in just 12 weeks

Genres: Personal Development, Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Brain

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Marilyn vos Savant is an American magazine columnist, author, lecturer and playwright who rose to fame through her listing in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Highest IQ". Since 1986 she has written Ask Marilyn, a Sunday column in Parade magazine in which she solves puzzles and answers questions from readers on a variety of subjects.

Reviews

[Félix Auger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book forced my mind to stay active and critical since it was full of flaws and I am still really skeptical about the efficiency of Marylin’s so called 12-week brain building program. It seems to me that she hasn’t done much more than scoring high on a IQ test at age 10, so it’s hard to take her seriously. (I would be curious to see how she would do today.)

The thing is, she’s not a doctor and not even a professional in this area. The whole thing lacks empirical evidence and I found myself disagreeing with her so many times. Especially when instead of suggesting how the reader should use their mental capacities to tackle daily challenges, which is what I expected from this book, at some point it sounded more like she was trying to tell us how to live our daily life. (I remember one particular chapter where she’s even suggesting to try to sleep less because we supposedly don’t need that much sleep. She just doesn’t have the authority to say such a thing.

Also, she is really repetitive and the book is way to long for what it has to offer.

The program is interesting in a sense that it is true we tend to see our own intelligence as something static, whereas the brain can be trained to ameliorate its capacities and we should try to keep our minds as active as possible in our everyday life. She explores different aspect of our intelligence and tells how to approach it in a stimulating way.

Overall I see this book as a scam. A lot of great things can be taken from it and some exercices are really worth a try. However, Marylin sells you an idea of a program that turns out not to be working at all.

[Jammie Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chanced upon this bold yellow book shortly after publication in 1991. I was 15 and full of ambition, having failed 2 grades, having become fat and lazy both mentally and physically, and then turned my life around to complete 2 grades in 1 year with straight A's, whilst getting in shape, before even reading this book. I had something to prove to the world that labelled me a "slow learner" and that "IQ cannot change". I probably spent more time and effort improving my mind those first 3 years than any other brain builder, at least until I turned 18, and was thrown to the wolves and into the rat race. Around that time there was a lot of mystery, Hollywood hype, and debate over IQ, heredity versus environment and such, but eventually it became scientifically supported that just playing chess a few months improved IQ a few points, and more recently that not watching most junk on TV is an IQ booster (who would have guessed), which are but 2 of the many exercises in this book. This is the best introduction to the intellectual lifestyle one may ever find, it should be standard public school teaching, although what would happen if the next generation were 20 IQ points above us, and taught to question authority, how to think for themselves!!?
Starting from what was most likely around 100 I've achieved over 140 IQ and proven it to myself many times and many ways, although I wish I had the kind of proof anyone could see. I haven't solved any world problems (yet) or become "rich" as is typically what misdefines "genius", but I've avoided or overcome most of life's pitfalls and I'm fairly happy, healthy, debt free, with a sound mind, which in themselves are rare gems these days. Now in midlife I can say I still have a burning passion for thinking and learning in general, as the internet has truly leveled the playing field on knowledge, dwarfing what mass printing did for the Renaissance. I feel greatly benefited and fortunate to have such a good teacher, and I am looking forward to renewing my intellectual efforts. Marilyn is possibly the most underestimated and potentially influential teacher of our times, and as with so many great thinkers, a danger to the "social order" or "corrupting the youth" should her teachings ever catch on, like wildfire. Approach this book with an open mind, determination, and believe in yourself and one will get that much more out of it. The things I found lacking were an introduction to meditation, and perhaps a bit said of brain foods.

[Kelsey]

My husband begged until I agreed to read and do this program with him. I am skeptical but love him enough to give it a try.
What I have read thus far is interesting. Savant has the highest IQ in recorded history and claims we need to be working out our brain daily, just as we would exercise daily. Both need strengthening and work or they become weak. We'll see...

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun for the mind

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually did not finish reading the book, as per author's suggestion (something along the lines of "life is too short to read everything that you're 'supposed' to read").

A portion of what I read was enjoyable, practical and beneficial to my life (namely the chapter about vocabulary; I felt like the information was applicable to language learning as well, since learning new words is not essentially different whether that word be in your native language or not). However, as I went on, the information seemed to me increasingly trivial. The chapter about logic and perspectives was interesting (Vos Savant's puzzles were fun), but I did not feel that I grew a great deal from it since it was largely intuitive.

To be fair, there's still a lot of knowledge in this book that could help me, but for now I am happy to make what I've learned into habit.

I will check the book again once I find something else I want to improve upon!

[Cheryl Licata · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this book has the highest IQ in the world (as tested with the Stanford-Binet, normal score is 100; hers is 230.) This is the lady whose column "Ask Marilyn" appears in the weekly Parade magazine, which I read and try to answer the question she presents. One of the quotes that struck home is -- "Ten finished projects are far more significant than fifty projects merely begun. Feel free to drop unfinished projects and books the moment they cease to be worthwhile. Finish it or throw it out." (Uh-oh. That's a hard one for me.) She won my full support when she wrote about the importance of reading to boost brain power, everything from classics to current, then form your own opinions and solve problems. "The well-built mind is aware of the world's infinite possibilities and reaches out in every direction" -- a good reason to work through this book.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, though a lot of it seems a little outdated now, in the age of social media & nonstop bombardment of information, misinformation, etc.. though the author still imparts principles that can be readily applied to becoming more independently-minded and capable of a higher degree of objective thinking. There are some definite DOs and DON'Ts she gives along the way which I find a little questionable and not all that important in the overall quest to giving you a more objective mind, but overall I enjoyed the book as it reminds me to constantly challenge not only what I hear but my own assumptions and lazy thinking, in a number of ways.

[Jammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book. I was labeled/stigmatized a "slow learner", "trouble maker", "slacker" in school and held back 2 grades. Later in life, finished 2 grades in 1 year with mostly A's, went to college, and tested over 140 IQ. I attribute my turnaround to an intense desire for revenge, to "prove them wrong", and to this book, which is also highly underestimated, as is the potential of your mind. The only thing missing from this book is the importance of meditation or prayer, which helps tremendously, with everything. Started a book club for it on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/41579...

[Gresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have actually read this book two times and both of the times, it seemed to me like the author tries hard to seem smart by using "difficult" words. Overall, to me seems like a generally pretentious book with pretentious advice, for example: her advice on mathematics and logic is apparently correct, but yet it's not that anybody needed this information.
I see the book as any other typical self-help book.

[David Goh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting read with brainteaser exercises and recommendations to other books where real gold is similarly found. I found it hard to read according to a 12-week program. Most of all, "brain building" as taught by vos Savant seems to be an exercise of the consciousness, engaging in various thinking experiments to, over time, develop an independent and humanist mindset that always goes after knowledge. I'm not sure if I got smarter in any lasting way, but it had some solid advice on work, learning and socializing that make it a great selectively read resource.

[Anıl Aycan]

thx

[Kelly]

Lent to ACP.

[Adam]

I THINK SO

[Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ı think very good books

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of mental exercises to help you get your mind in shape.

[Cemil VatanSever · Rating 5 out of 5]

bakıcam