The Healthy Aging Brain: Sustaining Attachment, Attaining Wisdom

by Louis Cozolino

A neuroscientifically based account of how our brains age and change over time. What would you do if you could live to 122, like the Frenchwoman Madame Calment, whose life span is the oldest ever recorded? What if you could do so and stave off dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other common ailments of aging? What would happen if we stopped thinking of ourselves as aging and in decline, and instead started thinking of ourselves as chronologically advantaged? More effective than age-defying creams and anti-aging pills is a concrete understanding of how our bodies and our brains age, and what we can do to work with this natural process to make life as long and as fulfilling as possible. This is just what The Healthy Aging Brain offers. Here, expert psychologist and veteran therapist Louis Cozolino reveals that groundbreaking brain research proves that our brains continue to grow and change throughout our lives. He offers a neuroscientifically-based account of just how our brains age and evolve over time. In short, Cozolino says, our individual health and longevity are inextricably linked to those around us. How we age is grounded in our human relationships.

Genres: Health, Psychology, Nonfiction

380 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2008

Reviews

[Erica Vongphanichith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breezy, quick, but lovely read! Captivating insight about the brain as a social organ and wired to be healthier (leading to longer lives) when we have abundant, and intimate social ties. It’s about the people and relationships in our lives that energize us, which help to promote our better health. Especially love the perspective about the value and importance of older generations as a natural resource that nourishes humanity — the main ingredient being the stories that are passed down as a type of currency from each generation, connecting us all through unique narratives, history, and culture.

[atom_box Evan G · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you already know that you need attachment, nutrition, exercise, and sleep, this book will give you good details and links to the original research. It is written to be accessible.

Lots of practical advice. Well footnoted. I skimmed it.

For illustrations it has copious tabular lists. The author has been out in the field and relates some great conversations he has had. "If I were old I would not want to be a white person, living in white culture," (paraphrased) was from one useful conversation he described.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book - probably 2 1/2 stars. But there just isn't enough density of information for reading almost 400 pages. It centers on the brain as a social organ, formed and sustained by social interactions.