Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brain's Maximum Potential

by Daniel G. Amen

It all starts with your how you think, how you feel, how you interact with others, and how well you succeed in realizing your goals and dreams. When your brain works right, so do you. When it’s out of balance, you feel frustrated, or worse. Yet amid all the advice that bombards us daily about how to keep the rest of our body strong and healthy, we hear very little about how to keep the most complex and magnificent organ of all—the human brain—in top working order.

Based on the most up-to-date research, as well as on Dr. Daniel Amen’s more than twenty years of treating patients at the Amen Clinics, where he and his associates pioneered the use of brain imaging in clinical practice, Magnificent Mind at Any Age does exactly that. Dr. Amen shows how many of the traditional approaches to overcoming the mind-centered challenges that hold us back—try harder, work longer, find the sheer willpower—either do not work or may make our problems worse. The true key to satisfaction and success at any age is a healthy brain. By optimizing our brain function we can all develop these qualities of a magnificent mind enjoyed by the world’s most successful and happiest

• Increased memory and concentration
• The ability to maintain warm and satisfying relationships
• Undiminished sexual desire and performance
• Goal-oriented perseverance
• Better impulse control and mastery over potential addictions
• Free-flowing creativity and the ability to relax and enjoy life’s pleasures

To achieve this, as Dr. Amen explains here in clearly accessible language, we have a range of options available, including proper diet, natural supplements and vitamins, exercise, positive thinking habits, and, if needed, medication. In addition to revealing how we can all take advantage of such strategies to enjoy the benefits of a balanced and healthy brain at every stage of our lives, Dr. Amen also pinpoints specific ways to tailor behavior, nutrition, and lifestyle to deal effectively with common mental challenges such as memory problems, anxiety and depression, attention deficit disorder, and insomnia.

Whether you’re in the midst of a demanding career or are looking forward to an active and richly rewarding retirement, Magnificent Mind at Any Age can give you the edge you need to live every day to your fullest potential.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Psychology, Brain, Science, Reference

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

The Washington Post called Dr. Daniel Amen the most popular psychiatrist in America and Sharecare.com named him the web's most influential expert and advocate on mental health.
Daniel Amen is a life-long Christian and graduate of Oral Roberts University School of Medicine. He is a double board-certified psychiatrist and multiple NY Times bestselling author, with such blockbuster books as Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Healing ADD, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, and The Daniel Plan, co-authored by Pastor Rick Warren and Dr. Mark Hyman. In November 2016, he and his wife Tana published The Brain Warrior's Way.
Dr. Amen is the founder of Amen Clinics, which has 6 locations across the United States. Amen Clinics has the world's largest database of brain scans related to behavior, totaling more than 125,000 SPECT scans on patients from 111 countries.
Dr. Amen's research team has published more than 70 scientific articles on a wide variety of topics related to brain health. He is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging study on active and retired NFL players and was a consultant on the movie Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2016, Discover Magazine named his brain imaging work for psychiatric diagnoses as one of the top 100 stories in all of science.
Dr. Amen has also hosted 11 national public television shows about the brain, which have aired more than 80,000 times across North America and raised more than 75 million dollars for stations.

You can connect with Dr. Amen on Facebook and Twitter

Reviews

[Splendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fish oil supplements. Everyone’s talking about taking fish oil. Well, I don’t eat fish. And I’m not a big fan of killing fish either. But after hearing so much about the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids, I decided I’d do some research on my own. But then I got lazy and never did it. Until one day, I passed by this book, prominently displayed at the library. On a whim, I read it, and I’m so glad I did!

We all know that we need to eat well, take vitamins, exercise, think positive, and if necessary, take medication. But this explains why, in a medical and psychological way.

Dr. Amen is very pro-fish oil, and surprisingly he never addresses flax seed oil, which also provides Omega 3 fatty acids but without the oily fish killing. But along the way on my quest to learn more about fish oil and other vitamins, I encountered a lot of other useful advice and insight about the human brain and how to strengthen its internal controls. Slow down and spend some time thinking about your thinking.

[Kevin Chavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our society tends to not pay attention to the brain. Yet we expend about a quarter of our energy maintaining it! We know so little about it and yet it does so many amazing things.

This book also gave me insight into psychological problems, and how they affect unique regions of the brain. I think our society needs to start scanning the brain more often. We punish people and throw them in prisons without looking at their brains, and do not bother to help them recover.

I recommend this book to anyone that gives a damn about their brain, and wants it to function at a higher level. There are very helpful tips that pertain to everyone and those with unique circumstances.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this rather long book in its audiobook (CD) form, and although at first I was afraid that it might be too technical or medicine/physiology-oriented to be able to easily follow what was being said (these days, I do about 95% of my leisure "reading" while driving), with a little background in medicine, neuroanatomy, psychiatry/psychology, psychopharmacology, neurology and knowledge of human nature, I was able to track on it pretty well. There were parts relating to specifics about what supplements to take for what certain conditions to relieve what symptoms, but by and large, knowing that I could come back some other time with a printed version of this book and ferret out these specifics should I want to treat myself, I think I was able to follow quite well what was being discussed. Overall, the author did a great job of presenting what could be quite difficult material to explain to nonmedical people (it's a little hard to tell), but as I alluded to above, having a medical background was definitely an advantage. I would have rated this book somewhere between 4 and 5, and I may yet change this to a 5-star rating, but for now let's just say I would consider this book "excellent", above "really liked it" but just not "amazing" as the 5-star rating is supposed to imply.

Dr. Amen is a physician, psychiatrist, former Army doctor, and head of the Amen Clinic which specializes in the health and care of the brain, mental functioning, and diagnosis of related diseases and conditions, like ADHD, violent behavior, autism, Alzheimer's, depression, addictions, etc. Although a psychiatrist, he approaches much of his work with the aid of SPECT scanning, the use of which is surprisiingly controversial.

[I'm going to write more later when I get the chance.]

[Kathryn Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, my disclaimers:

1. I did not read the entire book cover to cover. I used this book as a reference book to look up information.

2. I really give the book three and a half stars, but I'm not sure how to show that on GoodReads.

A few months ago, I read an article on line about ANTS - automatic negative thoughts - and how they plague (mostly) women. As I read the article, I saw myself, my friends, and my family in the descriptions of how these ANTS infect the brain with negativity and self-doubt.

So I began to research the phenomena, and stumbled across this book while looking for a different book. "Magnificent Mind at Any Age" shows how the physical structures of the brain reflect our lives in terms of damage, and how that damage in turn effects our lives. By breaking this circle of negative reinforcement, we can make our lives better.

As one of the ways to improve your thinking, the author discusses ANTS and how to deal with them. But he also covers lots of other areas in which a person can improve their brain.

I only gave the book three and a half stars because I cannot justify a higher score without reading more of the book. And because what I read leaves me with the nagging suspicious that the author somehow gets a kickback from people who sell fish oil supplements.

But if you are looking to improve your mind and are willing to take fish oil pills, then this is definitely the book for you.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book on brain health and how essential it is to optimizing our health and living to our full potential. I will be reading this book over and over for sometime. Applying a new tip to my life each time. I will be recommending this book to all my friends as I want them to all live happy, healthy lives and the tips in here can help them do this.

I’ve read all of Dr. Amen’s books and each seem to get better than the last. So far, this and his Brain Warrior book are my favorites. The Brain Warrior Cookbook that he wrote with his wife is also fantastic. I want to try all of the recipes in it and plan to do so over time. Also, they have free YouTube videos on health and recipes.

I told my husband I want this book in every available format - cd, book, and download. :)

If I had money I would go visit Dr. Amen myself but I can only imagine how expensive such a visit would be being that he is so renowned. I will be happy with the advice from his books which is all pretty similar, so I think it’s safe to say, is probably similar to the advice he would give me in person.

[thewestchestarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of several health and business how-to book false starts. Public television psychiatrist and fish oil advocate Dr. Daniel G. Amen seems to have completed the first quarter of several books on different topics and his editor pressed them together into this brain health / business how to. Book one gives a basic review of his work scanning brains using a type of positron emission tomography looking for both common (alcohol abuse) and uncommon (schizophrenia) problems. The interesting part here is evaluating the credibility of accusations of charlatanism levied by fish oil-deprived fellow psychiatrists against Amen – some see his scans are high-tech tea leaf reading. Amen does a convincing job of citing effectiveness research which suggests a correlation between scan results and actual problems such as ADD. The writing here is consistent with the capabilities of a general audience whether or not they are taking fish oil supplements.

The tone of book two varies drastically. In this section Amen details the scholarly research on an alphabet soup of supplements including St. John’s wert and fish oil. He is to be commended for honestly presenting the potential serious side effects of these substances (e.g., cerebral hemorrhaging) but must be faulted for allowing the writing to become technical to the point that you need a degree in neurobiology and heavy doses of fish oil to plow through. This section also includes a highly clinical review of certain brain problems particularly attention deficit disorder which is better suited to a 2 years Masters of Science classroom where the students are pumped full of fish oil.

Book three drops all the scientific gobblygook and gets all Doug Henning-hippy philosopher covering relationships with your spouse, boss, self, significant other and god (Amen is strongly Catholic at one point emphasizing that he believes in miraculous non-fish oil caused healings). The advice here feels lifted verbatim from other relationship books. His advice on relationships has the folksy common sense recommendations (e.g., listen to understand rather than just waiting for your turn to talk) as his advice about brain health carried (i.e., don’t drink too much alcohol or caffeine and don’t play sports that involve getting routinely hit in the head).

There are also just some odd moments in the book. Amen warns against spending too much time on the computer when not at work. If working too much on a computer is bad in and of itself, why would it matter if you were doing it for work or not? Amen also boasts of his ability to give women orgasms – one presumes they must be taking a regular fish oil supplement however. Finally, Amen has a tick about recommending fish oil supplements even in sections of the book where it comes off as a somewhat random addition.

In short, I would recommend reading and likely following a summary of his advice about your brain rather than plowing through the whole tome. Oh and take your fish oil!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally fascinating book. My favorite class in college was Brain and Behavior-- and this would have made the class even better if it had been out then! The human mind is so amazing, and he explains it in simplified terms for people like me:) He fills out the connections between our behaviors and feelings, and the physiology of the brain. After reading this, I came away with the desire to be a lot less judgmental of people struggling with any sort of mental problem (anxiety, depression, and even more extreme behaviors) and a lot more hope for myself that I can literally change my brain and overcome some of my own obstacles (ie, major anxiety-- maybe someday I will get on an airplane again!!!)

One note-- he does push some natural supplements (which don't seem too extreme)and is not opposed at all to modern medications (ie. anti-depressants). But I can imagine that some people would read this and then just go out and start using the natural supplements without medical help and guidance. I think when it comes to your brain-- you need to find a doctor who is open to natural medicine (and understands it), and knows how to use other types of medication as well.

[Peter Galamaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic explanation of how the brain works with concrete examples of how certain specific behaviors can be directly traced to certain parts of the brain. Dr. Amen explains the many ways that injury, diet, exercise, habits etc. impact brain health and thus quality of life.
Some reviews charge that this book is an advertisement for Dr. Amen's products and services. I did not see this AT ALL. While he does allude to these things, in no way did I get the sense that I was being told that the only answer was to buy things from Amen Clinics.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me and did not disappoint. Part of me said "I know that," but the truth is that while I may know what is good for my brain I don't always act that way. His program (not quite an infomercial....) was aired during the KCTS PBS pledge drive this year. Don't just read the book, act on it!

[Jennifer Gamboa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw Dr. Amen on PBS, I believe. He was amazing so I went and bought his book. I also do his meditations and brain games and music series on his website. Everything has been of great benefit to me and my family.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting, but also fairly repetitive. It gave an interesting and somewhat clinical view of how to understand and improve your brain. I read it mostly to hear the perspective of ADD. Fish-oil seemed to be the answer to everything. We'll see if this helps.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for learning how to protect your brain, as well as lots of excellent tips for parents. One such tip is for children under two to avoid television so their speech can develop to full potential. Chapter 6 deals with ADD and Dr. Amen is honest about dealing with this in his own family. Also interesting were some the causes of chronic insomnia that surprised me, such as asthma medications.

Another concern for children is watching the same movie over and over. Once a child has seen a movie, there is little suspense or thought about what happens next. Repetitive watching turns out to be a no-brain activity.

Never reading to a child is a bad brain habit. Children need new learning to expand their brains and they learn best in an enriched environment. The more active parents and caregivers are in encouraging reading and education, the more children will see learning as a lifelong value. New learning throughout life is thought to be a major preventive factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Trying to hold Kaitlyn when she was a year old was like trying to hold a live salmon.

[Semra Özçelik · Rating 4 out of 5]

İnsan tutum ve davranışlarının beyindeki bölümlerle bu kadar net ilişkilendirildiği bir kitap hiç okumamıştım. Beynimizdeki her bir bölümün işlevi ve bu bölümlere nasıl iyi bakabileceğimize dair bilgiler edindiğim faydalı bir okuma oldu.

Kitapta bana biraz fazla gelen; takviye gıdalar, ilaçlar, beyin spect detayları gibi kısımlar da vardı ancak bunlar genel anlatımın önüne geçmiyor. Kitapta genel olarak Dr. Daniel Amen'in deneyimleri üzerinden beynin gücü ve kapasitesi bilimsel kaynaklara dayandırılarak anlatılıyor. Kitapta her bir bölüm arkada kabarık bir referans listeyle desteklenmiş. Bu anlamda kaynak olarak da kullanılabilecek bir kitap.

Kitabın en keyif aldığım kısmı 2. yarısı oldu. Burada arka planda farkında olmadan otomatik olarak dönen düşüncelerimiz ve bunların etkilerine yer verilmiş. Ayrıca çeşitli farkındalık çalışmaları ve uygulanabilecek pratikler de mevcut.

"Ne yazık ki düşüncelerinize meydan okumazsanız hepsine doğruymuş gibi inanırsınız."

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel G. Amen has a specialized clinic where he conducts a brain imaging scan known as SPECT. It stands for Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography. Amen writes with verve and passion. He loves what he does, and he’s good at it.

Amen wrote the book in 2008. Amen examines various brain disorders and discusses their physical basis. The most important parts of the brain are the Prefrontal Cortex, Anterior Cingulate Gyrus, Temporal Lobes, and Basal Ganglia. These are the brain structures Amen talks about the most.

Amen writes like a salesperson. I don’t mean that in a condescending way. He has this technology and the promise of a more fulfilling life. He focuses on balancing the brain. Most of his suggestions have to do with natural supplements and herbal remedies.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually skimmed over a lot of it, but the portions I read were very interesting. One story I found especially interesting was of a young man who was having disturbing anger problems, and it turned out he had a cyst in his brain that was affecting the region of the brain that controls such behavior.

[Theresa Hildebrand · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much great information jam packed into these pages. Having listened to the audio book, I know that this would have been better to have in print so that I could go back & re-read certain sections. Despite the overwhelming amount of information, I did find a few good take-aways.

[Debra Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Passionate living is the soul of success and the hallmark of a magnificent mind." The synchronicity of reading this book now is amazingly helpful for me. Contains many helpful tools just about anyone can use whether they have the same interest in brain health as I do or not.

[D.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the breakdown of the various types of ADHD and the specific descriptions of anxiety and depression. He truly explains the brain in a way I can see, although I am listening to the audio version.

[M T · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of really interesting information in this. My only complaint is that I really think that information would have easily fit into a pamphlet or small book, I started to feel like he was talking just to fill space. So I would recommend reading it with the intent of skipping around.

[Lo🤍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. It gave a lot of insight that I apply to my own life every single day. From informing us about the brain to giving holistic solutions, I feel this book can really speak to anyone— whether they know anything about mental health or not. Great read.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting listen! Liked it so much to look into other info from Dr. Amen.

[Cecilia Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

its a great informative read and find. explains how to reach ones maximum goals and empower ones life when using and reaching your minds potential in a positive way.

[Ceanlia Vermeulen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Amen is brilliant!!!
He not only helped me understand the students I’m working with but also myself.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems like all of these books say the same thing - even use the same stories.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has some really good ideas no how to control errant thoughts, strengthen your self control against all kinds of problems and just to have a healthy brain. I recommend it.

[Christina Severdia · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

[Tess Mertens-Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 78 year old father who still runs his lumber business is having memory issues. He is seeing a neurologist and is working hard to retain his memory.
I find myself at 52 not remembering like I used to at home, work, and in general life.
I saw this book in the library and read it cover to cover. I have a practical medical education, and I thought many of his suggestions to be a help for my father and myself.
Nutrition, excursive, cognitive exercise and supplements in areas of need are beneficial to my age. My father, they can help but not in the degree I can due to his age.
Dr. Amen suggested over the counter supplements as a fast an inexpensive way to try to stabilize the body chemistry prior to prescription medications. The reader can take these suggestions and look for results.
He scans the brains of patients that come to him for brain activity to find the portion of the brain that is slow or lacking function.
I found the book interesting and got some ideas to try for my father and myself. You don't have to have a medical background to understand and try his suggestions.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book with lots of good info about the brain and how to maintain it throughout life. The only complaint I have is that in some ways it felt like I was reading a long advertisement for the Amen Clinic and all the supplements that they sell. I do appreciate that you don't have to go to his clinic to obtain the supplements needed to support the brain, but his having specific supplements for different parts of the brain sure makes it tempting to just buy from the clinic. Until you see the prices! (Although, I'd guess that when you add up the supplements in each pill, it might be about right)

I know that some studies seem to show that we are wasting money when we buy supplements -- that they are literally just getting flushed down the toilet -- but after my own experience with taking Vitamin D and Calcium, I am very open to the idea of supplements working when they are needed. Time to add fish oil to my diet, that's for sure.

[Chas Tomac]

This book covers the mind and ways to keep it healthy. The author feels aerobics and omega 3 fish oil go a long way in keeping your mind healthy. He discusses MRI's and SPECT images of the brain which reveal dark patterns in damaged brains. He compares before and after treatment images which reveal the brain repairing itself through proper treatment. This treatment usually starts with natural methods, exercise and proper diet, abstaining from alcohol and nicotine than leads to prescriptions if improvement is not shown.
Other interesting points discussed concern mental hang-ups in the general populace. Many problems develop as people are growing up in environments that don't promote a healthy life style. The author contends that many marital problems are a result of how the persons childhood was developed, under what kind of circumstances.
This is a easy read and very informative.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very specific in its medical orientation. It covers lots of things that can damage your brain, then deals with what cognitive effects thhat damage yeilds (depression, temper, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc) and using brain scans analyzes how each of the maladies can be treated herbally and medically, and specifically how each drug or herb reverses the damage or lack of activity in the area of the brain affected.

I was blown away by how much science there was behind the research, and how detailed it became. Probably a little over the top for a light self-help read unless you or a loved one suffers from a mental malady. But it was very informative. He also covers a great deal of listening and coping skills, and talks about things you can do as preventative maintenance.