Optimizing Brain Fitness: Course Guidebook

by Richard Restak

Brain plasticity is one of the most revolutionary discoveries in modern neuroscience. Scientists used to believe that our brains stopped growing when we reached adulthood, but the truth is that our life experiences continually shape and mold our brains in fascinating ways. You can improve your memory, attention, focus, learning ability, creativity, sensory acuity, and fine motor skills, no matter your age. Discover the secrets to enhancing your quality of your life with this engaging 12-lesson course that shows you how to build the brain you want to live with for the rest of your life. Each lesson is packed with vital information and research-based exercises, challenges, practice problems, and tests that will enhance and improve your brain's essential functions. You focus mainly on three of the most vital functions: attention, general memory, and working memory. This course is the perfect way to maintain or improve the health of the most important organ in your body. Insightful, instructive, and undeniably fun, Optimizing Brain Fitness is an invaluable part of your personal tool kit for lasting health and wellness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Audiobook, Neuroscience, Science, Education, Brain

Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Richard M. Restak M.D. is an award-winning neuroscientist, neuropsychiatrist and writer. The best-selling author of nineteen acclaimed books about the brain, he has also penned dozens of articles for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today. A fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Neuropsychiatric Association, he lives and practices in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Yaaresse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Great Courses. Lots of practical tips for memory-enhancing games and tricks, but light on the neuroscience side of things. Much of what he talked about was covered much more in-depth in other Great Courses series. He talks about the need for focus and the problem of distractions, but there's not much information on how to filter out distraction or fine tune focus.

I get what the professor is saying about needing to exercise the brain and memory to keep it nimble and strong, but why would I want to memorize 80-digit numbers? I don't find myself needing to recall absurdly long numbers or lists of things. As for using convoluted rhyming schemes or visualization tricks to remember my grocery list, it seems a lot easier to just remember the grocery list rather than construct some complicated mental device.

[Jim Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did NOT read the book. I took the course via 12 video lectures taken through The Great Courses Company. Each lesson was about 30 minutes long.

You have to want to learn the subject matter. As a non-medical reader, there is no way I will ever remember or put to use the medical terms that Professor Restak discusses but that is just a small percentage of the overall course. In all honesty, in my opinion it is a typical college type course where the instructor rarely talk fast enough to hold one's attention. If there was a way to speed up the audio the lecture at least for me would have been much better. For the record, I learned decades ago that I am the type of person that retains his focus when the material is presented quickly. My mind tends to wander when the instructor speaks slower than my mind tends to work. This course was no different.

It contains some really great information and for the non-medical student/reader you have to wade through a lot of information to get the meat and potatoes.

Is the course worthy of taking? It depends on whether you actually want to improve how you think and how you can improve how and what you think.

Would I take the course again? Probably not

Would I recommend the course for others? Depends on what the "others" needs might be regarding the subject matter.

Would I give it as a gift? Probably not. It is intended specifically for people who want to improve the way they think and use the brain exercises that Professor Restak discusses.

[Jonathan Mannhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A victim of the replication crisis. It should be updated (as should every psychology/neuromedicine book, this isn't specific to this one of course). But as it stands, I can't recommend it, there is basically no awareness of the fact that a lot of the presented research is likely wrong.

[Rebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best how to improve your brain and not the worst either. It seemed to be confused as to whether it wanted to be a workbook with exercises or a cerebral text on how the brain can be improved. It just missed the mark on both as a result of not picking a side. That said if you know a bit about brain science and psychology and want a couple useful exercises. Then go for this book.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

More for aging, but it does may up some solid lifelong routines and habits to implement

[Saurabh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but not particularly insightful.

[Xin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice informative and easy to comprehend small course. I’d rather like it to be at least twice as long and w a bit more theory.:)

[Jb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle, but scientific, guide on how to the brain ages and what makes it age slower. Spoiler: "use it"

[Kianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting read. Cool insights, definitely not life changing, but easy to digest and worth finishing.

[Dino Jurina · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice mix of theory and science with practical advices and exercises

liked the last chapter with "escaping Alzheimers"

[Major Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this book: eat right; exercise; play chess; nap = was looking for a bit more. Good explanations for brain terms.

[Niamh · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5⭐

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to rate this audio course with 3 /12 stars, maybe 4, but the course was not very useful for me in terms of the brain exercises. Most of this course explains how the brain works, and what defines IQ in terms of brain function. I found all of that helpful. I found the brain exercises less helpful for me as an individual.

I am handicapped after striking my head. The professor mentioned the movie "Memento" (2000), a drama about a man who lost his short-term memory and the consequences of that as a detective. I am not that bad, but my short-term memory doesn't work well any more. I can only keep one or two things in my mind, max. I use the written page (such as this review) as my short-term memory. While I believe that the brain exercises that the professor provided would be good for most people, they were a mystery to me. I've learned to ignore these conundrums and keep on going. It was worth doing so here.

I doubt I will listen to this audio course again, but only because of my special issues. I encourage others to give it a listen.

[Angiel Stahley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of valuable information ℹ️ very worth the time!! 👍🏽☺️

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great information here on how to leverage your brain’s plasticity to improve your life.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.5 stars. It touches on several brain-related topics superficially (about the brain, the importance of sleep for brain recovery, and tips for building brain fitness).