The Brain Health Book: Using the Power of Neuroscience to Improve Your Life

by John Randolph

Easy-to-understand science-based strategies to maximize your brain’s potential. Concerns about memory and other thinking skills are common, particularly in middle age and beyond. Due to worries about declining brain health, some seek out dubious products or supplements purportedly designed to improve memory and other cognitive abilities. Fortunately, scientific research has uncovered a clear- cut set of evidence- based activities and lifestyle choices that are inexpensive or free and known to promote brain and cognitive functioning. Dr. John Randolph translates this science in an engaging and accessible way, including the brain- boosting effects of exercise, social activity, mental stimulation, task management strategies, nutrition, and positive self-care. Interwoven with lessons from neuroscience, positive psychology, social and clinical psychology, and habit formation research are powerful self- coaching exercises designed to help the reader incorporate lifestyle changes that promote brain health.

Genres: Health, Brain, Science, Nonfiction, Psychology

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

As people age, they might get Mild Cognitive Impairment. This could lead to something even worse, like Dementia. Luckily there are methods to mitigate the onset of these horrifying ailments. You can find these techniques in The Brain Health Book written by John Randolph. Randolph goes over the basics of neuroscience and relates it in such a way that makes it accessible to the common man.

The book is a distillation of information on neuroscience and covers everything from diet and exercise to techniques needed to focus and pay attention to things. The book also contains some exercises where you can participate or write on the pages. Since this book was from the library I did not opt to do that. The book is great at putting things into perspective; forgetting where you put your keys isn’t the end of everything. The major issue is if you put your keys in an inappropriate place like in the freezer.

The book also taught me some things as well, which is unusual for this field. I am probably just being silly, since I realize that it is not really possible to know everything there is to know about neuroscience, but it does seem that I know most of the things that popular science books include in the subject.

This book is well done. I enjoyed it well enough and thought it did a good job of making it accessible.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super easy to understand and a quick read. There’s a lot of really great information in here and the author doesn’t get bogged down with a bunch of technical/medical terms like some similar books have.

[Andrey Astakhov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeking for hints on how to improve my cognitive skills, I asked a neuropsychologist to advise me on a book on this topic. “The Brain Health Book” appeared to be a book not on how to improve brain power in a short-term perspective but rather on how to avoid dementia in older age. Which is undoubtedly a very important knowledge.

In general, the book is an excellent compilation of well-known but very important facts:

- Physical exercises are good for the brain, especially in midlife.
- The larger your social network, the better your brain tends to work.
- Volunteering in the community improves brain health.
- Our brains also need mentally engaging hobbies such as reading (viva book clubs!), playing board games, photography, crossword puzzles, playing musical instruments.
- Mediterranean and MIND diets are good for brain health. A Western-style diet is obviously not good ;)
- Students who start classes at 8:30 AM and later show better cognitive health. I’m not a student but this is also relevant for me.

[VT Dorchester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made some notes while listening to this, but I also fast forwarded through a lot that didn't seem particularly new, or relevant to me.

[Mandi Dorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the digestability of each chapter. I love neuroscience and this reminded me to “tighten up” some of my practices to help improve my cognitive functioning. One thing I was really looking for in this book was more detail on how the brain works in general, but that is not this book’s purpose. Well written and informative.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a workout for your brain. Before you reach for your credit card to purchase a year's supply of brain help supplements, read this book.

[Raman K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was educational and gave great tips on brain health

[Stephen Aita, PhD · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a current neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow, this text is of high importance to patients we see. It holds easy to digest, scientifically supported information crucial for supporting brain health. In fact, this content is applicable to folks—young and old!

[Patryk Korszun · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚🧠 Odkryj fascynujący świat mózgu dzięki książce "Księga zdrowia mózgu"! Dowiedz się, jakie metody naprawdę wspierają nasz mózg i jak poprawić jego funkcje. Przygotuj się na rewolucyjne odkrycia z dziedziny neuronauki!

🧭 Czy wiesz, że większość czynników korzystnie wpływających na zdrowie mózgu jest dostępna dla każdego? Ta książka przybliża wyniki badań naukowych w sposób przystępny i jasny, dzięki czemu dowiesz się, jakie świadome decyzje i strategie w sferze stylu życia mogą przynieść korzyści twojemu "twardemu dyskowi".

🌱 Odkryj praktyczne znaczenie najnowszych odkryć neuronauki dla codziennego życia! Autorzy z pasją dzielą się swoją ekscytacją odkryciami, jak powstawanie nowych neuronów dzięki ćwiczeniom fizycznym czy znaczenie przekonań religijnych w kontekście mechanizmów mózgowych.

🍃 Ta książka to nie tylko fascynująca podróż w głąb naszego mózgu, ale również praktyczny poradnik dla każdego, kto pragnie zadbać o jego zdrowie i wydajność. Odżywianie, sen, odpoczynek i aktywność fizyczna - wszystko ma wpływ na nasz mózg!

🌟 Czy jesteś gotowy na odkrycie tajemnic mózgu i przekonanie się, które metody są naprawdę skuteczne? Ta książka otworzy przed Tobą fascynujący świat neuronauki i pozwoli spojrzeć na mózg z zupełnie nowej perspektywy!

#KsięgaZdrowiaMózgu #Neuronauka #ZdrowieMózgu #PraktycznaWiedza #FascynującaLektura #StylŻycia #SkuteczneMetody #RewolucyjneOdkrycia #Mózg #Zdrowie #Neuroplastyczność #Biologia #Duchowość #CzytajKsiążki #Bookstagram #WiedzaNaTemat #FaktyNieReklama #KsiążkaTygodnia #FascynująceInformacje #CiekaweOdkrycia #ZadbajOSwojeZdrowie #RozwójOsobisty #Inspiracja #CzytanieToRadość

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

This book basically told me that I'm going to lose my cognitive ability by 50 and that the lockdown is going to singlehandedly cause my brain to lose its executive function by age 30.

All jokes aside, I guess it was a good wakeup call to get my health together. The author writes in a really accessible way and there's a helpful summary and questionnaire to help you apply the research in the novel. None of the messages are particularly groundbreaking- exercise more, eat more healthy, get enough sleep, interact with people more, don't smoke or get diabetes etc. But it was nice for someone to tell me to get my act together. It's cool to see how our everyday actions and lifestyle choices affect our memory and verbal reasoning. It was also obvious that I wasn't the target demographic of middle aged person with deteriorating mental ability so a lot of the anecdotes weren't particularly relatable (actually they all sounded like my dad so maybe I'll get him to read it)

Would recommend

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always looking for new or emerging information about brain functioning (I'm in my mid 60's from a family with lots of Alzheimer's). Nothing new (for me) in this one. If you like the science behind the advice and lists of practical applications of the advice and science, this is the book for you. It's not too heavy on the neuroscience (except at the beginning) and not too preachy on the advice. There is a good summary of the whole book in the epilogue if you don't have the patience for the whole thing.

[Mckinley]

Very straight forward. Very basic, not really anything new for those who have been looking into this area of health. Diet, exercise, good night sleep, using your brain in a variety of setting with and without engaging other people, and using tools to aid with memory and thinking. The layout of the book is good. There are summaries and suggestions at the ends of sections.
I think the top take away is how extremely beneficial it is to interact with other people.

[Beverley Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Information

The author backed up his statements with plenty of actual research. There is a discussion about online brain games which I found very interesting. Love the questions at the end of each chapter. They will help you figure out what you need to do to keep your brain healthy.

[Arxair Abilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feeling like a living person helps me modafinil. This remedy helps me concentrate and feel better than ever. Fortunately, I have no alcohol problem. I do not drink alcohol, although some should know what will happen when this drug is mixed. Try to purchase and try this https://buyarmodafinil.com/buy-smart-... I have not seen bad reviews about modafinil.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings up sound advice on what people can do to prevent or lesson the impact of dementia. I would recommend this to anyone who has dementia in their family. It offers strategies that may be successful in preventing, delaying, and reducing the impact of mental decline due to Alzheimer's or other related neurological syndromes.

[Maria Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're new to brain research, this book breaks the information down into easy to digest bites. I liked how each chapter provided you with prompts and questions to create a concrete plan on how to implement the information learned.

[Mike Santa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic way to live longer and remember your later years too.

[Baroness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great audiobook. I was already doing majority of the recommended and learned a few new things.

[Jessicacsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook
Good info and insight much of which solidified my learning in the ABI program.

[Karen Andrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Easy to understand.

[Linda Pilcher]

I think everyone should learn about their brain and how to improve their life through lifestyle and habits.

[Namfoodle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, digestible overview of cognitive protective factors. Recommend to a lot of my patients.

[Jennifer Molyneaux]

I've bot finished this book. I feel I know most of it.

[Lou L Bailly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info on food and exercise as well that I wasn't expecting.

[Misha Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Designed for reader to focus on 1 or 2 areas of main interest rather than read cover to cover. I recommend reading the last chapter (neuroscience of habits) for anyone looking to make any lifestyle change.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful tool! Worth a read.