Brain Rules
12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
2008 • 323 pages
Ratings12
Average rating3.8
15
12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
Ratings12
Average rating3.8
Most of us have no idea what's really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—such as the brain's need for physical activity to work at its best.How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains?In Brain Rules, molecular biologist John Medina shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a Brain Rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. You will discover how:Exercise improves cognitionEvery brain is wired differentlyWe are designed never to stop learning and exploringMemories are volatile and susceptible to corruptionSleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learnVision trumps all of the other sensesStress changes the way we learnIn the end, you'll understand how your brain really works—and how to get the most out of it.
Reviews with the most likes.
This is an interesting read - especially for those looking to gain a better understanding of cognitive operations. I found the chapters on sleep, stress, long-term memory, and gender (and how each one effects the brain) especially interesting. The book has a really nice flow to it - and delves deep enough to ‘unpack' some of the more complex theories of neurologists and social scientists - without turning into an academic journal.
Readable and memorable summation of the state of knowledge in how we think. All of this will be familiar if you've read Sapolsky, Ramachandran, Fisher, or any of the hot neuro writers. But if you haven't, you owe it to yourself to read this book. This is important material, helpful as a guide to lifelong learning.
Medina practices what he preaches. His writing is vivid, reinforced by the very “rules” he discusses. You can see and read his twelve “rules” at brainrules.net, but his book really drives them home in a useful, productive way. (I quote “rules” because this isn't rules in the “rules you should follow” kind of book; it's more “rules of thumb”, or “this is our best guess as to how the brain works”. Think “rules that are there whether you like it or not, and you should be aware of”).
