The Brain That Changes Itself

I have really enjoyed this book.  Informative, inspiring and very easy to read.   The book is well researched and thoroughly footnoted. 

The quote on the cover is from Oliver Sacks, and the book has similarities to Sack's writing.  Anyone who enjoyed "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" will enjoy this. The subjects include brain development, learning disorders, sensory loss, anxiety and obsessional disorders, the benefits of psychoanalysis and of course stroke and other brain injuries.  The stories of personal triumph over disability are very moving, and the advances in the relatively new science of neuroplasticity are amazing.

But Doige goes beyond just reporting on interesting stories of disordered neurology. He has an agenda and seems genuinely concerned about the health of our brains in our current society.

The appendices are worth reading.  Appendix 1 "The Culturally Modified Brain" will fascinate and horrify.  The statistics about children and television watching are frightening.  The information about babies and brain plasticity, in this appendix and through out the book, are worth reading by any new or prospective parent.
  
Chapter 4, "Acquiring Tastes and Loves" was a little discomforting to read, and was perhaps a little more explicit than strictly necessary at times.  However central issue, how internet pornography is affecting people, is significant enough to warrant reading the chapter.

I came away challenged and motivated to do things, and keep doing them, that will help my brain stay fit and stave off Alzheimer's disease and general age-related decline.  

If you want a few hints on preventing the onset of your own dotage, here is a little snippet:

The more education we have, the more socially and physically active we are, and the more we participate in mentally stimulating activities, the less likely we are to get Alzheimer's disease or dementia. 

Not all activities are equal in this regard. Those that involve genuine concentration—studying a musical instrument, playing board games, reading, and dancing—are associated with a lower risk for dementia. Dancing, which requires learning new moves, is both physically and mentally challenging and requires much concentration. Less intense activities, such as bowling, babysitting, and golfing, are not associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s.