Life on the Road

I first heard about the book Brain Rules from a great review over at Parent Hacks.  Asha wrote so much of what I want to say, so well, that I’m going to start by sharing a snippet of her post with you:

Medina, a molecular biologist and brain researcher, is so excited about the subject (obviously his passion) that the energy of his writing leaps out a grabs hold. He also embodies that rare combination of scientist and storyteller, so he can distill complicated biological and atomic processes into accessible metaphors without insulting his readers’ intelligence.

In this book, Medina provides twelve “rules” that explain how and why the brain thrives under certain conditions (most of which are the polar opposites of American school and workaday culture). He shares the evolutionary roots of the brain’s functions, and he ends the discussion of each rule with a practical application in modern life. This is no “Mozart effect” mumbo-jumbo; he’s not promising “super genius in 12 easy steps.” He’s simply pointing out the basic changes we can make in our daily lives that will help our brains do what they were designed to do.

Medina’s writing really does make this a “can’t-put-it-down” read.  If he wasn’t so into science, he could clearly have had a career as an author, or perhaps a stand-up comic.

Here’s his (very brief) introductory trailer, which is not nearly as entertaining as the rest of the book:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U732xPrL0bc&feature=PlayList&p=9AF11C792AC4244C&playnext=1&index=12[/youtube]

Okay, here’s a fun one to watch, and try out on your friends ad family – the McGurk Effect:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtsfidRq2tw&feature=PlayList&p=9AF11C792AC4244C&index=14&playnext=3&playnext_from=PL[/youtube]

Let me tear myself away from the videos - every book comes with a DVD! – and give you some more Brain Rules brain food.

These are Medina’s 12 Rules:

EXERCISE | Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
SURVIVAL | Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
WIRING | Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
ATTENTION | Rule #4: We don’t pay attention to boring things.
SHORT-TERM MEMORY | Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
LONG-TERM MEMORY | Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
SLEEP | Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
STRESS | Rule #8: Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.
SENSORY INTEGRATION | Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
VISION | Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
GENDER | Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
EXPLORATION | Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

And in addition to the book, AND the DVD, there’s another whole slew on information posted over at his website: http://www.brainrules.net.

P.S. To my fellow Christians: In several sections Medina discusses evolution and our ancient human ancestors - but that doesn’t invalidate what he says!  I wouldn’t necessarily suggest you let an impressionable pre-teen read the book without your guidance, but I would whole-heartedly recommend the book to you.  If you remove the date references, the information about the brain – and even its evolution (on a micro scale, not a macro scale) – are of tremendous value!

Want to win a copy of the book (with DVD) for your very own?  It’s easy!

Just leave a comment below telling me which Brain Rule intrigues you the most, and why.  Something that just “rings true”?  Something you can’t imagine is true?  Just arouses your curiosity?  Please be sure you leave me your email address (won’t be posted) so I can contact you if you win.

To earn a bonus entry, tell a friend!  You can blog, Tweet, post on Facebook, or whatever your “thing” is.  Just link back to this post.  Then post a comment below (separate from your first entry!) telling me where to find what you did.

On February 1 I’ll use a random number generator to pick a comment as my winner.  You’ll have three days to respond to my email with your mailing address, and I’ll ship it off! 

Good Luck!