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 like the need for physical activity to get your brain working 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, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, 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. Medina's fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You'll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You'll peer over a surgeon's shoulder as he proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You'll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can't tie his own shoes. You will discover how: Every brain is wired differently, exercise improves cognition, we are designed to never stop learning and exploring, memories are volatile, sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn, vision trumps all of the other senses, stress changes the way we learn, and in the end, you'll understand how your brain really works and how to get the most out of it.
"Dissects the workings of the brain in plain English, explaining its role in the workplace and classroom a writing style that makes words leap off the page."
USA Today
"Oliver Sacks meets Getting Things Done."
Cory Doctorow, co-editor of Boing Boing
"A marvelous job in simplifying the best ways to get the most out of our brains. He is funny, tender, and completely engaging. Everyone should read this book."
John Ratney, MD, author of Spark and A User's Guide to the Brain
