» Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD)

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: The THREE Brain Rules
Comment: Why does EVERY scientist who writes a book for the masses, on the brain, need to go into great length about what the structures look like. This book would have been better if the author focused more on useful information. For example, Gender (which he refers to as sex). He gives no useful information about what we can DO once we understand that gender brains are different.

So there really are three or four usable brain rules.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Generally I do not like rules
Comment: The first rule grabbed me - exercise to boost brain power. Medina gave lots of examples of how exercise helps brain function. He also explained how our school and workplace are set up which encourages no activity so low brain function. Since I am a health guy and believe in exercise, I really liked the first rule.

The book included a 40 minute DVD. Firly well don. Funny in parts. Since I had been inspired about the exercise I watched the DVD while I was on my treadmill while trying to read the rest of the book. Of course, one of his rules is that multitasking does not work so I stopped reading the book and just watched the DVD while I was walking on the treadmill (not running). I don't think walking counts as multi-tasking because the one task (walking) is an automatic task.

Since I want to know how to learn faster and better, I liked the 2 rules on memory. For short or long term memory we need to repeat things a few times to ourselves. Perhaps I should rephrase - repetition works.

Of course, no book on the brain would be complete without a rule on sleep. The obvious gist is to sleep well -- think well. We know how to do it but don't always do it well.

He also talked about the negative impact of stress. My personal beleif is largely stress is an inappropriate reaction to external stumuli. When you can understand that, you can deal with it so that it does not become stressful.

He talked about remembering more by stimulating more senses and how we remember more when things are emotionally charged. He also noted that vision is the strongest sense.

His finally rule was exploration -- we are powerful and natural explorers. Curiosity is good. I like that rule since I am naturally curious and naturally a learner.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Paradim Shifting
Comment: Brain Rules is a fascinating book. Medina has taken the complicated brain and made it understandable and interesting with an engaging narrative. Not only did this book cause me to look at my own life and "brain health" differently, it caused me to see the world differently. Reading Brain Rules is like finding the missing puzzle piece to some perplexing life questions. That sounds like hyperbole, but for me it was true.

The chapters on memory are particularly sticky. Have you ever wondered why someone remembers an event you were both at so differently than you? The memory is so crystal clear, you are sure you are right and they are wrong. It turns out, you are probably both wrong. When you read the memory chapters, you will understand how and why you remember certain things, and why you don't. In the process you will learn how to remember more effectively. You will also begin to call into question the accuracy of some of your most precious memories.

Don't worry, the book is not science gobbledy gook. Medina use stories and visuals to make the concepts understandable to everyone. And in each chapter he gives advice and practical applications for education and business.

It's the best book I've read thus far in 2008.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Read this Book if You Teach, Learn, Manage, Work, Raise Children, or Age (Did I leave anyone out?)
Comment: Dr. John Medina, the author of "Brain Rules," is a tsunami of positive energy. If you're not lucky enough to see him speak live, take the time to explore the book's website ([...]) and view the DVD packaged with the book. His qualifications are top-notch - he's a developmental molecular biologist focused on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. He currently holds joint affiliate faculty appointments at the University of Washington School of Medicine in its Department of Bioengineering, and at Seattle Pacific University, where he is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research.

Here's the basic theme of the book... our schools and businesses are designed in direct opposition to how our brains work - let's challenge that and try out some new ideas - let's leverage our current understanding of the human brain to start over. This theme is covered through presentations of his 12 "Brain Rules" - each covered in depth in its own chapter of the book.

Dr. Medina takes hardcore brain research and theories, and boils them down to easy-to-grasp ideas. Even though the book is written to the layperson, it is not dumbed down - it's just clearly written and supported through illustrative observations and stories. Some of his stories will have you laughing, others will leave you crying, and all will start you thinking. The last chapter will make you want to tear down our entire public school system.

Here are the actual rules (also listed on the book's website):
Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.
Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.
Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

Each rule is introduced through an observation or story to gain the reader's attention (DELIGHTFULLY and creatively illustrated further on the DVD - lead actor Brandon Whitehead is hysterical!); then clarified and supported through a discussion of the research; and finally applied to today's learning, business, and sometimes even home environments with "ideas" for how they could be implemented.

Note: If you're like me (and I know I am), you love to see references embedded in your text - Dr. Medina intentionally reduces distraction by not including them within the book. The references are, however, meticulously listed by rule and by fact on the website (you may have to do a little digging, but they're in there).

Make sure everyone you know who has a voice in our school system reads this book!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Outstanding tips with a sense of humor
Comment: This author, a well educated neuroscientist, has that rare ability to combine scientific wisdom, common sense and a sense of humor into a cocktail that goes down easy and creates a very pleasant feeling, but doesn't make you stupid. You then know what you need to do to be healthier, live longer and feel better. The rest is up to you.

---

More Reviews for Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD)