The New Brain: How the Modern Age Is Rewiring Your Mind

Rating:
Summary: Helps Us Understand the Effects of Behavior on the Brain
Review: Not only does our brain influence our behavior, our behavior and the choices we make influence the very structure of our brains! This is the basic proposition of Restak's work, and his documentation of that proposition is convincing.

Although the brain is a complicated and technical subject, Restak writes for the layman and explains how our choices (e.g., viewing violent movies, choosing to practice an instrument with diligence, or even enjoying humor and laughter) affects our brains -- physically.

Modern research has proven that the brain has much more plasticity (flexibility and ability to change) throughout life (not just during youth) than previously believed.

Although Restak does not give enough credit to inherited abilities and tendencies (in my opinion, he needs to address studies among identical twins raised apart), it is still interesting to note how practice and discipline actually change the brain's structure.

My favorite portion addresses how images (TV, movies, photos, etc.) destabilize our brains, and how that watching a fictional event is processed by our brain as an actual event. The result is that portrayals of violence make us stressed, fearful, and more prone to be violent ourselves, almost as though we had participated in the acutal events portrayed.

He addresses music, ethical issues involving medication, and leaves us with predictions about new medical treatments involving melding the brain with modern technology.

All in all, this was an interesting and informative read. Great for anyone who deals with people or is concerned about social issues.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Most Profound Books on the Human Brain
Review: The New Brain is a fascinating look into the inner working of the human brain. Readers will probably remember Dr. Richard Restak from his 1980's P.B.S. series: "The Brain" and "The Mind". His newest installment looks at what we are learning about the physiology of the brain through new techniques such as functional M.R.I. and P.E.T (Positron Emission Tomography).
All teachers will find the newest evidence about learning and memory not only profound but also useful in the classroom. Dr. Restak concludes, " If you want to learn a new skill or make use of new knowledge, you must change your brain". We now understand that "by engaging in repetitive exercises we can set up relevant circuits (in the brain) and sharpen their expression". In short, modern research has shown that genius or superior performance in nearly every field of human endeavor is attainable by nearly everyone! Dr. Restak explains that no single genetic factor is responsible for superior performance but instead an understanding of how to train the brain to achieve higher levels of control over every part of performance.
Have you ever wondered why A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) is so common in modern society? Are all the violent images children are seeing in the media having an impact on the development of our brains? What are the new imaging techniques telling us about the drugs doctors use to treat depression and other brain disorders and will this give us better ways to treat mental illness? These are some of the many topics Dr. Restak discusses with an amazing clarity and does not require a degree in neuroanatomy. The "old brain" from just a couple decades ago was static and made of anatomical structures we all learned in health or science classes. The "new brain" is a profound shift in our understanding. We have begun to contemplate the physiology of our brains and the tremendous impact of the modern world.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and up to date -- at least for the moment!
Review: This book covers many of the exciting new developments and presents them in a way that is very useful and pragmatic. I have recommended the book to many folks and have had good responses.

I found the argument that ADHD may be "the official brain syndrome of the information age" a great discussion starter. The presentation on multi-tasking was also quite useful since I often find myself wondering whether that is an effective use of time or not. The description of "intellectualization" (p. 73) was also useful for me.