The Secret Life of the Brain

Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD by an Excellent Company
Review: I found this to be an excellent DVD set. I checked it out from the public library and liked it so much that I purchased it. I used this DVD along with Synaptic Self to write a speech for speech class. I wrote almost the entire speech with just these two sources. The amount of info in the DVDs is amazing. It was especially interesting to learn that we have over one trillion neurons in our brain. The video is more than facts however. They go into the lives of many people with different neurological conditions. One example is the neurological affects on a preemies brain. They look into whether it is a result of the child being born with such an underdeveloped brain or if it is the result of all the noise in the newborn intensive care unit. Although more research is needed the study performed shows that the research is promising. In seeing real life stories one isn't filled with just technical info but real world info. It allows one to see what happens to some of our fellow species and how different things affect the brain. I would recommend this DVD to anyone wants to learn more about the brain and it's affects on individuals. I would also highly recommend Synaptic Self by Joseph Ledoux.

Rating:
Summary: Story of the most complicated thing in universe
Review: I have watched 4 of these cassettes and I am again amazed at the complexity and organization of a human's headquarters. Every knowledge we have about brain is gained through practical tests and we see a lot of such physology related tests in these videos. They give insight to how neurologist work with brain to understand it. I especially liked the second video telling the story of language learning.

Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of the Brain
Review: PBS has done it again. Excellent videos (five total). Telling about the workings of the Baby, Child, Teen, Adult and then aging brain and the wonders of each age group.

Rating:
Summary: Very limited viewpoint!
Review: The quality of the presentation was good, but all 5 episodes just dealt with humans of all ages that had problems, and then tried to show the relationships to the brain. I was expecting a scientific presentation explaining, in much detail, the workings of the brain. Maybe the problem was that some of the funding came from drug companies and they wanted to brainwash people into thinking (no joke intended) that the medical world is all knowing and we should then buy their products to make our lives better. That is a joke!

With all the money they had to produce these films, it would have been nice if they hired a director and producer that understood the scientific side, and presented the workings of the healthy brain and all the potential within.

Rating:
Summary: Accessible Developmental Neuroscience
Review: This series from PBS is an excellent, accessible introduction to developmental neuroscience. It was developed for a lay audience, but professionals will also find the information and the visuals of great interest. I have been using excerpts from this series in professional trainings since the series was first broadcast in 2001 to the applause and appreciation of all of my students. My family and friends are also raving about this series. If you are professionally or personally interested in psychology, neuroscience, and development you will not be dissappointed.
-- Babette Rothschild, MSW
author, The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

Rating:
Summary: Neuroscience for the non-reader
Review: Yes, yes, of course, you would learn much more about the brain by reading great books by neuroscientists--try Joseph LeDoux and Antonio Damasio, for instance. And, no, this isn't a deep and thorough scientific look at the inner space of the brain. But who cares? It's all worth it to see these amazing scientists speak with great enthusiasm about the brain--it's capacity and plasticity and vulnerability, as well as what happens when something goes wrong. I show bits of this to students in corporate courses about emotional intelligence and it's just a heck of a lot better than any lecture I could cook up or some powerpoint presentation on the topic. The graphics are great, and the human stories of brain disorders, while sad (and frankly a little tiring to watch over and over), nevertheless work to give the series emotional impact of its own. Students keep watching to see what will happen next, and the stories give staying power to the learning points. I think this is a must for 30 and 40-somethings, because it gives us a view into the baby's brain, the child's brain, the teenage brain, the adult brain, and the aging brain. If you are interested in any of these disorders or conditions, you'll find something useful in this video set: premature birth, language and learning disorders, schizophrenia, addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress, brain damage from stroke, alzheimer's.