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Brain Rules | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Pear Press
Category: EBooks
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $7.99
You Save: $2.00 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 3100
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B0015ASGQO
Publication Date: March 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Book Description
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, such as the brain's need for physical activity to work at 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, molecular biologist Dr. John Medina 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 A great read, John Medina does a great job !! August 20, 2008
This book is amazing in the fact that John Median makes tough hard science easy to understand, drawing easy to understand analogies and using anecdotes.
The first chapter is imperative, in the fact it allows us to understand why exercise and especially aerobic exercise is paramount, he does not though say much about mental exercise, something I believe is equally significant.
The second chapter, survival is equally important it that it helps explain how the brain evolved. Thus, giving us a better insight as to why the brain functions in the manner that it does. This chapter is mostly used as a benchmark in helping explaining why we function in the manner that we do, which has mostly to do with how our earlier ancestors lived and their daily challenges.
Wiring- here John tells us how each of us is wired differently, how each of us thinks in a different manner, more at the unique assets of an individual. What is surprising is that each of us store things in different parts of the brain, therefore something such as language is stored in different parts of the brain for different individuals.
The rest of the book is interesting, but what is really nice about this book is that Medina knows how to write a book every now and then he will stun the reader with short stories, hence capturing and revitalizing interest.
 Walking the talk August 20, 2008
John Medina walks the talk! Knows how to grab attention. Well written, DVD supliment is interesting, the website, the slideshow on slideshare is brilliant. Working as a trainer I found the book very useful.
Brain Rules August 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Medina's own work focuses on the impact of genetics on human brain development and psychiatric disorders, but in this book he draws on a broad scope of brain research and translates it into eminently readable prose that the average person can relate to. "Brain rules" are things that researchers know for sure about brain function, and I found the them to be quite interesting and surprisingly applicable to my daily life. Rules cover such things as the impact of sleep on learning, what our attention span is (about 10 minutes!), the significance of exercise on brain function and the mechanisms of stress. The author is a dynamic speaker and his book reflects this same approach to communicating brain science to the average person.
 Readable but superficial August 11, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Having read a number of fairly substantive books about the brain in the past few years, I was intrigued by this title as I am looking for applications that I can use in my teaching. What a disappointment. Medina throws out a number of interesting ideas but never develops many of them thoroughly. Most importantly, there are no citations in the book. He often mentions research studies but neglects to document their sources. And the accompanying CD adds virtually nothing new and seems more like a promotion for Medina's consulting and website. Thin stuff.
Why is a book on the brain in the top 25 of Amazon's leadership books? August 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I believe personal productivity and performance as a leader are directly correlated. Just like we have to lead a team, we have to lead ourselves to a higher level of a productivity and effectiveness. In all of the leadership classes I teach, emphasis is placed on knowing yourself. When you know yourself it provides you the ability to adapt to weaknesses and leverage your strengths (increase your personal productivity and effectiveness).
Knowing how your brain functions is part of knowing yourself.
This book is so insightful and valuable that I sent copies to my clients. The value of the book hinges on the understanding of the brain and how it works which allows me to leverage that knowledge for increased personal productivity and in my interactions and relationships with others.
Myth Busters for the brain!
The book is a fairly easy read because the author uses stories to illustrate the functionality of the brain. This book is not a "leadership-lite" book filled with cute and truthful antidotes, but a book with hard science communicated in an interesting way. Dr. John J. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist. He also shares what scientists don't know about how the brain works!
This book gave me many, many take-aways and here are just six ...
I. Some parts of the brain are just like a baby's and can grow new connections and strengthen existing connections. We have the ability to learn new things our entire life. Medina states this was "not the prevailing notion until 5 or 6 years ago." So much for the "you can't teach and old dog new tricks excuse." The old dog line is exposed for what it really is...an excuse.
II. Humans can only pay attention for about ten minutes and then need some kind of reset.
III. The brain can only focus on one thing at a time. This is further rationale on the futility of multi-tasking.
IV. Exercise increases brain power and aerobic exercise twice a week reduces the risk of general dementia by 50% and Alzheimer's by 60%.
V. There is a biological need for an afternoon nap.
VI. The brain is very active during sleep and loss of sleep hurts cognitive and physical ability.
Buy and read Brain Rules. It will benefit you.
One of the reasons I read leadership books is to learn new things but also to get old truths hammered into my thick skull so they result in action. Action! So you may know or have heard of some of the truths in "Brain Rules" but I guarantee the author brings them to you in a unique an interesting way with solid depth that will allow you to easier implement those truths into how you handle yourself and others on a daily basis.
Dr. James T. Brown PMP PE CSP
Author, The Handbook of Program Management
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