Ten Chapters that cover Development, Perception, Attention and Consciousness, Movement, Memory, Emotion, Language, The Social Brain, The Four Theatres, Care and Feeding.
And his notation beginning on page 114 about the Triage mind as medical professionals often say we (we who are in the circle of friends and colleagues) have, is about Arouse, Orient, Detect, Execute is utterly engrossing. And on page 251 where he speaks of the popular fad of Emotional intelligence as an attract concept because it can provide a convenient scapegoat for today's epidemics of violent crime, marital strife and teen age drug abuse as a start, is wise and telling.
On page 274 he gives a simple lateralization concept test that the reader can take to see how the right and left brain react differently to action combined with verbal work. Was happy to see that the suggestion of a trusted friend that I was equally righ-left brained was true (laughing) and that yes, I am linguistically ambidextrous as well.
In discussing the Four Theatres he also reminds the reader that it is regaining popularity amongst medical professionals. The First being Perception, the Second is Attention and Consciousness and issues involving Cognitive issues like survival skills. The Third is Brain Function and the Fourth is Identity and Behavior.
In Care and Feeding he speaks about the real importance of reading to children at an early age and continuing to read books etc that challenge the brain and not simply fill it with mush.
And exercise! On page 359 he gives some excellent insight into how important exercise is to a healthy min. And as he notes "Obviously, exercise improves the body, but some of the most exciting new findings point to the positive effect exercise can have on mental health. First of all, it increases the amount of blood that gets to the brain. And it has been shown that it can augment the number and density of the blood vessels in the areas that need them the most: the motor cortex and cerebellum. Thus, in addition to its well-known effect of increasing blood vessels and improving circulation in the heart, it seems that exercise or activity has a similar effect on the brain."
Better self-esteem he notes is also a known effect of exercise and that females of all ages who regularly take part in sports and exercise have a more positive self image and less depression as well.
He then notes there have been more than 1,000 studies on the effect on mental health. That short sessions of vigorous aerobic exercise, usually lasting for several weeks seem to have the most helpful effect on moderate to mild forms of depression. He notes a 1994 Harvard study that found men who burn 2500 calories a day in aerobic activity which can be running walking fast, etc., were 28% less likely to develop clinical depression than less active men.
He also notes that vigorous exercise also involves learning complex movements that also challenge the brain. And then on page 316 he speaks of the importance of movement in general, and how it effects motor skills. And that inactivity and stagnation can hasten the decline of mental abilities.
And lastly he speaks of mental work outs and how important it is to think outside the box and read things that are different and that will cause the neurons to work. That people who are doing new things and trying new things, constantly reading and not watching TV or staying in ones comfort zone are the ones who live the fullest and mentally healthiest lives.
These characters, their stories and Ratey's style of writing are what make the book work. Let's face it: for such a dynamic organ, most of the books written about the brain tend to be better at curing insomnia than at providing useable information. "I have decided," writes Ratey in the introduction, "that I will have to replace much of the technical language about the brain with a language more akin to what the brain itself uses." Ratey should be commended for his ability to translate. The book is still full of technical information, presented in analogies and metaphores that are easily understood. Personal stories provide a very human feel.
Ratey divides the brain into four theatres: Perception, Attention/Consciousness, Function, and Identity/Behavior. Each of these are explained and illustrated, with attention given to each areas specialty. Most interesting is his pairing of Attention and Consciousness. According to Ratey, these two are intertwined and may actually be the same thing. This is remarkable because we don't know that much about consciousness, yet understanding it is essential to understanding ourselves. "After all," Ratey says, "without consciousness little else that the brain could do would matter."
As a person with ADHD, I found this link between consciousness and attention very interesting. As I learned more about my brain, I realized that I was learning much more about myself.
