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highly recommended |
It?s YOUR brain! Use it or lose it! 
Do yourself a favor and read this book. Even better, do your doctor a favor and give a copy of this book to her or him. It's your brain, and you want to know how to care for it, tune it, nurture it and protect it. This sophisticated book -- up to date in the year 2001 -- and in remarkably clear and plain English -- and in amazing detail -- will tell you much that you need to know. And provide you a framework within which you can integrate future knowledge. When the next edition comes out, within a few years, you will want to read that one too.January 1, 2001 marked the end of 'The Decade of the Brain' -- ten years of brain-based research focusing upon neuroscience, neuroanatomy, neurophenomenology, psychopharmacology, psychiatry and neural functioning. While this massive undertaking has been somewhat overshadowed by even more massive investigations of the human genome, it is likely that advances from brain research will have a greater impact on your life and your health. Dr. John Ratey, a Harvard Medical School professor and author or co-author of other well received previous books on neuropsychiatric conditions (eg, 'Driven to Distraction'), explains why and how, and in language that you can read even if you didn't study biology in college. Yet he never speaks down to the reader -- I am a professional medical educator myself, and I am sufficiently impressed by the breadth and depth of this book that I will recommend it to my students and colleagues. Growing knowledge about the brain is transforming our understanding of ourselves and our world, and Dr. Ratey is able to convey this information to the reader through lively descriptions and stories and through enlightening clinical vignettes. The book is organized in a manner that is straightforward and incremental. Starting with 'perception', chapters go on to encompass 'attention and consciousness', 'movement', 'memory', 'emotion', 'language' and 'the social brain'. These are well written and informative and never boring or abstruse, with plenty of case examples taken from Dr. Ratey's practice or from autobiographical and biographical stories in the literature. For example, Temple Grandin is a middle-aged woman with an active professional and social life who overcame many limits of her well-diagnosed autism by self-observation, tenacity, and a disciplined, original, self-determined approach to her disorder. Another example, Rickie, is the daughter of an eminent psychiatrist who was frequently hospitalized for schizophrenia until it was discovered that this diagnosis was simply incorrect. Instead, Rickie suffered from an unusual perceptual problem which could be sufficiently remedied with special glasses so that she could begin a career as a rehabilitation counselor and also marry and raise children. Stories such as these are not only wonderful and humane, they are well told and instructive and the insights gleaned from them are used by Dr. Ratey to teach us about the brain, how it works, what can go wrong, what can be done about it, and most importantly, what we can do about it. The brain, the reader learns, is certainly not a digital computer. It is an organ that provides us with access to a world and to other people as well as with the capacity to move through this world and to interact with it. The systems of the brain shape our emotions, our actions and reactions, and our identity. Furthermore, it is now very clear that our brain can be molded and cared for by us, its 'user', in a manner that can enrich our lives and expand our possibilities and potentialities. Or, with poor care, constrict these possibilities. The book ends with a section on the four 'theaters' of the brain, a framework for understanding that encompasses traditional medical as well as more holistic approaches to healing. Finally, there is a section on the 'care and feeding' of the brain that is as practical as it is profound. You will benefit from this book. Your brain will benefit as you --the user -- come to understand better how this miraculous organ works and what you can do to keep it going and to enhance its performance. Besides, you will enjoy a book that is a masterful and humane read.
Perceiving a Fine Book
I really enjoyed User's Guide. The book is insightful for readers of (almost) all levels of education. Ratley takes the reader artfully through the processes of perception, attention and behavior. I rarely read a book written for a popular audience that is readable and accurate. While fulfilling the message of the book you also are treated to a clear understanding of how important perception is to each individual's life. You will begin to understand many problems people suffer from who do not have "normal" perception and what is being done to help those people. I really liked this book. Kevin Hogan...
reasons for unreason
This book is not an easy read ; it contains substantial quantities of information. In fact I had to read it twice. I normally would not comment on a work of scholarship but I found the negative review from San Jose ,Calif. of some interest. As a businessman/ entrepenuer I can imagine the impact on the many billions spent developing artificial intelligence applications using a digital rather than analog processing model (as explained by Dr. Ratey ). I am also convinced history will compare our societies treatment of persons with minimal brain disorders to the old bloodletting with leeches treatments . I recommend this book and also concur give it to your lawyer and congressman as well as your Doctor!
A User's Guide to Me
I heartily agree with all the previous reviewers except the San Diego one. I usually keep this by my bed and read it slowly. Fascinating and informative without being overly "clinical". It gave me information I think a friend needs to discuss with her psychiatrist.
reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, page 7, 8
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based on 38 reviews
