Written by a neurologist, this book explains in plain terms how the brain functions and gives tips on how to perform at your peak mental ability. The author talks about how different activities trigger different parts of the brain. In one section he compares the active portions of the brain when writing with a computer to the active portions when writing with a pen or typewriter and notes that they are significantly different. The method of writing determines what portion of the brain is being used.
The brain is similar to a muscle in the fact that it has to be kept in shape and this book gives some good exercises and lifestyle choices that can help you get the most from your mind.
The exercises in this book are really useful
Want to know why listening to Mozart could improve your brain? Check out this book. The author, a successful neuropsychiatrist, demonstrates (among other things) an exceptional awareness of the intricacies of the human brain. Based on his knowledge and professional experience (which includes decades of successfully treating numerous patients), he's come up with 28 suggestions that if followed can not only improve memory and mental alertness, but also expand cognition and prevent brain cell degradation (avoid dementia and Alzheimer's disease - read the book!).
For those interested in a summary of these suggestions, take a look at the book's `Table of Contents' (this way you can pretty much get the feel of what's examined in the work). However, the suggested mental exercises deserve a special consideration (and that's why I advise you to check out the book). Additionally, the author presents valuable details about the capacity of the human brain and effectively links it with its evolutionary development (another reason why the book is worth exploring).
Finally, I tried a couple of the proposed exercises (they truly work!!!) and came up with some good results, which I've posted in my other Blog "What Is The Meaning Of Life?". Dr. Rastak's language is smooth and easy to comprehend, the examples are quite useful and so I highly recommend this book.
- by Simon Cleveland
Good inforamtion and technique.
The book was a bit different than I was expecting. Whereas I though it would be more of an overview of brain function with games and tools to explore those areas it's more of a game plan for keeping your sanity. I agree with other reviewers that the writing was not always clear and most of the concepts were presented without argument. There is an assumed plasticity to brain function that is still under a lot of debate. The basic idea of the book is to keep thinking. Then think some more. The single thing that differentiates the book from others of this ilk is that Restak explains particular brain functions and then devises games to take advantage of the process. I like, too, that the author recognizes the confounding nature of the brain: he includes a chapter titled "Train Your Powers of Logic" and follows it with one titled "Develop a Tolerance for Uncertainty and Ambiguity."
A good book to keep and read through periodically
Good concepts.... takes time to implement
"Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot" is about how to increase your brain's productivity from being able to focus better, remember things longer, and how to keep your brain healthy and strong.
I found the first 5 chapters to be absolutely useless as author Richard Restak goes through different parts of the brain and how they interact. This information was interesting, but not useful for the rest of the book. If anything, he could have just summarized this into a single page.
The rest of the book gets more useful however. Restak suggests certain activities, such as puzzles, reading, and music, increase the brain's capacity for learning. Restak also suggested different memory increasing activities such as looking at a shape and trying to recreate it from memory or memorizing a list of words.
Probably most interesting was how Restak gets us to think in terms of brain geography. Certain activities, such as reading and writing utilize only certain parts of the brain. Therefore Restak suggests we switch to different tasks, such as something that involves music or patterns to work different areas of the brain and give the original areas a break.
I also liked the idea of a "reading journal". I read a lot of books but I really wish I could retain more knowledge. The concept of a reading journal involves writing down the date you finished the book, and then writing down everything you remember from the book. Then you can look over your notes with previous notes from other books and see connections and linkages.
Restak also gives a useful index of the games, books and activities he likes to use/read. I really liked the idea of the software program "Inspiration" for creating mind maps. I had been looking for something like that... and while it is older and could use some work, it is an interesting tool.
My only beef is that the exercises take a lot of time and work. While the exercises are definitely useful, it can be hard to fit all of these suggestions into a normal life.
Regardless, this is a good book to read if you are looking to "sharpen the saw" and increase your brain's potential. 4 out of 5 stars.