I liked it but the title might be too good for the book. With a title like that I expected big things and didn't get them. However, despite that I would still recommend it. I definitely enjoyed reading it, so it's worth the read but just don't expect it to be as mind blowing as you might think from the title. I would recommend, Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

It describes very well and in simple language how the brain works, and how it integrates with psychology. It gave me a good insight how our lives and thoughts may affect our brain.

Why does EVERY scientist who writes a book for the masses, on the brain, need to go into great length about what the structures look like. This book would have been better if the author focused more on useful information. For example, Gender (which he refers to as sex). He gives no useful information about what we can DO once we understand that gender brains are different.

So there really are three or four usable brain rules.

The first rule grabbed me - exercise to boost brain power. Medina gave lots of examples of how exercise helps brain function. He also explained how our school and workplace are set up which encourages no activity so low brain function. Since I am a health guy and believe in exercise, I really liked the first rule.

The book included a 40 minute DVD. Firly well don. Funny in parts. Since I had been inspired about the exercise I watched the DVD while I was on my treadmill while trying to read the rest of the book. Of course, one of his rules is that multitasking does not work so I stopped reading the book and just watched the DVD while I was walking on the treadmill (not running). I don't think walking counts as multi-tasking because the one task (walking) is an automatic task.

Since I want to know how to learn faster and better, I liked the 2 rules on memory. For short or long term memory we need to repeat things a few times to ourselves. Perhaps I should rephrase - repetition works.

Of course, no book on the brain would be complete without a rule on sleep. The obvious gist is to sleep well -- think well. We know how to do it but don't always do it well.

He also talked about the negative impact of stress. My personal beleif is largely stress is an inappropriate reaction to external stumuli. When you can understand that, you can deal with it so that it does not become stressful.

He talked about remembering more by stimulating more senses and how we remember more when things are emotionally charged. He also noted that vision is the strongest sense.

His finally rule was exploration -- we are powerful and natural explorers. Curiosity is good. I like that rule since I am naturally curious and naturally a learner.

Brain Rules is a fascinating book. Medina has taken the complicated brain and made it understandable and interesting with an engaging narrative. Not only did this book cause me to look at my own life and "brain health" differently, it caused me to see the world differently. Reading Brain Rules is like finding the missing puzzle piece to some perplexing life questions. That sounds like hyperbole, but for me it was true.

The chapters on memory are particularly sticky. Have you ever wondered why someone remembers an event you were both at so differently than you? The memory is so crystal clear, you are sure you are right and they are wrong. It turns out, you are probably both wrong. When you read the memory chapters, you will understand how and why you remember certain things, and why you don't. In the process you will learn how to remember more effectively. You will also begin to call into question the accuracy of some of your most precious memories.

Don't worry, the book is not science gobbledy gook. Medina use stories and visuals to make the concepts understandable to everyone. And in each chapter he gives advice and practical applications for education and business.

It's the best book I've read thus far in 2008.

Dr. John Medina, the author of "Brain Rules," is a tsunami of positive energy. If you're not lucky enough to see him speak live, take the time to explore the book's website ([...]) and view the DVD packaged with the book. His qualifications are top-notch - he's a developmental molecular biologist focused on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. He currently holds joint affiliate faculty appointments at the University of Washington School of Medicine in its Department of Bioengineering, and at Seattle Pacific University, where he is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research.

Here's the basic theme of the book... our schools and businesses are designed in direct opposition to how our brains work - let's challenge that and try out some new ideas - let's leverage our current understanding of the human brain to start over. This theme is covered through presentations of his 12 "Brain Rules" - each covered in depth in its own chapter of the book.

Dr. Medina takes hardcore brain research and theories, and boils them down to easy-to-grasp ideas. Even though the book is written to the layperson, it is not dumbed down - it's just clearly written and supported through illustrative observations and stories. Some of his stories will have you laughing, others will leave you crying, and all will start you thinking. The last chapter will make you want to tear down our entire public school system.

Here are the actual rules (also listed on the book's website):
Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.
Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.
Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

Each rule is introduced through an observation or story to gain the reader's attention (DELIGHTFULLY and creatively illustrated further on the DVD - lead actor Brandon Whitehead is hysterical!); then clarified and supported through a discussion of the research; and finally applied to today's learning, business, and sometimes even home environments with "ideas" for how they could be implemented.

Note: If you're like me (and I know I am), you love to see references embedded in your text - Dr. Medina intentionally reduces distraction by not including them within the book. The references are, however, meticulously listed by rule and by fact on the website (you may have to do a little digging, but they're in there).

Make sure everyone you know who has a voice in our school system reads this book!

This author, a well educated neuroscientist, has that rare ability to combine scientific wisdom, common sense and a sense of humor into a cocktail that goes down easy and creates a very pleasant feeling, but doesn't make you stupid. You then know what you need to do to be healthier, live longer and feel better. The rest is up to you.

Brain Rules is a great book - Medina takes a complex subject (your brain) and makes it seem understandable. His twelve rules are a roadmap for teachers, business people, politicos and really anyone trying to communicate to an audience. I highly recommend this book if you are in any of the above groups. It is light on science and heavy on practical use. If it isn't a mandatory book for every would-be professor it should be.

The book has great practical advice - one such hint on communication is the layout of the 10 minute cycle. One of John's rules is that we only pay attention to things that are interesting and only in 10 minute increments. So if giving a fifty minute lecture you should break the lecture into 5 10 minute topics starting with the gist of the subject and within the first minute grabbing everyone's attention using an emotional attention grabber - if successful you have 10 minutes to get your message through. Repeat it often during the next four sessions and you have a chance to get the message to stick. Use a picture to express the idea and that chance to get your message to stick goes from 10% to 65% over a thirty six hour period. - It is in the book.

Highly recommend!

This book is very informative and exciting to read page by page. I'd definitely recommend it to almost anyone...as I have been! Anybody looking to further their knowledge on how our wonderful devices (brains) work in correlation to many of our daily functions should give this one a chance...and I'm only half-way in!

The Title for this Review says it all. The information in the book is like a roadmap from AAA.

Beyond being highly knowledgable, the author is humorous, compassionate and very engaging, whether you have the print edition or the audio CD edition, which I have. Seldom before have I enjoyed learning so much! What a refreshing read!

A very adequate citations list is given for all readers and listeners who go to a website that is revealed on the included DVD.

Book Review:
Brain Rules by John Medina
What do we know for sure about the brain? Well, though scientists and researchers uncover new information and present new theories at a remarkable rate, according to developmental molecular biologist John Medina, there are twelve simple rules about the brain we know to be fact.
My favorites are Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power; Rule #7: Sleep well, think well; and Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way. In addition, Medina offers the clearest reader-friendly explanation I've come across of the stress response and how stress damages our blood vessels, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Interesting anecdotes from his personal life and clinical experience engage the reader and surround the cutting edge information presented in this inviting and page-turning "good read."
The book comes with an accompanying DVD that encapsulates the chapters in sound and moving pictures (see Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses).
I recommend Brain Rules for the lay person and the health professional, to gain understanding about this most complex body organ.
Michael B. Roth, D.C.

If you sell anything, need to persuade others, or desire career advancement, you must study this book. Medina's own attractive approach to serious science supports my belief that too many business speeches and presentations are counter-productive to the desired goals. When you want to make a point, convey a serious message and motivate others, you must attract them through the way their brains work. Don't be boring.

I think part of this book is practical advice, part of it is a little
superficial to me ...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

In Brain Rules, Mr. Medina proves incessantly that he has a talent for stating the obvious:

Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things
Rule #5: Repeat to remember
Rule #6: Remember to repeat
Rule #7: Sleep well, think well

Mr. Medina explains in every chapter what is currently known about a particular brain function and its deficiencies, and offers "transformative" ideas-solutions to aid people at work, home and school. In the latter, Mr. Medina's efforts leave a lot to be desired. Many of his ideas are impractical and borderline juvenile. Any entity or individual handing out grants for serious scientific work should pause for a moment before funding ideas such as putting a treadmill in every classroom and cubicle. "What if, during a lesson, the children were not sitting at desks, but walking on treadmills?... Until brain scientists and education scientists get together to show real-world benefit, the answer is: Nobody knows," asserts Mr. Medina in the chapter about "Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power". There are a plethora of more pressing and immediate problems such as acquiring the ability to speak, read and write standard English, and teen pregnancy that can put to better use the $500-$1,000 per treadmill per pupil it would cost to implement Mr. Medina's idea of getting more oxygen to the brain during class lectures. And as for his idea of putting treadmills in boardrooms for use during board meetings, well, while we're at it, why not have all board members wear adult diapers to cut down on bathroom breaks to increase productivity while walking on the treadmill at 1.8 miles per hour?

Mr. Medina seems, rightfully so, to be very fond of Google's practice of allocating 20% of its employees' work hours to the exploration of new ideas. "Fully 50% of new products, including Gmail and Google News" were a result of these exploratory sessions. The problem is, instead of discussing successful and proven ideas not yet adopted in business, home or the classroom, Mr. Medina dabbles mostly in the 20% brainstorming territory in what he himself calls "fantasy" sometimes.

Brain rules, despite these quirks still offers the reader value, particularly in chapters 10 (Vision trumps all other senses), and 11 (Male and female brains are different).

In the last chapter, "Exploration", Mr. Medina mentions "Mirror Neurons" in the brain. Human mirror neurons are scattered across the brain, prompting imitative behavior. Stick your tongue out at a newborn, as Mr. Medina did to his 30 minute old son, and he will do the same. The impact of mirror neurons, however, is still speculative - something not mentioned by the author. I've begun an experiment to test its validity, and I plan on updating my review as soon as my 3 month old daughter sticks her tongue out after I do. So far, after one day of experimenting, I've gotten a few smiles out of her, but no tongue. Stay tuned...

The book is great, I haven't finished it yet, but the author explains in a very interesting way how our brain works and make suggestions of how to use this knowledge to improve our work environments and lives.

In the Introduction, John Medina expresses his concern that most people are "out of the loop" in that they are unaware of recent and important revelations in modern neuroscience concerning "how the mind works." His purpose is to explain 12 "brain rules" and devotes a separate chapter to each. "Easily the most sophisticated information-transfer system on Earth, your brain is fully capable of taking little black squiggles on this piece of bleached wood [i.e. ink on paper] and deriving meaning from them. To accomplish this miracle, your brain sends jolts of electricity crackling through hundreds of miles of wires composed of brain cells so small that thousands of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. You accomplish all this in less time than it takes you to blink. Indeed, you have just done it. What's equally incredible, given your intimate association with it, is this: Most of us have no idea how our brain works."

At this point, I need to reassure those who are now processing the "little black squiggles" that comprise this review that the key ideas in Medina's book are readily accessible to a layperson such as I who - until reading his book - had little (if any) understanding of "how our brain works." It is amazing but nonetheless true, Medina asserts, that there is a young man who can multiply the number 8,388,628 x 2 in his head in a few seconds "and he gets it right every time," that there is a girl who can correctly determine the exact dimensions of an object 20 feet away, and that there is a child who at age 6 drew "such lifelike and powerful pictures" that she got her own show on Madison Avenue.

Briefly, here are five of 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Medina's analysis of each responds to two questions "How?" and "Why?":

#5: Repeat to remember.
Excerpt: "We now know that the space between repetitions is the critical component for transforming temporary memories into more persistent forms. Spaced learning is greatly superior to massed learning."

#7: Sleep well, think well.
Excerpt: "The brain is in a constant state of tension between cells and chemicals that try to put you to sleep and cells and chemicals that try to keep you awake."

#9: Nourish the five senses with increased stimulation.
Excerpt: "Our senses evolved to work together - vision influencing hearing, for example - which means that we learn best if we stimulate several senses at once."

#10: Vision trumps all other senses.
Excerpt: "We learn and remember best through pictures, not through written or spoken words."

#12: Our brains are by nature highly inquisitive (i.e. "powerful explorers")
Excerpt: "Babies are a model of how we learn - not by passive reaction to the environment but by active testing through observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion."

To repeat, Medina's explanations of "how" and "why" are presented in layman's terms without "dumbing down" what is obviously complicated information. He succeeds brilliantly, not only when explaining "how our brains work" but also when and why they work best... or when and why they don't. After reading Chapter 4 in which he explains what he calls "the 10-minute rule," I decided to limit my subsequent reading of his book to 10-minute increments, then shifted my attention to another task. After you read Chapter 4, you'll understand that decision.

A DVD is provided with each copy of this book and John Medina suggests (as do I) that it be viewed before processing the "little black squiggles" that comprise his lively narrative.

One final point: I wish this book had been available years ago when I was completing my formal education, beginning a career as an English teacher, and then starting a family. That said, I can at least purchase copies for my three sons and daughter...and will.

The author of this book obviously has a lot of experience in the topic he is writing about, and is aware of a great deal of research. He picks very salient aspects of the brain to include in his book, and interesting examples for each "rule." The book is divided into rules about how the brain works. Some of the rules deal with things like short and long-term memory, stress, attention, sleep, and so forth. The practical aim of the book is to apply these rules to the business world and education. As such, there are many interesting and potentially valuable ideas for doing things differently. There is ample evidence presented in the book that some things we do may actually be quite counterproductive. Anyone who runs an office or makes educational decisions might be interested in trying ideas from this book.

The book is fairly well-written, but there are some instances of incomplete sentences, or clumsy wording that make the reading a little difficult once in a while. It doesn't detract greatly from the book, but here and there you have to stop and re-read a line or two. Still, the book seems like a fairly academic approach to this topic rather than a self-help book. If you have ever been interested in knowing what is known about the brain and how it could be put to practical use, this is a good book to check out.

This book has some very good and interesting info about how the brain works and how we think and react to different things. The only complaint I have is that the included DVD that came with the book did not have any audio, whether I played it on my PC or through my home DVD player. There wasn't a way for me to check with any type of tech support either. None the less the book is a joy to read.

I have read Dr. Braverman's books( Younger You and Younger You), and his material conflicts with this author's material. I do agree with using something like the system given in Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! to go over information lots of times. Just take data and see what works best for you! This book will give you some ideas to try

This is a great book and DVD combo especially for educators, parents, and students. The research is written in light layman's terms with a fun, light style. All of the information is useful and can be put into practice immediately to help the reader learn, teach, and possibly prevent depression, dementia and other brain disorders.

This book has some excellent research and thought provoking information for anyone involved with learning. As a working professional in the field of Human Resource Development I will be incorporating some of Dr. Medina's research and vision into our corporate learning strategy.

This book is partly an academic-style introduction to brain research and partly a jauntily written practical "how-to" about getting the most from your brain. John Medina has a warm, upbeat persona, and skillfully incorporates stories from his experiences to illustrate points he makes in the book. From time to time he forgets to connect the dots for readers who are new to the material, and so doesn't always articulate the full point or parallel he is making. However, he gives a broad overview of brain research and makes a conscious effort to practice the rules he preaches. He repeats information, as research says he should, and uses lively, varied examples to engage the reader. To reinforce the book's lessons with visual and aural sensory input, the publisher provides a supplemental DVD. Medina summarizes his key points, and touches briefly on the real-world implications and applications of the findings he covers. getAbstract recommends this book to parents, educators, human-resources professionals, executives and all those who want to help themselves, their children or their employees reach their full intellectual potential.

Read this book. Entertaining, clear and you will learn a lot about how we work.

What a lovely book John Medina has created. His book is thoughtful and funny. The book provides a springboard into a much larger universe relating to the workings of the human mind and how observations on those workings can be used to perhaps benefit the business world. Notably, Medina never overstates his claims. He simply suggests a business application which relates to the "brain-rule" extracted from an examination of a deeper world of research and experience.

Although Medina provides sufficient clues in his book to hint at his own depth, he limits himself to a gentle, lay-person's introduction, while still providing something with bite!

The use of multiple presentation formats and media (book, internet and dvd) is a beautiful example of where the author reinforces his own words by "living" the advice he offers to others. I'm sure that if Medina had the option of including smell, touch and taste as well, he would have.

A very pleasant, very educational, very thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.

I'm a teacher and have recently become interested in the brain. This book is GREAT for educators. It will make you rethink the way you teach. It made me realize how important some parts of the curriculum are (P.E.) which are often cut in order to make more room for review time. With all the non-sense high stakes tests of NCLB it's not surprising (I did it myself) but if you want to boost your test scores, DON'T CUT P.E. I love this book and would recommend it to anybody, but especially teachers.

I like concise books like this one, and the dvd is really funny (and educational too)

I loved this book. I enjoyed the logical breakdown of topics, the video reinforcement of the information and the conversational feel of the book. This book does a great job of bringing you to the edge of what we know about the brain. Read it!!!

Interesting read with some information being new, some mainstream. I do not think I would buy again, but I would check it out from the library.

This book is for the people that want to know why some things are working well and others are not, when it comes to brain, learning and every day intellectual life. The style is serious and funny in the same time. And very easy to use: you can actually learn this book or use it as a guide.

When an author and industry expert you hold in high regard says a book is the best one s/he's read in 2008, it's probably a good idea to take notice. So when Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen fame recommended Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina, I decided that should be something I get sooner rather than later. After reading, I can see why he recommends the book so highly. Medina's 12 "brain rules" are based on solid science, but they're presented in such a way that you can actually apply your new-found knowledge.

Contents:
Exercise - Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
Survival - Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
Wiring - Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
Attention - Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.
Short-Term Memory - Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
Long-Term Memory - Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
Sleep - Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
Stress - Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.
Sensory Integration - Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
Vision - Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
Gender - Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
Exploration - Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.
Acknowledgements
Index

When Reynolds reviewed the book on his site, he focused on how these rules pertain to the art of making presentations. Attention, as explained by Medina, means that the brain does not multitask (much to your bosses dismay), we notice patterns and abstract meanings better than recording detail, and you have basically 10 minutes before the audience checks out without a new stimulus. Vision, the sensory "trump card", is the dominant sense, our brain controls what we see (and it's not totally correct), the processes to "see" something are very complex, and most importantly, we remember and learn best through pictures and not written/spoken words. That one insight alone should be enough to make you totally rethink the way we attempt to present to people...

Now, even if you're not approaching the book from a presentation angle, the book is still outstanding. Something like memory, an act we take for granted, is a deep mystery that we still don't understand. Medina shows by studies and real-life examples how things *might* work, knowing full well we haven't even begun to understand but a fraction of what goes on there. Sleep, something that boosts brain power, is *not* a time of relaxation for the brain. In fact, it often kicks into overdrive. Why? There are still no definitive answers. But he does go on to prove how *lack* of sleep can utterly render you incapable of rational thought and physical action. When you've worked through all 12 of the brain rules, you'll have a more complete understanding of how you can affect the quality of your brain functioning, all the while being entertained and amazed at what lies between your ears.

Every time I got to the end of a chapter, I started to put the book down. But then I'd think "just one more and then I'll turn out the light." Needless to say, I was at the end before I knew it. Like Garr Reynolds, this is one of the best books I've read this year, and one that I'd recommend to others for a number of reasons and purposes.

The Summary
John Medina has written one of the best brain books I have read. He is a molecular biologist and director of Brain Center for Applied Learning at the Seattle Pacific University. He explains the latest research on the brain, and there have been a lot of advances recently on how the brain works. He boils them down to 12 rules that will help you in all walks of life. If you want an owner's manual for the brain then this is probably the one that should be handed out with every new-born.

The Audience
Everyone and I mean everyone should read this book! As long as they have a homo-sapien brain, if you have one of the older models; homo erectus, neanderthal you should probably wait for evolution! This is truly an owner's manual for the brain! If you are a student or knowledge worker you should run; yes running will actually help you digest the material in the book better (Rule #2 - Exercise - exercise boosts brain power); to buy it and read it! Medina outlines some of his own thoughts on how to leverage the rules in the home, school and work.


The Details
John Medina has written one of the best brain books I have read (Rule #5 Short Term Memory - repeat to remember, Rule #6 Long Term Memory - repeat to remember). There are many books out at the moment that talk about the latest research on brains but John's is undoubtedly the best. Neuroscience has taken some giant leaps in the understanding of how the brain works in the last 20 years. I was researching AI back in the early 90's and since then there has been a lot of new research in this area. For the last year I have been catching up and reading everything I can find on neuroscience and that was how I stumbled across Medina's book. I nearly put it aside since it seemed too basic but boy am I glad I didn't. This book is fun to read and I learned a lot. I love John's approach of only including research that follows certain criteria. For a study to appear in this book it has to pass the Medina Grump Factor (MGF) - (John refers to himself as a grumpy scientist)
1) Research must be published in a peer-reviewed journal
2) The research must be successfully replicated
Even though the material in this book is based on cutting edge research you should not feel intimidated. This book is well written and the material is presented following many of rules that are outlined. The book is actually a pleasure to read!
Following these rules has lead Medina to not only structure the book so it is easy to digest; adding stories, chunking information, providing summaries etc but he has also included a DVD with videos and an accompanying website with more information and references. This is truly a full sensory experience (Rule #4 - Attention - We don't pay attention to boring things!, Rule #9 - Sensory Information - Stimulate more of the senses, Rule #10 Vision - Vision trumps all other senses)

If you want to understand your brain and improve it; and everyone should want to understand their brain and improve it; you should read this book.


The Take-Aways
I can't say enough good things about this book. John Medina has written an excellent book leveraging all the latest research about the brain and turning it into a set of rules to remember. Your brain will never feel the same again! Read and then follow Medina's advice on how your brain remembers new information and how often you should review it (Rule #5 Short Term Memory - repeat to remember, Rule #6 Long Term Memory - repeat to remember).

Kes Sampanthar
Inventor of ThinkCube

This is among the most engaging books on the topic of brain science and learning I have read - and I have read quite a few. The book is interesting for the experienced and accessible for the novice reader in the field. I use the book with my team of instructional designers to spark lively discussions on how we can work more effectively (e.g. no vain attempts at multitasking) and create more engaging, attention grabbing, memorable courses (e.g. hooks every 10 minutes).

I particularly enjoy the author's presentation of research studies in a storytelling format. Good research can be dry and difficult to digest, but not here. He also sprinkles relevant personal stories the reader can relate to throughout the chapters.

Fantastic read! Engaging media! I bought 5 copies.

I really enjoyed learning about the brain research mentioned in this book. The author is very engaging and uses great examples to make the points. Be warned, the book does go into some pretty scientific info on brain research. While I did not understand it all, I felt like it was never out of my reach. I have already started reading the book again to catch some of the details I missed the first time. The best part is learning about all the ways we have structured our lives and culture that seem to work directly against the way the brain works.

This book is chock full of the latest brain science in an easy to understand format by an extremely engaging, funny, sharp man who will change the way you think about yourself, others, and the human brain. It's a must read for teachers and business owners but it's honestly totally accesible to anyone from any walk of life and the concepts apply across the board to everyone on earth. Best of all, it dispels many commonly held beliefs (right brain/left brain, 'you only use 10% of your brain' etc) in very clear terms. I am buying copies of this book for all family and friends for the next year until I've gotten through their birthdays and holidays. It really is that good. Do yourself a favor and spend the paltry amount of cash this excellent book costs. You will wind up inspired!

Incidentally, if you ever have the opportunity to see John lecture, see if you can find a way to attend. His presentations are the living embodiment of the fundamentals from the book and he will have you in stitches to boot!

I went to see John speak in Seattle this week. He is very compelling speaker, and as in the book, he is able to take complex phenomenon and explain it clearly for non-science types. I highly recommend this book for anyone in the business world.

Very useful tips on some ideas to improve your workflow and your life!

The genius of this book is that it uses the most recent scientific research, discussed in a very entertaining way, to identify 12 rules for optimizing your most important tool - your BRAIN. Read the chapter on "Attention" and you will never give a presentation in the same way again. Read the chapter on "Sleep" and you will understand why an afternoon nap can be the most productive 20 minutes of your work day. Read the chapter on "Exercise" and you'll finally get why great ideas (ok, and maybe some clunkers but at least you're thinking!)come to you in the middle of your workout. Like the author, you may toss the guest chair and put a treadmill in your office with a bracket for your laptop - this gives new meaning to the concept of management by walking around. The bottom line is that brain science is beginning to produce really useful information about how our brains are wired; this book is a user's manual on how to work with the way we're wired instead of fighting against it. I highly recommend it.

With a fabulous DVD (stimulate more of the senses, Rule #9 and the visual trumps all, Rule #10) to kick off the book, this direct, funny, fast romp through about 30 years of brain research makes neurocognitive findings fun! "If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom," says Medina--and we thank him for confirming what a lot of us have sensed for a long time.

Other important Brain Rules: we need to move to learn better, every brain is wired differently (there is no one type of learner and we need to construct environments that celebrate cognitive diversity in schools) and perhaps most important: We are powerful and natural explorers! I sure do wish everyone who designs instruction, works in schools, or (tries to!) learn in schools would read this. We don't pay attention to boring things.

What? Is it time for recess yet?