Nice general look at the latest research on brains and aging. ( )

Interesting look at the brain as it ages ( )

I enjoyed this book, and thought the information was very interesting. My one peeve about the book was that the sections were sometimes repetitive. Not sure if it was pieced together from a series of articles, but often, a series of paragraphs would repeat / restate the same idea or concept. I think that Strauch did a good job making the information about the brain research accessible to the non-scientist audience. ( )

The book was recommended by a friend, so I picked it up. The chapter titles give a good indication of what the book covers. Part I: The Powers That Be, 1- Am I Losing my Mind?: Sometimes, but the Gains Beat the Losses, 2- The Best Brains of Our Lives: A Bit Slower, but So Much Better, 3- A Brighter Place: I'm so Glad I'm Not Young Any More, 4- Experience, Judgement, Wisdom: Do We Really Know What we are talking about?, 5 - The Middle in Motion: The Midlife Crisis Conspiracy. Part II: The Inner Workings, 6 - What Changes With Time: Glitches the Brain Learns to Deal With, 7- Two Brains are Better Than One: Especially Inside One Head, 8- Extra Brainpower: A Reserve to Tap When Needed, Part III: Healthier Brains, 9- Keep Moving and Keep Your Wits: Exercise Builds Brains, 10 - Food for Thought: And a Few Other Substances as Well, 11- The Brain Gym: Toning Up Your Circuits.

The first chapter was an introduction, and seemed rather general, so I was not impressed. But as I got further in, the book captured me with discussions about how the brain changes over time, and what a "middle aged brain" is capable of. There are cited studies from several fields, and the end has sources arranged by chapter. I ended the book quite impressed, and somewhat reassured about the changes I see in my own perceptions. 5 stars. ( )

A look at the science of the brain to determine what happens to the brain as we get older. Much of it is better news than we thought, though of course not all rosy. The author writes with an easy style, and doesn't load the work down with a lot of highly technical jargon, so it will be accessible to most readers of high school level or beyond. There are some things that make the book a bit questionable from a science standpoint, however. When discussing what to do to increase our own ability to move toward old age without showing signs of dementia, she picks up on every possible concept, throwing around ideas about antioxidants and free radicals, and attributing powers to food that have not been demonstrated to work. Although she does make a point of stating that much of this is in its infancy, she gives short shrift to a growing body of literature that actually conflicts with the findings, and doesn't do a good job of discussing the critical side of the story. Oh, and on a purely style issue: there are a number of cringe-inducing places where the author will say something along the line of: "the brain also.....as well." Ouch. Call an editor. ( )