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9780349112961

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Reviews

'Compelling . If you're only going to buy one brain book ever, you could do worse than investing in this one' FOCUS

The human brain is more complex than the world's most sophisticated computer, yet we spend half our lives cluttering it with faulty 'software' that drastically reduces its productivity. Part of the problem is that we have only just begun to understand how the brain works, and therefore how we have been abusing it. American psychiatrist John Ratey reveals what great advances in understanding have come about in the last decade or so, and what we can do to put right (or at least help) cerebral malfunctions that were previously considered untreatable. Ratey's approach is as down-to-earth as the book's title suggests. It is written for the average person who prefers to have things explained in easily understood terms - as with the computer example above. Writing more like a friendly GP than one of the world's leading consultants with a string of letters after his name, Ratey begins each chapter with a case history that shows how psychological and physical problems have arisen, how the brain has responded and how it can be reprogrammed to put the damage right. In order to understand this we need to know a bit about the brain's many bits and pieces, and Ratey explains these without resort to overly technical terms. Those with phobias, ailments such as depression, and sufferers from social complexes of all kinds will find it easier to understand their problems and treatments through reading Ratey's simple explanations. The accompanying diagrams are of interest in showing which parts of the brain govern our every mood and perception. The book is not a self-treatment guide. Going back to the computer analogy, think of it more as an instruction manual that shows how that wonderful hardware in our heads responds best to careful and respectful use. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

John J Ratey is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Executive Director of Research at Medfield State Hospital.

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