The SQUEEZE: Knowing how the brain works is important to improving every day physical and mental performance. John Medina introduces things we need to know about how the brain works in Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. In the book, Medina challenges common notions we have adopted. For example, sitting at a desk for eight hours is counterproductive for the brain. The brain is developed during a workout. In fact, as Medina points out, exercise boosts the potential of the brain. Medina suggests that an exerciser outperforms a couch potato on many levels which include long-term memory, attention, reasoning, and problem-solving. Medina also suggests that the brain needs a break and that humans are naturally explorers. Medina’s Brain Rules is a must-read for individuals who want to improve multiple functions of the brain.  

Notable Endorsement: “Oliver Sacks meets Getting Things Done." –Cory Doctorow, co-editor of Boing Boing

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• What are the 12 rules?
• What is an example of short-term memory? Of long-term memory?
• How is the brain wired differently?
• What is sensory integration?
• How does vision trump all other senses?
• What is brain science?

About the Author: A developmental molecular biologist, John J. Medina spends much of his professional life as an analytical research consultant. Medina works primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. His research interests include mental health and isolation and characterization of genes. Medina graduated with a doctorate degree in molecular biology from Washington State University. Medina’s titles include: Depression: How it happens, How it’s healed (1998); The Outer Limits of Life (1991); and What You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s (1999). For more information, visit: http://brainrules.net/.