Publisher:  Workman

Keep your Brain Alive was written by a neuroscientist from Duke University and a “Senior Creative Supervisor” who also authored 60 Ways to Relieve Stress in 60 Seconds. This unique combination works. The science is sound, and the book is easily digested. It is perfect for this era of short attention spans.

Lawrence Katz, Ph.D. and Manning Rubin teach us clever ways to keep our brains active, and these techniques might even help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia. The book is subtitled “83 neurobic exercises to help prevent memory loss and increase mental fitness.” They coined the term “neurobic” as a play on the words neurology and aerobics.

Katz and Rubin start by presenting the basic neurobiology behind their theory – and they do with clear writing which avoids unnecessary jargon. Recent studies have shown that some nerve cells continue to grow and multiply throughout life. When we lose memory it seems to sometimes be due to restricting our thinking to certain familiar neural pathways. A few routes through the brain get a lot of traffic, and others whither and die. Their “neurobic” technique involves forcing the brain to use unfamiliar pathways.

They suggest things such as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, and going to work via a different route every day. When you brush your teeth with a different hand you are forcing the other hemisphere of the brain to do the work. You’ll find it difficult to do at first, but your brain will be getting a workout.

This book is a perfect gift for a middle-aged or older friend or family member. It provides some very practical steps that anyone can take to keep the brain sharp. It is also a great book for the top of the toilet tank, since each chapter is very short. The book Keeping Your Brain Alive will not disappoint.