BRAIN RULES 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School

A molecular biologist offers an encyclopedic guide to improving mental functioning. The 12 familiar-sounding rules—repeating helps remembering, sleep helps thinking, we don't attend to boring stuff—serve as a practical guide to changing habits that impair brain functioning or hasten mental deterioration. The production is punctuated with clever examples and corny humor. However, the author's eagerness to entertain is time consuming, and the sloppy patching together of inconsistent recording segments is distracting. Nonetheless, Medina’s detailed knowledge and the comprehensiveness of his effort to help overshadow these negatives by the end of the program. With a well-produced DVD that summarizes the 12 rules, this is a learning resource that many listeners will want to use repeatedly and share with friends. T.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]