THE SUPERHUMAN MIND How to Unleash Your Inner Genius

Two researchers with interests in synesthesia and atypical strengths (savants) offer a compelling overview of how brain structure allows us to accomplish unusual mental and physical feats. Andrea Gallo's splendid narration, notable for her low-key cheeriness and vocal clarity, keeps the long production from bogging down with the authors' often obscure case studies. There are phrasing glitches, mainly disorienting pauses, but, overall, Gallo makes this material eminently understandable. The audiobook describes the way regions of the brain communicate with other regions when we're learning and performing complex tasks. The work is more informative than prescriptive, but the information is inspiring: The stories and neuroanatomical details provide concrete models of how people can systematically learn such things as a new language, a musical instrument, or any physical skill. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2016]