Customer Reviews

Brain Games #3: Lower Your Brain Age in Minutes a Day (Brain Games (Unnumbered))

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I love books like these that work your brain. This book will keep you busy for days, weeks, or even months depending on how smart you are I guess. Kudos to the people that put this amazing collection of brain benders together. I plan on buying some if not all of the books in this collection.

We are told as we age we should stimulate our brains in order to remain fit. The first of these books I purchased at my grandson's book fair at school. I was hooked! I have bought three more of them from Amazon and do a puzzle or two or three every day. They are of sufficient diversity to keep one interested. Some are easy for me and some are not -- the math ones can be a particular challenge for me. The logic puzzles are stimulating. The word puzzles are less challenging but the book is arranged with different levels of difficulty, so there is something there for everyone. I have several more books to go before I have completed the whole series. I would recommend this series for anyone who seeks to retain their personal level of mental agility.

With a few minutes to spare at the local bookstore, I picked up Brain Games (collection #3) with hopes of passing the time. What I encountered, however, was so much more. Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg et. al. have produced a very challenging brain workout that helps keep the mental acumen in tip-top shape.

The contents are very straightforward:
1) Explanation of the concept of Brain Fitness
2) A brain questionnaire to see where you currently stand
3) Level 1: Turning on Your Engine
4) Level 2: Revving Your Motor
5) Level 3: Accelerate for Power
6) Level 4: Full Speed Ahead
7) Level 5: Firing on All Cylinders
8) Brain reassessment

Starting off with a very thorough explanation of how the brain works and how completing the puzzles in this book will help the mental workout is a wise choice. Explanations are given in somewhat laymen terms, without all the esoteric mumbo-jumbo only a brain surgeon would understand.

The brain assessment is like a stretching routine before the workout. These are simple questions (e.g. How well can you remember everything you had for lunch the last three days?) that get the various parts of the brain functioning before the real heavy lifting begins. As each of the five Levels continues, the challenges get more and more rigorous. Don't worry though; there is an answer section in the back if you feel like tapping out from the rear-naked Sudoku.

What I really liked was the categorization methods used in the book: language, general knowledge, attention, visual search, planning, logic, etc. Above each puzzle there are explanations of what category the puzzle falls into. That way a particular weak spot can be improved on by specifically targeting the weakest "muscle." Within these pages there are challenges for all. Crossword puzzles that would make Dennis Miller reach for a thesaurus, number problems that would force Ben Stein to break out his calculator watch.

Pick this up if you love puzzles or if you want Barry Bonds to look upon your cranial circumference in envy. Either way, you will not be disappointed.

Jason Elin

I love all the Brain Games books. I'm addicted to them. If you are looking for a variety of puzzles that are challenging but for the most part solvable then these are the books for you.

If you know someone who enjoys doing word puzzles and logic games. They will loves this book and the other 2 in the series. Every page has different activites that excercise your brain.

I gave the book away. There was too much busy work, and not what I expected. Some of the puzzles were confusing to understand, and the answers were things that I never would have known since there were no hints or clear instructions.