Exercises for the Whole Brain: Neuron-Builders to Stimulate and Entertain Your Visual, Math and Executive-Planning Skills (Brain Waves Books) (Brain Waves Books) [Paperback]

Allen D. Bragdon (Author), David Gamon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Brain Waves Books | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

The most fascinating mental exercises from the New York Times internationally syndicated column "Playspace." They build brain skills in the same way physical exercise builds muscles and stamina. 60 brain-awakening exercises that strengthen connections among the mental centers that control creative-visual, executive-planning, spatial-manipulative, and logical thinking. Each exercise was developed to stimulate a different combination of brain circuits to sharpen mental skills needed to compete professionally and to retard loss of memory and other skills as the brain ages. Yet they are almost addictively fascinating. Optional hints for each exercise make every format accessible to all levels of skill.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allen D. Bragdon is the founder of The Brainwaves Center (www.brainwaves.com). The Brainwaves Center provides the general public with practical applications of current research in the neurosciences to improve and maintain mental skills. He is the Founding Editor of "Games" Magazine, and edited a daily puzzle column, "Playspace," syndicated internationally by The New York Times.

Allen has eight books about brains in print and he writes a newsletter, "The Curious Mind. His first title under the Brainwaves Books' trade paperback imprint was Building Mental Muscle, co-authored with David Gamon, Ph.D.,It has sold over 97,000 copies since publication in May 1998, was a selection of Book-of-the-Month's Quality Paperback Book Club and Rodale's Prevention Book Club. In a special hardcover edition licensed to Barnes & Noble, Building Mental Muscle became their #1 bestseller within two weeks after they put it on sale in their chain nationwide.

Allen has appeared on television, national and local radio, the web and newspapers across the country. A recognized expert in the dissemination of current neuroscience research findings, Allen speaks on these issues at meetings throughout the world. His most recent book, released in October 2001, is Learn Faster & Remember More, co-authored with David Gamon, Ph.D.

David Gamon was raised in a peripatetic Foreign Service family, and grew up in Martinique, Liberia, Swaziland, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. He studied German literature at Reed College and cognitive science at U.C. Berkeley, where he received his Ph.D. in Linguistics in 1997. In addition to collaborating with Allen Bragdon on the Brainwaves book series, he serves as contributing writer to ScienceIQ, a science news and information e-mail subscription service, and to the ScienceMaster science education site, winner of the National Academy Press's "Coolest Science Site" award. He also works as a professional translator. His current projects include books about the brain's construction of sensory reality, humor and the brain, psychopathy, and the evolution of language. David lives in Oakland, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802777015
• ISBN-13: 978-0802777010
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #931,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good companion to "The Sharper Mind", August 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Exercises for the Whole Brain: Neuron-Builders to Stimulate and Entertain Your Visual, Math and Executive-Planning Skills (Paperback)

The "game" format makes this book very user-friendly and not threatening. The Sharper Mind had a similar approach was was more practical in its approach to everyday situations: remembering names, dates, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT a whole-brain book, this is a visual puzzle and logic puzzle book, January 17, 2012

By 

Bruce Dickson (Medical Intuitive) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exercises for the Whole Brain: Neuron-Builders to Stimulate and Entertain Your Visual, Math and Executive-Planning Skills (Brain Waves Books) (Brain Waves Books) (Paperback)

Review of 1999 edition.

If you want a beautifully produced book of VISUAL PUZZLES and BRAIN TWISTERS, here it is. Could also be useful as an intro to LSAT logic puzzles. Even the very first puzzle will take anyone a while to sort thru.

If you want a book on exercises to increase your ability to use all four quadrants of your cortex, this is NOT any such book and makes no pretense to be.