Customer Reviews

Making a Good Brain Great: The Amen Clinic Program for Achieving and Sustaining Optimal Mental Performance

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Dr. Amen begins this book by stressing the importance of the brain. The brain is where "you" reside. It's the seat of loving, living, being, learning, thinking, working.... The brain weighs three pounds, but uses 30% of the energy the human body consumes. Yet, the brain is a fragile miracle housed in a thin-walled bony bowl. It's easily damaged by physical trauma, emotional trauma, drugs, disease, and poor dietary habits.

Because of the brain's fragility and the common disregard for it, brain dysfunction is so widespread that it's normal. Perhaps it's because we don't see our brains, but most of us never address the issue of actually caring for our brains. Many brain-related problems are preventable. With a healthy brain, you can fully engage in life, meet its challenges, and be happy. Few of us choose this option, and that's probably due to a lack of good information on the subject.

Dr. Amen has analyzed thousands of brain scans. Consequently, he's been able to correlate specific brain dysfunction with specific actions people take. He has been able to go beyond observing outward behavior to observing inward behavior--how the brain responds to what is done to it.

What are some ways you may be drilling holes in your boat as you float along in the sea of stupidity? To avoid sinking, become familiar with these and don't do them! Here are some paraphrased examples from Dr. Amen's book:

Doing cigarettes. Whether you have one in your mouth or someone else does, you are still breathing in the same chemicals. The resulting vasoconstriction reduces blood flow through the carotid arteries, but also reduces blood flow through the brain's blood distribution system. In addition, this reduced blood is diminished because it's loaded with carbon monoxide rather than oxygen. While smokers may temporarily experience increased concentration, their overall brain functions are reduced dramatically. If you want to be stupid, smoke.

Eating highly-processed foods. These are "nutrient-challenged," to say the least. And they trigger whole set of hormonal and other effects that work against proper brain function. Shop in the produce section, and avoid foods that come in boxes.

Avoiding tough work. Brains, like muscles, follow the "use it or lose it" principle. If your job doesn't provide a good brain workout (and most jobs don't--they mostly challenge your ability to deal with bureaucracy and rudeness), find something that does.

Doing the same things all the time. When you try something new, you stimulate your brain into forming new connections. This activity increases overall brainpower.

Being a sloth. The brain is a physical organ. Physical fitness is a "doorway" to mental fitness.

Avoiding coordination-based activities. When you reinforce the brain-body connection by learning a new physical skill, you provide the brain with massive stimulus. If you are already a regular participant in a particular sport, that's great. But, you've already built those brain pathways and much of the benefit is already "cashed in." Now find another sport to build more brain pathways. Look for a sport that requires a different set of motor skills.

In this book, you'll also find a wealth of information on positive actions you can take to maintain and improve brain health. I'm pretty excited by this whole topic. Now that I've learned about the Amen Clinic, I'm going to investigate them further on their Website--and consider getting a brain scan myself.

A note on the writing: I was pleased that Dr. Amen and his publisher made this text clear and followed the rules of grammar. This shows they care about their message. After reading this book, I can see why they do.

I was professionally educated during a time when little was really known about the brain and exactly how it works. We were taught that the brain essentially remains the same throughout life and that once an area of the brain was damaged, that was it: the brain did not repair itself, grow new cells, or transfer abilities from one area to another. Furthermore, the idea that the brain needed "exercise" to remain healthy and productive was considered just a crazy notion. I remember professors of psychology telling us that memory ability was pretty well fixed and there was nothing that we could do to improve our memories, so forget about memorizing anything in an attempt to "exercise" such a faculty. How times have changed!

Over the past few years, I have read and often reviewed a number of new books -- many of them on the cutting-edge -- which have reported on or summarized the latest research in brain science and allied disciplines. I am impressed by the amount of work done in brain science during the past few decades and even more impressed with the findings. There is no question about the importance of the research. As Dr. Daniel Amen points out in his new book, "Making a Good Brain Great," our brain is involved in everything we do, it is the most complicated organ in the universe, and our brain can be changed so we can improve our lives. And he provides a program, the "fifteen days to a better brain," to do just that: improve our lives.

This is a very practical book, intended for everyone. Two things about the book that seem to distinguish it from others I have read are the pictures of actual brain scans of real people (showing the brain reacting to various stimuli and in various situations) and the many self-questionnaires and fill-in forms which are provided, enabling anyone to evaluate themselves regarding certain behaviors and attitudes, both healthy and unhealthy. One could really consider it a "workbook" or "activity book" in promoting brain health for improved living. It seems to me it is not merely a book to be "read," but to be used often and consulted regularly; a "user's manual" for a healthy life, so to speak.

A number of recommendations made by Dr. Amen are sure to draw attention and provoke controversy. For instance, he opposes allowing children to hit soccer balls with their heads (the soccer moms will now unite in protest!). He doesn't like children playing tackle football (the dads will now join the soccer moms!). He has "reservations" (I'm being kind here) about many other sports and recreational activities, such as "four-wheeling," which are sure to elicit the charge of "overprotective parent." Moreover, he discusses protecting our brains from "toxic exposure" and we all know what's going to happen now. Not just illicit drugs (which we all know are harmful to our brains -- "This is your brain on..."), but perfectly legal and legitimate drugs come into play.

Alcohol, for example. "At the Amen Clinics we have seen many alcoholics, and they have some of the worst brains of all," says Dr. Amen. OK, so I'm not an alcoholic -- why worry? Well, it seems that "small amounts of alcohol after age twenty-five are okay, but don't push it." How much? Maybe "a glass of wine once a week or once a month...." Read and weep, you party animals, but recognize at least what you are risking.

Nicotine, for example. Well, of course, this is now a given. No one contests anymore the harm done by smoking and its related activities. "Nicotine...constricts blood flow to the brain, eventually causing overall lowered activity and depriving the brain of the nutrients it needs." OK, this is a no-brainer (excuse the pun). Let's move on.

Caffeine, for example. Well, after discussing some of the "bad" effects of this most-common drug (yes! it's a drug), Dr. Amen's advice is simply to use "As little caffeine as possible...if you want to respect and nurture your brain."

Now, is this book nothing more than a list of "do nots"? Is this book recommending a life of utter boredom, a refraining from fun and games, a life that is stifling, dull, and colorless? Far from it. Most of the recommendations are positive and constitute good, practical advice. We want to live well, don't we? We want to be physically healthy, don't we? We want our brains to be around for a long time in a way that permits us to live meaningful and productive lives, don't we? OK, then there are some rules to accept and to integrate into our lives.

These are essentially quite simple: We are what we eat, so eat right; We need to do mental "workouts" to stay in tune; We need to exercise physically to keep in shape; We need to counteract bad stress and rid ourselves of negative thoughts; We need to stay away from activities which may harm our brains and avoid those toxic substances which may poison them. If, per chance, you think this is just too much and you don't how to begin such a regimen -- much less sustain one -- Dr. Amen devotes well over 150 pages to provide you with a program for doing just that, topped off with a whole chapter on "Fifteen Days to a Better Brain."

As if that wasn't enough, the author also includes an appendix about "brain SPECT imaging" which will bring you up-to-date on this amazing technology, a glossary of terms so you know what you're talking about, a list of citations and references for further reading, and a comprehensive index of included topics. "Making a Good Brain Great" is a book I can recommend without any reservation. It is well written and easily understood and, yes, often entertaining. The only ones who won't like this book, I'm sorry to say, are the "brainless" (pun intended!).

I think the two top reviews are very well written, so I am not going to revisit the same territory. In essence, I agree with everything they said. This book is loaded with sound advice, good references, supplement recommendations, etc.

What I wanted to add is that it is a very readable, practical and enjoyable book for anyone. For anyone with a brain (all of us!), it's an inexpensive investment in return for a lifetime of benefits. Dr. Amen focuses a lot on prevention of problems, especially those related to aging and the brain. As a former biochemist, his suggestions make sense and I have implemented them in my own life.

If you are on SSRIs (e.g. Zoloft), have ADD/ADHD or other issues, there is a lot of value added material about how certain supplements can be VERY helpful and as effective as some drugs. He also includes warnings where it is appropriate and they seem to lean on the conservatie side.

I don't have any reservations about this book or the credibility of the author. It's a "no brainer" decision from my perspective, I don't know of one that is better and I read a lot!

This book is not at all what I had expected from the title but is a fascinating book with some of the most up-to-date research on how to take care of your brain. We tend to equate the brain mainly with memory and so it is a natural assumption that this book is about memory. Quite the opposite it is truly a book on making the brain run at its best and healthiest. The book is divided into two parts with the first one dedicated to changing the way you look at your brain and what can harm, or help it and why you should care. The information includes healing your brain system and new knowledge from the field of imaging including fascinating explanations and photos of SPECT imaging. The author includes explanations of the SPECT images and how they reveal many different problems. This section is about changing your brain and changing your life as a result. The second part of the book digs into how you can help get your brain in top running order and keep it there. It includes things like foods that contribute to brain health, mental exercises, perception, using music to stimulate the brain, stress reduction techniques, brain aging and using supplements. Daniel G. Amen, M.D. Is a highly respected expert in the field and provides a very interesting tour or the brain's normal as well as abnormal functioning. This is one of the best books available today on brain health and how any individual can take charge of the health of their own brain. Making a Good Brain Great is highly recommended.

I found this a valuable book. Overall, there is fair amount of information. There are no breakthrough insights for optimizing the health of your brain. There's just some practical advice along with explanations of the basic science behind the advice. If you are a regular reader of science and health information, you likely already know a fair amount of the info in this book. Eat right. Exercise. Avoid drugs. Don't get a head injury. Take some supplements. Meditate. Listen to relaxing music. And so on. However, Amen presents the material in an authoritative way, so his insights seem like the product of a huge amount of experience dealing with patients in his clinic.

One thing I liked is that this book does a better job than other health books at working at some level of sophistication in explaining neurophysiological changes going on in the brain. Just to take one example: exercise. Everybody knows exercise improves health and well being. But, for me, I didn't have a real understanding of how aerobic exercise would translate into better brain functioning. One fact I learned is that exercise increases levels of nitric oxide "which helps keep blood vessel walls open and round." If someone is a couch potato, then their levels of nitric oxide will drop and their blood vessels will become constricted and distorted, making them less capable of carrying blood to needed areas of the brain. This restricted flow eventually can lead to full-blown strokes which cut off blood flow completely for some time. Again, just a tidbit, nothing revelatory, but this is one more piece of the puzzle of the brain and its functioning. There are a lot of pieces like that are good to know. Of course, this is only at one level of explanation. One would have to go much deeper to understand the neurophysiology of healthy brain functioning.

I would have liked a better defense of the use of SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging. I had never heard of it. I wonder why almost nobody is using it. Such scans are the basis for almost all of the clinical diagnoses throughout the book. If it is as effective as Amen indicates I am surprised that so few doctors use it. Amen does give some reasons why doctors have been slow to adopt SPECT imaging, although it is hard to judge whether his explanation (basically, doctor's are slow adopters) is correct. Dr. Amen could well be a pioneer of a new method of diagnosis which takes advantage of a rich source of information. I'm not qualified to judge the value of SPECT imaging.

There is of course one problem with any book of this sort. On the one hand, I am extremely impressed by the insights of a physician who can call on the experience of having interpreted over 30,000 patients' brain images. On the other hand, there is the problem in having to accept the authority of someone simply because of their credentials. There's no way to know just reading the book that Amen's explanations of the illnesses are correct. Presumably some degree of simplification is necessary to appeal to a popular audience. But a Freudian psychoanalyst could claim to have examined the same number of patients and arrived at an authoritative diagnosis even though much Freudian psychoanalysis is bunk. I wish I could determine whether some of the more controversial claims are warranted. For example, Amen is extremely conservative about the amount of blunt-force impact that is acceptable for a growing brain. He says that if he had his way no child would ever do a drill practicing bouncing soccer balls on her head. He takes pains to point out how his expertise supports this conclusion. This kind of claim is something for which I would have liked to see more evidence to back it up.

Amen does a decent job in many places of citing extensive references for some of his conclusions. For example, he advocates taking supplements to improve brain health, and there are numerous references to studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Here too, however, I found him somewhat ambiguous about the value of some supplements for healthy people. Is the supplement (vinpocetine, Acetyl-L-carnitine, ginkgo biloba, CoQ10, etc.) only indicated for those suffering from or likely to suffer from conditions like senile dementia? Often Amen doesn't say. For example, he says that "the prettiest brains I have seen are those on ginkgo," implying that healthy people might benefit, but he advises only those "at risk for memory problems or stroke or suffer from low energy or decreased concentration" to consider taking ginkgo. Who doesn't suffer from these problems at times? Maybe everyone might benefit. From what I have read, there is mixed evidence for the value of ginkgo for healthy people. Amen doesn't discuss this issue. I found such omissions disappointing. After all, I want to "make a good brain great," not just make a bad brain better. Many times I would have liked Amen to be more thorough in his treatment of a topic.

My impression of books of this type is that overall they are a valuable read, although, when I consider the total amount of knowledge I have accumulated having read them, I can't help but feel that I haven't really learned all that much.

All said, this is easy reading. I enjoyed a lot of the research anecdotes, where Amen would give a glimpse of a recent study that had been done. For example I found interesting the "proof" that "beautiful women make men stupid". In one study, men who were shown pictures of beautiful women showed a greater likelihood of accepting $15 immediately rather than waiting a few days for $75. And there is a short explanation of why this might be the case. Again, not terribly complex analysis--just an idea to get you thinking about something. This kind of anecdote is the kind of thing Steven Pinker is a master at (see How the Mind Works). You can also find this style of explanation and citation used well in Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness. Amen uses this method to good effect.

All in all, I found this a quick and valuable read. It has some nice tips about tweaking one's mental performance; along the way I think I learned more than a thing or two about how the brain functions.

I found "Making a Good Brain Great" to be a wonderfully easy book for the common person to read and understand. Dr. Amen shows you that proper brain health is essential for all aspects of your life, whether it be work or relationships. He teaches you that even the smallest day to day things that no one ever thinks about can still harm your brain significantly.
Dr. Amen even includes brain-healthy recipes to keep your brain functioning at its best with proper nutrition. This book is unique because the first half is devoted to teaching you about the different brain systems and what harms it. The second half teaches you how to reverse the damaging effects and nourish your brain.
The best part of the book in my opinion is that every regiment needed to live a brain healthy life is outlined in the book. All of the supplements or vitamins that Dr. Amen suggests are clearly explained in terms of ingredients, dosage, and benefits so there is no need to do research elsewhere!

"Making a Good Brain Great" is very insightful and easy to read. Dr. Amen clearly points out how to improve brain functioning through very easy, everyday methods. The book explains how one does not necessarily need medication and therapy to improve brain function, but how a person can change their diet, do simple physical and mental exercises, take all-natural supplements, and modify their thought process. I found it very interesting how a person who has damaged their brain through substance abuse or head injuries is still able to improve and heal their brain. Being a follower of Dr. Amen's work I am again impressed with his insight, research, and wisdom.

I read a great book on the weekend - "How to Make a Good Brain Great" by Daniel Amen M.D. He studies brain function scientifically using brain scans. He runs a "Brain" clinic specializing in helping people with problem brains. Many people unknowingly injure their brains through minor accidents and then wonder why they are having problems in some parts of their life.

The thesis of the book, which seems perfectly logical, is that the brain is responsible to a large extent for our overall health. He believes and provides proof that we can "repair" and improve our brain function.

Most of good brain health is just normal clean living and healthy lifestyle. He advocates aerobic exercise (more blood pumped to the head). He suggests trying new things to challenge the brain (I do this all the time).

The only part that I do not totally agree with or follow is his guide to supplementation. Some of what he advocates, I do like drinking green tea and taking multivitamins but I am not big on taking many supplements. We are in sync on eating a healthy diet including lots of essential fatty acids like ground flax and fish oil.

He advocates laughter something I have been trying to add to my lifestyle.

Overall, I have a very brain healthy lifestyle. The only exception to that might be sleep. He advocates getting 6-8 hours of sleep per night and never seem to find the time for that. This said, it is on my list to try to get to bed earlier.

Interesting that he is a big advocate of table tennis as a good brain sport since the Estill family is big on this (although I don't play as much as my father or brothers).

The book has 13 steps to exercise your brain. Some of these I do naturally - like "dedicate yourself to learning", "limit TV", "Limit video games (sometimes I play too much online chess". Others I can easily add like "break routine".

He also has a 15 day program to a healthier brain. I won't give you the program - you will have to read the book for that. It is a great book and worth the read.

Summary:

Dr. Amen takes a very complicated subject and turns it into something anyone with a brain can understand and enjoy. He starts by expressing the importance of brain awareness, providing plenty of anecdotes and anatomical information. Throughout the book, he cites more studies than I can count, which is good because it backs his information up nicely, but is somewhat unnerving because there is little mention of how the studies were carried out. The technical jargon is kept to a minimum, which is a huge benefit for most people. Personally, I would have liked more technical information, especially with regards to his treatments. Many times it seems like a big advertisement for his clinic, which is ok because they are all positive cases, but still, rather than giving a once over of many patients, I would have appreciated more in-depth analysis of case studies. Despite these sentiments, the book was well written, albeit redundant in many places, and is very enjoyable for anyone interested in neuroscience or simply trying to improve his/her brain.

Book Content:

At his clinics, Dr. Amen utilizes Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. Two types of processing are performed. The first shows holes where there is less than 45% brain activity in an area. The second type shows where there is the highest 15% of activity. By looking at the brain under certain conditions, Dr. Amen is able to see where the brain is working the hardest and where it is struggling. This in turn allows him to truly see what we are doing to our brains when we do the things we do. This includes anything from depriving the brain of sleep or ingesting too much caffeine, to doing heavy drugs. He is also able to see changes with certain disorders (i.e. dementia, ADD, depression, etc...), making it useful for calculating the effect of a certain treatment, or looking at potential risk factors.

Dr. Amen starts the book by discussing the importance of the brain, and how it is involved in everything you do. While this sounds obvious, it is important to recognize that differences between brains result in differences in types of people. For instance, he talks about types of mothers, and how their personalities, which then shape you as a child, can be traced back to their brains. If they're guilt-driven mothers, for example, they may have increased activity in the limbic system where the brain houses its emotional centers. Realizing that all the aspects of our lives are driven by our brains is crucial for making changes we all so desperately want to make. Also, an important point that Dr. Amen makes is that in many instances we are hostages of our own brains. Some of the actions people do can be traced back to problems with their brains. He notes specific examples when he was asked to testify in court about the brain scan of a certain defendant. In one case the man had sustained severe brain damage (specifically in the prefrontal cortex where judgment is controlled) from falling off a ladder and one day killed his neighbors for cutting his tree. The brain scan was crucial because it showed he lacked the judgment of a healthy person, and because of this testimony the man's sentence, while still severe, was reduced. Pertaining to treatment, the Amen clinic looks at brain images to find the source of the disorder, rather than treating the disorder as a symptom much like many other doctors. Treating the source is much more effective; however it means there is no longer a "one-size fits all" mentality for treatment which has caused America to be such a pill-popping society.

In other sections, Dr. Amen discusses how soft the brain is, having a consistency similar to custard, and how important it is to protect it. He cites how dangerous contact sports are and how easy it is to permanently damage the brain by hitting it with soccer balls, playing football, or risking accidents by riding motorcycles and mopeds. It is also easy to damage the brain and not realize it. Dr. Amen provides self assessment forms to fill out and aid in determining if brain damage is present. He also supplies information about the main brain systems in a way that anyone can understand. Dr. Amen gives a good deal of detail on the systems, without boring those who don't want the in-depth anatomical explanations.

In Part II of the book Dr. Amen outlines his clinic's program for "making a good brain great." He discusses the importance of preventing physical harm, as well as eliminating as many unfriendly foreign substances as possible, backing everything up with many of his SPECT images. He talks about food as "brain medicine" and how damaging some foods are while others are crucial for proper brain development and disease prevention. Specifically, Dr. Amen discusses Omega-3 fatty acids quite a bit throughout the book, and how good wild salmon is in our diets. One nice thing about this part of the book is he gives a list of 24 extremely healthy foods that should be in our diets every week, including specific recipes, most of which are his personal favorites. Later in the book, Dr. Amen discusses specific supplements individually, citing studies and recommending daily intakes for different types of people. Aside from what we take in, the book talks about brain workouts, perception vs. reality, the importance of music, ways of de-stressing including meditation, risk factors for different disorders, how to get help, and lastly he outlines a 15 day plan to get your brain working better, which I intend to start soon.

The structure of the book, as previously described, was extremely effective since it established a knowledge base and gradually got more specific with information, finishing with his clinic's 15 day plan. For the structure, Dr. Amen broke the book up into many chapters, some as short as 4 pages, which was very effective.

I have read several of Dr. Amen's books. Because of that the first few chapters were reveiw for me. But I think this is his most practical, helpful book yet. I recommmend it to everyone. I had no idea the power my brain's health had over my life. This book, along with the others, has helped me gain a new respect for my mind and as a result greater responsibilty for taking care of the most important human organ - our brain. I think every counselor, psychologist, etc should have Dr. Amen's books on their reading list. I even recommended it to my MD.