The Owner's Manual for the Brain, Second Edition: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although medical science can describe and define many of the brain's functions, the relationship between brain and behavior is not yet fully understood. Howard, director of the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies, a Charlotte, N.C.-based consulting firm, organizes workshops so people can better comprehend this relationships and make appropriate changes in their lives. His book includes chapters on the psychobiology of emotions and getting along with the opposite sex (including research on why men and women supposedly differ in math and verbal skills). He cites studies from a variety of sources to back himself up. Some of his goals are very basic--for example, how to get a better night's sleep or improve memory by relying on specific diet recommendations. Others, such as delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease, are more experimental. But, unfortunately, the book reads as a hodge-podge of research findings, followed by applications by Howard.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Howard, director of the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies (Charlotte, North Carolina), has digested an assortment of brain research and created what he hopes will be a practical "reference work for consumers." Targeting an audience of lifelong learners, educators, and managers, he has selected research on intelligence, stress, learning, creativity, memory, and the emotions. Brief synopses of the research are followed by suggested applications ranging from the familiar (drink warm milk to promote sleep) to the novel and impractical (schedule math tests for females during the first half of the menstrual cycle). While this book lacks formal references for the research cited, it does offer a variety of ideas and perspectives and some excellent reading lists for the general reader.
Laurie Bartolini, Lincoln Lib., Springfield, Ill.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Bard Press; 2 edition (November 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885167415
• ISBN-13: 978-1885167415
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #528,139 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Encyclopedia of the Human Mind, January 8, 2004

By	William Hefner (EUREKA, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whether you use this book as a reference or read it cover to cover, The Owner's Manual for the Brain is a great book to have around. From describing the most basic fundamentals of how the human brain functions to analyzing the latest research in various fields of psychology, the author presents each topic in an easy to understand manner that is enjoyable to read as it is informative.

The best part of this book is that every sub-chapter includes a list of "applications" for what you have just read. This elevates the book from the simple listing of facts to an extremely usable tool. I would dare anyone to read this book and not come away with at least one application that could not vastly improve their life. Time with this book is time well spent.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for teachers, managers, trainers and parents, May 3, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Zoetermeer, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Owner's Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research (Paperback)

There are books in my bookcase that are still utterley beautifull. Some of the books however are dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. Howard's Owner's Manual for the Brain is one of them. There is no book available at the moment that can be compared to this classic Great Book. This is my one-and-only book that accompanies me on every flight across the world, to ev'ry meeting I have. It is on my desk as soon as I start designing a a training, or writing an article or preparing a presentation. It gives us theoretically insights to the (dys)functioning of people - young and old. More important it gives you solutions for education, life in general and managing people and problems. Easy to read, scientifically up-to-date and the book designs show that he walks his talks.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful Balance of Profundity and Simplicity, January 2, 2003

By	Kent Ponder (Albuquerque., NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Owner's Manual for the Brain, Second Edition: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research (Hardcover)

Even my first riff through this hefty tome, viewing the graphic variety of summaries flash by, was a pleasure reminiscent of my first youthful encounter with a Worldbook Encyclopedia. Astonishing in its breadth and clarity of coverage, direct and practical in topic selection and presentation, this book educates and entertains while it links related concepts and leads the reader into a surprising variety of organized branches of further exploration.

Though my Ph.D. is in a related field, I found new, intriguing and useful information at almost every turn of page. The descriptions are simple but not simplistic. Suggestions and advice are practicable but not prosaic or mundane. Whether your interest is right-left brain observations or the right anterior cingulate cortex, you'll find enlightening remarks and crystal-clear syntheses in these attractively laid-out pages.

How small children perceive their world? It's here. How brain activity varies from sex to sex and age to age? You'll find it. Why you feel as you do on some occasions and not others? That too. What you can do to improve this, that and you-name-it? Yes. To me this book is analogous to a trip through a huge new shopping center plus a museum complex and an international buffet. I would honestly worry about the state of mind or level of sincerity of a person who would claim not to find this book fascinating and rewarding.