Next Tuesday, November 3rd: I’ll be presenting the SharpBrains Guide to a business/ entrepreneurial audience at the San Francisco Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (you can register online).

Description: While most of us have heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” very few understand what “it” means, or how to properly “use it” in order to improve brain function and fitness. This talk will provide an overview of the most recent research, guidelines and resources to “Use It and Improve It”, summarizing the main findings and topics from the new book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness. We will debunk 10 common brain fitness myths; discuss how the brain works and the 4 pillars of brain maintenance; explain the difference between mental exercise and mental activity and identify practical ways to integrate this research into our work and lives for maximum brain health and performance.

To order book: Here. (has been among Amazon.com’s Top 10 Preventive Medicine books basically since publication!)

Over the last few weeks I have given a couple of AARP-sponsored talks, both in English and in Spanish (this was my first Spanish presentation on a topic I mostly discuss in English, so I did get some extra brain points by trying to translate “neuroplasticity” and “hippocampus” on the fly), and had a great couple of meetings with AARP staff to explore collaborations. AARP can obviously play a major role in how rationally this whole category of “brain fitness” evolves.

Here you have a couple of my favorite recent media interviews:

4-minute Video interview on the Gilbert Guide:
Book Reveals Secrets Once Only Known to Scientists

30-minute radio interview on WMBR (MIT campus radio station):
Paradigm Shifts: Brain Fitness (mine is the second interview, starts around the middle)

Finally, a growing number of bloggers are reviewing the book. This is what they say:

• Is Your Brain a Couch Potato (Doc Gurley at SF Gate)
• Essential reference for brain fitness, cognitive health, neuroplasticity (Highlight Health)
• Fitbrains learn how to learn (Dr. Larry McCleary)
• Learn about cognitive functioning (Teen Health 411)
• A great dedication: to your Unique Brain, and Unique Mind (Play with your mind)
• Very valuable interviews (Nucleus Learning)
• Authoritative research and perspective (Greenstein Institute)

You can order The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness here.

A few quick updates: 

1)  Yesterday we had a fun webinar with John Medina, author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.

You may enjoy checking out the slides we discussed.

2) Please remember that there is another webinar coming, next Tuesday. I hope you can join us!

Webinar: In “The Science and Practice of Brain Fitness,” I will provide an overview of the Brain 101, latest research findings and implications for how to improve brain health and performance based on my class at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute and speaking engagements.
- Target audience: Anyone who wants to learn more about brain health and performance. This is designed to be not a technical session, but a fun, stimulating hour.
- Date and time: Tuesday June 10th, 2pm EDT/ 11am PDT
Register: Here

Read the rest of this entry »

We had an informative webinar this Tuesday, discussing the State of the Brain Fitness Software market today, based on the findings in our Market Report. In case you missed it, you can find below a link to check out and download the PowerPoint slides I presented (just the visuals, without audio) to cover these areas:

1- The Four Pillars for Brain Health

2- Cognitive Abilities can Be Assesed and Trained

3- An emerging field, and poised to grow

4- A confusing player landscape. Think “What For”, not “Best”.

Link: State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008

Please remember that we have 2 upcoming webinars, and you can still register!:

Read the rest of this entry »

I have been travelling much over the last 2 weeks to speak at a number of conferences and universities. I promised I would be sharing some of the key highlights, but we have decided to do something better to do justice to the richness and complexity of the field we cover. We are going to launch an experiment: a Brain Fitness Webinar Series.

This inaugural Brain Fitness Webinar Series will consist of 3 free live sessions. The series covers the most fundamental advances in cognitive science and their implications for individuals, companies and organizations. And we are honored to have John Medina lead of the sessions!

Each event is independent, in topic and in registration process.

Webinar #1: In “The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market, 2008,” I will provide an overview of the science, market, and vendor landscape of the emerging brain fitness software market, based on our recent market report on this growing category.
- Target audience: Executives, professionals, investors, reporters and bloggers interested in learning more about the brain fitness market.
- More information: Market Report.
- Date and time: Tuesday May 27th, 2pm EDT/ 11am PDT
Register: Here

 

Webinar #2: In “Brain Rules for Thinking Smarter,” John Medina, developmental molecular biologist and author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Striving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School will emphasize the importance of physical exercise, stress management…and avoiding multitasking altogether.
- Target audience: Anyone who wants to learn more about brain health and performance.
- More information: The Science of Thinking Smarter, by John Medina.
- Date and time: Tuesday June 3rd, 2pm EDT/ 11am PDT
Register: Here

 

Webinar #3: In “The Science and Practice of Brain Fitness,” I will provide an overview of the Brain 101, latest research findings and implications for how to improve brain health and performance based on my classes and speaking engagements.
- Target audience: Anyone who wants to learn more about brain health and performance
- Date and time: Tuesday June 10th, 2pm EDT/ 11am PDT
Register: Here

 

I hope you find this series stimulating. Just pick the event that sounds more relevant to your interests! 

If you are interested in education reform, social entrepreneurship and venture philantropy, grab a nice cap of tea or coffee and enjoy today’s spectacular edition of the New York Times Magazine.

Must read: insightful expert discussion on How Many Billionaires Does It Take to Fix a School System?

Also: excellent pieces titled Self-Made Philanthropists, on how ProPublica was conveived and launched, and For Good, Measure, on the importance and challenges of measuring the return on social investments.

Bonus: the newspaper’s Week in Review section brings a throught-provoking article on Brain Enhancement Is Wrong, Right?, on the use of drugs for boosting brain performance. Am happy to report that no one in the Education articles suggested giving these drugs to millions of kids…

Last week, the US Car Care Council released a list of tips on how to take care of your car and “save big money at the pump in 2008.”

You may not have paid much attention to this announcement. Yes, it’s important to save gas these days; but, it’s not big news that good maintenance habits will improve the performance of a car, and extend its life.

If we can all agree on the importance of maintaining our cars that get us around town, what about maintaining our brains sitting behind the wheel?

A spate of recent news coverage on brain fitness and “brain training” has missed an important constituency: younger people. Recent advancements in brain science have as tremendous implications for teenagers and adults of all ages as they do for seniors.

In a recent conversation with neuroscientist Yaakov Stern of Columbia University, he related how surprised he was when, years ago, a reporter from Seventeen magazine requested an interview. The reporter told Dr. Stern that he wanted to write an article to motivate kids to stay in school and not to drop out, in order to start building their Cognitive Reserve early and age more gracefully.

What is the Cognitive Reserve? Read the rest of this entry »

Great Brain Fitness Carnival Number 3 hosted by Neurophilosopher, with a variety of posts on stress management, happiness, healthy eating, positive psychology, emotional intelligence, education and much more. The next Brain Fitness blog carnival will be hosted by Jane Chin at Naked Medicine. Submit your articles here.

Other blog carnivals just published: Read the rest of this entry »