Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life

Have a family member who has had multiple strokes and this was an amazing help in learning what can be done. I've even signed up for one year subscription on changing my brain via working out with it on the computer and it's been illuminating.

It’s clear the author is a pioneer in the field, but most of the book was anecdotal in nature.

I am surprised at the negative reviews. I have spent about 2000 hours over the last 20 months researching all aspects of cognitive impairment in the elderly. I have read at least 1900 abstracts of scientific papers, 522 complete papers, 6 books besides this one, and at least 200 pertinent articles or blog posts. I am a bit stunned that I never came across this book until now - it is copyrighted 2013. The book is written in layman's language, uses examples and analogies that are easy to connect with, and is very informative. Reading some of the papers that Michael Merzenich has authored/coauthored will give you an idea of how the technical language on this subject can be close to incomprehensible, a problem this book completely overcomes - quite a feat for such an involved technologist/researcher.I have read a lot on brain plasticity and brain exercises, but this book gave me several new insights that I had not seen before - some that are wonderfully obvious once your attention is called to them. The author gives many examples of why our brains' capabilities decay for lack ofuse, in ways that we never think about, and often because of the technological developments we love because they make that disuse possible. Wow!Some critics perceive the book only as a "come-on" for Posit Science's brain training software. I am thankful that such software exists, so I can now avoid the decay it can prevent or remedy, and I welcome the explanations of why I need it and how I can benefit from it. While I am not considered cognitively impaired by the usual tests, at age 83 I can recognize some of the symptoms (in me) of decline the book describes. I am starting the training immediately.This book is a "must read" for every loving caregiver who helps an impaired loved one or patient, and for every senior citizen who wants to retain their faculties to the end. The "Catch 22" of early cognitive impairment is that the impairment can keep the victims from knowing they have the problem. The one star reviewers have missed the message, and may need the book much more than they realize.PS - One or more one star reviewers deplored the lack of reference links. Every chapter ends with an instruction to link to the references at www.softwired.com/ref/ch_.

Though Michael Merzenich’s book begins with a great deal of research and science, it definitely pays to stick with it to the end to discover his suggestions for maintaining, or possibly restoring, your mental prowess. There are plenty of interesting facts that he points out, including that men’s brains and women’s brains reach their peak at different times, suggesting a material difference between the sexes. But the bottom line of the book is that in order to have a strong brain, you need to exercise it. The problem is that lots of mental tasks that we do actually don’t challenge the brain enough to make any real difference. He talks a lot about BrainHQ, an app that people can use, which has been tested many times in the scientific community and seems to show tangible results in upping brain performance. As a result of reading the book, I decided to try using BrainHQ, and I even paid for a year’s subscription. I’m not sure if it is doing anything, and I don’t exactly know how I can ever really know if it’s keeping my brain in shape, but I’m willing to keep trying it for a few more months.

Dr. Michael Merzenich has written an easy to read and very valuable resource on the latest information on brain plasticity (the idea that we are not hard-wired but soft-wired - it even includes a few pages on how he came to "see the light" in this area) and how we can use it to improve our lives at any age. It is important to understand that neuroplasticity can work to our advantage or disadvantage and he gives examples of each throughout this book.Here are just a few of the valuable topics covered in this book:* 10 Fundamentals of Brain Plasticity. These are core principles including: "change is mostly limited to those situations in which the brain is in the mood for it", "learning-driven changes in connections increase cell-to-cell cooperation, which is crucial for increasing reliability", "initial changes are just temporary", and "brain plasticity is a two-way street; it is just as easy to generate negative changes as it is to produce positive ones"* His top ten list of changes that that have been demonstrated by the research to date* His 8 brain fitness rules including "try to work on a demanding level" and "find exercises that are inherently satisfying and rewarding"* As a runner, I really benefited from his 6 rules in planning one's exercise routines (and the need to vary the challenges we give our bodies as well as our minds)* His chapter on "Taking a Holistic approach to improving your life". This includes my favorite "Continuously enrich your life on small and larger scales."Throughout the book he uses examples to illustrate the concepts in memorable ways. He discusses the impact of aging and the brain and how to limit and counteract the challenges that come with age. It is clear that Merzenich has a true passion for brain science and wants us all to use the information from brain science to enrich our lives and improve our well-being. I hope that you benefit as much as I did from reading this book and putting the ideas into practice!Note: I also recommend reading the book by Norman Doidge "The Brain that Changes Itself" for some fascinating stories and examples of plastic changes that are truly remarkable

keeping cognitive abilities from declining. Learn to focus.Learn about brain function throughout life.How to improve daily and understand positive thinking.Very indepth reference book to keep and read several pages at a timeto take it all in.

Excellent reading! Anyone looking for a more complete and fulfilling life, this is the book. Recommend it to everyone! Also sign up for the BrainHQ, it will help you in the development of your brain.

This book is so important, everyone should have a copy on their bookshelf; and you'll want to re-read it often.The author is at the centre of research in brain plasticity, so you can be assured that what he writes is accurate and cutting-edge.A big plus is that he is also very funny, so this serious subject is really easy to learn about.

5 out of 5

Most of the content of the book does not explain how to increase plasticity. Most of the book is the author providing anecdotes of people that followed the brain plasticity program . This is great to hear, but not when it is repeated over and over for the first 200 pages of the book.