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An Australian bestseller; A New York Times bestseller; an Amazon US top ten science book of 2008; one of Amazon Canada's top books of 2008; and one of Slate top books of 2008
448 pages, paperback Size: 234mm x 153mm |
NORMAN DOIDGE, MD
THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF The discovery of neuroplasticity, that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains, even into old age, is the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the brain in four hundred years. Dr. Norman Doidge introduces principles we can all use to overcome brain limitations and explores the profound brain implications of the changing brain in an immensely moving book that will permanently alter the way we look at human possibility and human nature. Psychiatrist and researcher Norman Doidge, M.D., travelled around the United States to meet the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed — people whose mental limitations or brain damage were previously seen as unalterable, and whose conditions had long been dismissed as hopeless. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole; a woman labeled retarded who cured her deficits with brain exercises and now cures those of others; blind people who learn to see; learning disorders cured; IQs raised; ageing brains rejuvenated; stroke patients recovering their faculties; children with cerebral palsy learning to move more gracefully; entrenched depression and anxiety disappearing; and lifelong character traits changed. Doidge takes us onto terrain that might seem fantastic. We learn that our thoughts can switch our genes on and off, altering our brain anatomy. We learn how people of average intelligence can, with brain exercises, improve their cognition and perception, develop muscle strength, or learn to play a musical instrument — simply by imagining doing so. Using personal stories from the heart of this neuroplasticity revolution, Dr Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
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'Only a few decades ago,
scientists considered the brain to be fixed or ‘hardwired’ and
considered most forms of brain damage, therefore, to be incurable.
Dr. Doidge, an eminent psychiatrist and researcher, was struck by
how his patients’ own transformations belied this and set out to
explore the new science of neuroplasticity by interviewing both
scientific pioneers in neuroscience, and patients who have benefited
from neuro-rehabilitation. Here he describes in fascinating personal
narratives how the brain, far from being fixed, has remarkable
powers of changing its own structure and compensating for even the
most challenging neurological conditions. Doidge’s book is a
remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the
human brain.' Oliver Sacks
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Review |
THE NEW YORK TIMES:
“The power of positive thinking finally
gains scientific credibility. Mind-bending, miracle-making,
reality-busting stuff...with implications for all human beings, not to
mention human culture, human learning and human history.”
THE GLOBE AND MAIL:
“Doidge... is a master ... at explaining science to the rest of us.
Doidge is the best possible guide. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon
to read it, just curious about your brain. Buy this book. Your brain
will thank you.” |
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About the Author: Norman Doidge, M.D., is a research psychiatrist and psychoanalyst on the faculty at the Columbia University Psychoanalytic Centre in New York and the University of Toronto, as well as an award-winning writer. He has presented his scientific research at the White House. Website: http://www.normandoidge.com
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