The Owner's Manual for the Brain

by Howard, Pierce J.

• ISBN13: 9781885167651
• ISBN10: 1885167652
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-30
• Publisher: Bard

Summary

This information-packed guidebook combines the latest in brain research with the real world applications for your personal, family and work life.

Table of Contents

Quick Content Guide	18	(1)
Preface	19	(5)
The Author	24	(2)
Part One. Forming a Foundation: The Context for Using Your Owner's Manual	26	(46)
Getting Started: A Framework for Exploring Mind-Brain Concepts	29	(16)
The Mind-Brain Dichotomy
Human or Animal: What's the Difference?
What Is the Mind-Brain?
The Core Principles of Cognitive Science
The Nature-Nurture Debate: The Pendulum Swings
Brain Basics: A Refresher Course in Hardware and Hormones	45	(16)
Two Key Features of the Brain: RAS and the Gap
Neurotransmitters: The Alphabet of Personality
The Two Sides of the Brain
Brain Waves and Conscious States
Tools of the Trade: Brain Imaging Technology and Other Research Methods	61	(11)
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT)
Positron-Emission Tomography (PET)
Single-Photon Emission-Computed Tomography (SPECT)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Positron-Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography (PET/CT)
Other Imaging Options
The Use of Animals in Human Research
The Scientific Method: A Warning
The Caveat Box
Part Two. From the Cradle to the Grave . . . with a Turbulent Stop at Adolescence	72	(62)
Starting Well: Windows of Opportunity	75	(18)
The Pregnant Brain: An Up-Front Note to Moms and Dads
Effects of Various Agents on the Embryo
Prenatal Learning and Development
Temperament and the Prediction of Adult Personality
Breastfeeding
The Critical Early Years (Ages 1--3)
Prematurity---A Whine Before Its Time ...
Irreversible Damage (Age Eight)
Adverse Conditions and the Resilient Child
Memory in Early Childhood (Infancy to Ages 7--10)
Infants and Sleep
The Tumultuous Teens: Understanding the Adolescent Brain	93	(16)
The Pre-Puberty Neuronal Explosion
Processing Instructions with Emotion
Memory vs. Musing as a Basis for Decision Making
Teenage Circadian Rhythm and School Start Time
Self-Destructive Behavior: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Drugs
Harris on the Role of the Salient Peer Group
A Win-Win Approach to Discipline
Depression During the Teens
Finishing Well: Use It or Lose It	109	(25)
General Effects of Aging
Old Age and Mental Ability
Control, Social Capital, and Optimism
Diet and Aging
Exercise and Aging
Combining Diet and Exercise
Night Vision
Memory and Aging
Driving over 65 (Years, Not Miles Per Hour!)
Sex and Longevity
Sleep and Aging
A Final Word on Aging Gracefully
Part Three. Wellness: Getting the Most out of Every Day	134	(126)
Nourishment: Food for the Body, Fuel for the Brain	137	(26)
Appetite Control
Metabolism
Additives
Breakfast
Chocolate
Fat
Mood: The Role of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, and Sugars
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Peak Physical Performance
Sodium
Taste
Taste Buds
Undernourishment and Performance
Violence and Sugar
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Powders and Elixirs: Mind-Altering Agents	163	(26)
Alcohol
Aspirin
Caffeine
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Marijuana
Nicotine
Prescription Drugs
Brain Nutrient Drugs
Effects of Chemicals on the Elderly
A Good Night's Sleep: Cycles, Naps, Dreams, and Nightmares	189	(32)
The Sleep Cycle
The Purpose and Benefits of Sleep
The Circadian Rhythm
Time Zone Changes
Sleep and Exercise
Sleep and Diet
Sleep and Weight
The Effect of Odors on Sleep
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep and Medication
Naps
Dreams
Nightmares
Sleep Differences Between the Sexes
Getting Back to Sleep
Stability in Sleep Patterns
If You Don't Want to Sleep!
Apnea and Restless Legs
A Final Word on Sleep
The Body Cognitive: The Effects of Exercise	221	(12)
Physical Activity
Aerobics
The Importance of Choice
Altering Mood and Cravings
Extreme Exercise and the Staleness Syndrome
Exercise and Testosterone
Exercise and Smoking
Soccer Headers
Peak Athletic Performance
Humoring the Mind: Laughter as Free (or Cheap) Medicine	233	(12)
The Structure of Humor
The Comedic Personality
Humor and the Immune System
Humor and Gender
Music ... as a Means and as an End	245	(15)
Learning Music
Musical Training and Spatial Ability: The Mozart Effect
When Music Interferes with Learning
Music and Mathematical Ability
Music and the Injured Brain
The Effect of Music on Mood
Music and Personality
Music as Psychotherapy
Part Four. The Birds and the Bees: Sex, Gender, and Relationships	260	(70)
Sex and Gender: The Wiring Is Different	263	(38)
Physical Differences in the Sexes from the Outset
Sexual Identity: How We See Ourselves
Sexual Orientation: To Whom We Are Attracted
Sexual Role: Our Everyday Behavior
Gender Medicine
The Math-Verbal Controversy
Vision
Space
The Effect of Odors on Females
Gender Differences in Taste
Automization
A Final Word on Sex and Gender
Love and Relationships: The Wiring Is the Name of the Game	301	(29)
The Ideal Mate: Factors Influencing Partner Selection
Lust, Romance, and Attachment: An Overview
Lust: The Neurochemistry of the One-Night Stand
Romance: The Neurochemistry of Consuming Adoration
Attachment: The Neurochemistry of the Long-Haul Relationship
Maintaining Relationships
Orgasm
Jealousy
Affairs
The Effects of Marital Discord
Sexual Fantasies
Personality Traits and Sexual Behavior
Inbreeding
Handling Rejection
Part Five. Illness and Injury: What We Know about Brain Repair	330	(142)
Brain-Related Disorders: Some Big Picture Stuff	333	(26)
Neurobehavioral Disorders
Treatment Alternatives
A Note on Placebos
Genetics and Disease
The Immune System and Psychoneuroimmunology
Treatments for Pain
Caring for Caregivers
Cousins: The Four Ingredients of Hardiness
Structural Disorders: Bats in Your Belfry	359	(22)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Dyslexia
Epilepsy
Retardation
Schizophrenia
Stuttering
Brain Tumors
Insults and Injuries: A Blow-by-Blow Account	381	(22)
Abused Child Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
Concussion
Headaches
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Spinal Cord Injury
Stroke
Degenerative Conditions: Slowly Falling Apart	403	(24)
Alzheimer's Disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Huntington's Disease
Lou Gehrig's Disease
Lyme Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson's Disease
Mood Disorders and Addictions: Chemicals Gone Haywire	427	(26)
Addictions
Anxiety: A Family of Disorders
Depression
Manic-Depressive Illness
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Eating Disorders
Violence and Aggression: Running Hot and Cold in a Global Society	453	(19)
The Origins of Violence
Violence as Bad Chemistry
The Role of Peers in Shaping Violence
Violence in Schools
Television Watching and Video Gaming
Part Six. Learning: The Brain as Student	472	(134)
Designing Instruction: Building Blocks for Learners	475	(30)
Chunking
Testing as a Learning Process
What Makes Good Textbooks?
Schemas
Two Modes of Processing Information
Handle It!
Transfer: Applying Classroom Ideas to the Real World
Practice
Focus and Attention
Visualization
Modalities
Strategies for Learning
Some Myths about Learning
The Role of the Teacher: How to Facilitate Learning	505	(26)
Advance Organizers
Spacing
Breaks
Incubation
Follow-Up
Control
Relaxation
Rapport
Positive Expectations
Habituation
Developing Prestige
Atmosphere
Richness
Peer Feedback
Self-Explanation
Stereotypes and Performance
A Final Word on the Role of the Teacher
Learning That Sticks: Insights for Enhancing Memory	531	(32)
Defining Memory
The Three Stages of Memory Formation
Maintenance Requirements
The Two Kinds of Memory Chunks
Three Strategies for Remembering
State Dependence
Memory and Emotion
Real vs. Imagined Memories
Helping Others Remember
Roundup of Memory Boosters
A Final Word on Memory
A Matter of Style: Our Different Ways of Learning	563	(12)
The Mental Self-Government Model of Learning Style
The Relationship of Learning Style to Personality
The Development of Thinking During College
A Note on Genetics and Learning
Giftedness: Letting the Genius Out of the Bottle	575	(18)
Recognizing Giftedness
Supplementing the Curriculum for Gifted Children
Changing the System of Education for Gifted Children
Genius in Adults
Giftedness, Adulthood, and Eminence
Building Babel: Acquiring and Developing Language	593	(13)
How Language Grows Up
The Case for a Universal Grammar
Teaching Reading
``Speed'' Reading
Writer's Block
Language and Mood
Language and Memory
Neuronal Commitment and Later Language Learning
Part Seven. Creativity and Problem Solving: Making Mountains Out of Hills	606	(54)
Getting to New You: The Psychobiology of Creativity	609	(18)
The Creative Act
The Psychology of the Creative Personality
The Biology of the Creative Personality
The Four Stages of the Creative Process
Creative Giants
Creativity and Madness
Assessing for Creativity
Chipping Off the Old Block: Removing Barriers to Creativity	627	(16)
General Principles for Developing Creativity
Obstacles to Creativity
The Persistence of the Past in Present Creative Acts
The Influence of Social Networks on Creativity
Hypnosis and Creativity
Epstein on Barriers to Creativity
Using Synesthesia to Move from the Humdrum to the Creative
Creating Leverage: A Guide to Problem-Solving Breakthroughs	643	(17)
Styles for Approaching Problems
Types of Problems
Describing the Problem
Reaching Solutions: Algorithms and Heuristics
Games and Problem-Solving Ability
Sleep, Relaxation, and Problem Solving
Trust the Experts
How to Select the Right Technique
Some Final Thoughts on Problem Solving
Part Eight. Working Smarter: The Brain in the Workplace	660	(72)
From Waltz to Tango: Brain-Friendly Approaches to Change	663	(24)
Kuhn: The Shifting Paradigm
Empowerment
The Pygmalion Effect
Using Gap Analysis to Define Goals
How to Formulate Effective Goals
Increments vs. Leaps
Group Size and Cohesion
The Ideal Manager of Change
Appreciative Inquiry vs. Problem Solving
The Elements of Successful Change
Brain Ergonomics: Workplace Design for Quality and Productivity	687	(20)
Time Out!
Shift Work
Naps at Work
Multitasking
Negative Ions
Stress in the Workplace
Testosterone and the Achievement Syndrome
Temperature and Mood
Handedness
Simultaneous Tasks That Are Close in Space
The Cost of Being Out of Flow
Stop, Look, and Listen: The Five Senses in the Workplace	707	(25)
Sensory Input in the Workplace
The Effect of Light
The Effect of Color
The Effect of Shapes and Designs
Differences in Visual and Auditory Perception
Sound and Concentration
Noise in the Workplace
Smell and the Limbic System
The Effect of Odors on Productivity
The Effect of Odors on Relaxation
Toxic Effects of Smell
Proxemics
Room Arrangement
The Sense of Touch
Temperature
Part Nine. Putting It All Together: How We Differ, and What Makes Us Tick	732	(146)
The Big Five: At Last, a Universal Language for Personality Traits	735	(32)
A Warning about Using Labels
The Equalizer Model of Personality
A History of Temperament Theory
The Inherited Basis of Personality Traits
The Big Five
The Physical Basis of Personality
Personality Changes over Time
Sex Differences in the Big Five
Relationships vs. Self-Development
Can You Change Your Personality?
Getting Smart about IQ: The Many Ways to Be Intelligent	767	(26)
The Heritability of Intelligence
How Environment Shapes Intelligence
Process Tools: Sternberg's Triarchic Model of Intelligence
Content Talents: Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI)
Structural Definitions of Intelligence
Intelligence and the Time Span of Work
Some Final Thoughts on Intelligence
EQ, Call Home: Getting Savvy about Your Emotional Side	793	(20)
A Model for Emotions
The Appraisal Filter: What Triggers Emotions
Emotions' Home: The Body as Catalyst
Coping Mechanisms
The Behavioral Approach to Emotions
The Biological Approach to Emotions
EQ vs. IQ
Emotions vs. Moods
Stress and Burnout: The Unrelenting Fire Alarm	813	(24)
The Anatomy of Stress
Stress and Arousal
Type A Research
Burnout: Maximum Demotivation
Trait Dissonance
Stress and Evolution
Happiness: The False God	837	(41)
The Pursuit of PEG
What Is Motivation and How Can We Increase It?
Pleasure: Finding Flavor
Engagement: Finding Flow
Contentment: Finding Fit
A Goal-Centered Model of Motivation
Optimism vs. Helplessness
Mood Management
Human Resource Optimization
A Reminder: Happiness Is Not a Goal
Part Ten. Closing with a Prayer: A Peek at States of Consciousness	878	(23)
States of Consciousness: Phases of the Mind	881	(16)
What Is Consciousness?
In and Out of Flow
Free Will
Hypnosis
The God Module
The Efficacy of Prayer
Updating Your Owner's Manual: The Continuing Search for New Mind-Body Applications	897	(4)
Appendices	901	(30)
The Brain Illustrated
Sex and Gender Differences
Evaluating Your Learning Practices
Brainstorming
Brainwriting
Big Five Feedback Form
Developing the Five Dimensions
Compensating for the Five Dimensions
Rapport and Influence Strategies
Evaluating the Intelligence of a Job Candidate
Personal Checklist for Intelligent Behaviors
My Shapers: A Personality Infrastructure Template
Definitions	931	(10)
Bibliography: Books, Journals, and Other Resources	941	(22)
Internet Resources: Websites, E-mail Addresses, Newsgroups and Bulletin Boards, and Listservers	963	(5)
Index	968	(39)
Reader Participation Card	1007	(1)
About CentACS: The Center for Applied Cognitive Studies	1008