Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life Paperback – October 14, 2013

This is an excellent resource for understanding how brains function.It's easy to read and no difficult to understand terms, anyone can get it.Lots of ways to balance your daily & weekly routine to keep your brain sharp.You can start in your 80's but starting at a young age will really go a long way.

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 starreviewers 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_.

Content was easy to read/understand giving us an overview of complex scientific research in how our brains are capable of growing/creating new pathways and what we can do to 'change our lives'. A good read filled with hope for all really.

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

This is a very complete book on the how we all can use the findings from neuroscience and the concept of brain plasticity to maintain, recover, and improve our mental, emotional, and physical functioning, at any stage of life.The author is a treasure trove of knowledge, wisdom, and experience about the subject and we would do well to take his advice of continuing to challenge our brains and bodies in fun, effortful, and exciting ways. The author and his colleagues have even created a website (Brain HQ) with a scientifically and research proven approach to improving the various mental, visual, and even auditory abilities that we all tend to lose as we age and through injury and some disease processes. I have been performing the exercises daily for a few months now and am starting to notice a difference in my cognitive and focusing abilities, which I have struggled with throughout my life due to ADHD.The stories of rehabilitation and recovery throughout the book are compelling and make a strong case for the power of brain plasticity and challenging ourselves at the appropriate level in mental and physical domains for as long as we are able to in life.