The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain

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Have you ever wondered what's happening in your brain as yougo through a typical day and night? This fascinating book presentsan hour-by-hour round-the-clock journal of your brain'sactivities. Drawing on the treasure trove of information fromScientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines as wellas original material written specifically for this book, JudithHorstman weaves together a compelling description of your brain atwork and at play. The Scientific American Day in the Life of YourBrain reveals what's going on in there while yousleep and dream, how your brain makes memories and forms addictionsand why we sometimes make bad decisions. The book also offersintriguing information about your emotional brain, and what'shappening when you're feeling love, lust, fear andanxiety--and how sex, drugs and rock and roll tickle the samespots. Based on the latest scientific information, the book exploresyour brain's remarkable ability to change, how your brain canmake new neurons even into old age and why multitasking may be badfor you. Your brain is uniquely yours - but research is showingmany of its day-to-day cycles are universal. This book gives you alook inside your brain and some insights into why you may feel andact as you do. The Scientific American Day in the Life of YourBrain is written in the entertaining, informative andeasy-to-understand style that fans of Scientific American andScientific American Mind magazine have come to expect.

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Judith Horstman

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In this thorough health and science overview, journalist Horstman(Overcoming Arthritis) reviews a full day of brainwork byaccounting for the mental processes of everyday activities,arranged by hour, beginning with 5 a.m. and "coming toconsciousness." Fascinatingly, Horstman shows how, as hormoneand neurotransmitter levels change throughout the day, there may bean optimal time for everything. Moving through the workday,Horstman discusses stress, decision-making, hunger and fatigue,ADHD and more, before returning home to cover music, humor, sex,fear and sleep. Horstman's lively prose is packed with usefulinformation: meditation increases attention while delaying aging;brain exercise and a strong social network decrease the odds ofdeveloping dementia; diet can quell morning crabbiness, increaseafternoon focus, and promote sleep. Multitasking, asHorstman explains, is less like an efficient model ofproblem solving and more like channel-surfing; stress, she says,"may be the single worst thing your brain does to yourheart." Information-packed and fully referenced, thisScientific American publication is perfect for anyone withinterest in mind/body interaction, mental health or aging.(PublishersWeekly.com, August 24, 2009) STARRED REVIEW Drawing on neurology articles from Scientific American andScientific American Mind, science journalist Horstmancreates a seamless and fascinating look at our brain's functioningthroughout the day, adeptly noting cycles and processes that mayoccur by mentioning them in a time context that makes sense.Beginning her exploration at 5 a.m., when the brain begins toreturn to consciousness, she bases the chapters on each hour in a24-hour period and groups hours into sections related to typicalactivities, such as "Winding Down" from 9 p.m. to midnight. Sheexamines how and when other bodily processes and functions, such ashunger, impact the brain. Drops in blood sugar, for example, alsoindicate lowered levels of serotonin. The explanations are easy toread, and they incorporate anecdotes and callouts that deftlyexplain neuroscientific content. VERDICT Appealing to layscientists, Scientific American readers, and all thoseinterested in how to care for their brain as it matures and ages,this book will be a popular science title. (LibraryJournal)
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