Elliot Malach 2010-03-17

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

The brain can change its own structure and formation through thought and activity. It is called neuroplasticity. The author writes each chapter about someone, either an MD, scientist or a patient, who has made advancements in the field of neuroplasticity.

With this plasticity the brain can make changes to reroute impulses to make up for loss of certain normal sensory pathways. People who had alleged hardwire problems learned sensory substitution to re-route "messages" to achieve the same brain function previously thought impossible to repair. Using brain exercises to strengthen weak areas of the brain, people can access skills whose development was formerly blocked.

One MD determined that the brain is polysensory, not the "one function one location" accepted paradigm. Of course it took quite a while for his papers to be published by mainstream medicine. Another study showed that pain is created by the brain and projected into the body.

The bottom line is that there is a mind/body/spirit connection that is changing the way neuroscience is treating brain related illness, disease and defects. Great book! Plus, for discussing a complex subject, the book is very easy to follow.

J. Phee 2010-03-10

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This book is well written and very clearly describes some of the recent scientific advancements in the exploration of the human brain. Just great!!

Ellen Henschel 2010-02-26

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

product arrived very quickly and in perfect condition even though it was sold as "used."

B. J. Madoff 2010-01-09

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

A very interesting survey of neuroplasticity. The author tells compelling stories of the struggles and triumphs of both the scientists and the subjects in the evolving field of brain science. Diodge is an interesting guide and a fine writer who takes the reader on an informative journey into a field most of us know little about. If you find this subject interesting, I suggest you see the video,"Touch the Sound", the story of Evelyn Glennie. Evelyn is a world renown percussionist who went deaf at age 8 and, though it is not discussed as neuroplasticity, it is. She trained her brain to "hear" by using her body to "touch the sound". It's an artful and incredibly interesting example of these brain science concepts brought to life. "Soul Made Flesh" is another terrific book about the early, 17th century, history of brain studies. The author, Carl Zimmer is a terrific writer. The common thread, aside from the brain, is the eternal struggle that innovative ideas have, the constant resistance they meet and their eventual acceptance.

Marnia Robinson 2010-01-08

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Doidge's chapter on acquired sexual tastes is much needed for today's heavy porn users, some of whom are experiencing miserable unexpected side effects from their Internet porn habits. He addresses familiar symptoms like desensitization to normal sex, erectile dysfunction, escalation to watching things the viewer doesn't even like just to climax, and the deterioration of relationships.

Without moralizing Doidge explains that, "Pornographers promise healthy pleasure and relief from sexual tension, but what they often deliver is addiction, tolerance, and an eventual decrease in pleasure." He makes the interesting point that if mankind's attraction to porn were purely the product of millions of years of evolution, tastes would be similar and wouldn't change over time. Instead,

"Hardcore pornography now explores the world of perversion, while softcore is now what hardcore was a few decades ago. ... When pornographers boast that they are pushing the envelope by introducing new, harder themes, what they don't say is that they must, because their customers are building up a tolerance to the content."

So if you want to understand the mechanics of how you (or your beloved) got hooked, this book is useful. Unfortunately, Doidge's patients were apparently mated men, and he seems to underestimate the difficultry of withdrawal from porn addiction for single guys whose addiction has resulted in social isolation. Single men need lots of social contact and support during the lengthy, often agonizing, withdrawal required to unhook from Internet porn use. (See "The Road To Excess" [...]) Still, Doidge's book offers hope just by virtue of explaining what has happened in guilt-free terms, and can motivate an unhappy user to face the challenge of withdrawal.