Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power - Softcover

Hurley, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014218165X ISBN 13: 9780142181652

Publisher: Plume Books, 2014

Synopsis

"A riveting look at the birth of a new science." --Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive

When he was eight years old, Dan Hurley was labeled a "slow learner" because he still couldn't read. Three years later, he had become a straight A student.

Until the publication of a major study in 2008, psychologists believed that intelligence is fixed at birth, that IQ is like a number tattooed on the soul. The new study showed that people can increase their "fluid" intelligence through training.

Hurley, who grew up to become an award-winning science journalist, first explored the topic in The New York Times Magazine. In Smarter, he digs deeper by meeting with the field's leading researchers--and becoming a human guinea pig. After just three months of playing computer brain-training games, joining a boot-camp exercise program, learning to play the Renaissance lute, practicing mindfulness meditation and and even getting his brain zapped in the name of science, Hurley improved his fluid intelligence by sixteen percent.

With humor and heart, Smarter chronicles the roiling field of intelligence research and delivers practical findings to sharpen the minds of children, young adults, seniors, and those with cognitive challenges.

About this title

Review:

"Smarter is an essential read. It's a riveting look at the birth of a new science as well as a user's manual for anyone who wants to be better at solving problems, learning new things, and coming up with creative ideas."
--Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

"A clear-eyed but encouraging view of cognitive enhancement."
--Scientific American MIND

"Chatty and personal, Smarter is an easy read--even for those of us with untrained brains."
--The Washington Post

"Hurley captures the history and mystery of intelligence, but, most of all, the exciting new science of intellectual growth. This may be the most important revolution of our time!"
--Carol Dweck, Author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

"Dan Hurley isolates just what cognitive exercise boosts intelligence. Anyone who doubts that environment can make a real difference to cognition should start with this book."
--James R. Flynn author of What is Intelligence

"Filled with beautifully explained science, Smarter is engaging and inspiring, offering much-needed hope to those of us whose smarts seem to be declining. Smarter, in fact, is that rare thing: enjoyable reading that can also improve your life."
--Gretchen Reynolds, author of The First 20 Minutes

From the Back Cover:

Can we really make ourselves smarter?

For over a hundred years science has told us that our intelligence is fixed. You're either born clever or you are not, there's nothing you can do about it. But the latest research tells us science got it wrong.

In Smarter Dan Hurley reveals how new fields in intelligence research show that our mental faculties can be simply and significantly improved. You'll discover the secrets of :

IQ - how it works (and often doesn't)
boot camps for your brain - do workouts provide real benefits?
pills and super foods - the truth behind the extraordinary claims
Fitness, learning a language or an instrument - do they really help?

Exhilarating and inspiring, Smarter puts the science to the test and provides insight for anyone who wants to better their own thinking, give their children the best start in life or to stave off the rapid decline of advancing years.

'Chatty, personal, an easy read - even for those of us with untrained brains' Washington Post
'That rare thing: enjoyable reading that can also improve your life... Beautifully explained, engaging and inspiring' Gretchen Reynolds, author of The First 20 Minutes

'An essential read, riveting' Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind

'This may be the most important revolution of our time!' Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success 'Intriguing, enjoyable, makes you think' Observer

About this edition

• Publisher: Plume Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 014218165X
• ISBN 13: 9780142181652
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304