cover image How to Be a Genius: Your Brain and How to Train It

How to Be a Genius: Your Brain and How to Train It

John Woodward, , illus. by Serge Seidlitz and Andy Smith. . DK, $19.99 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-7566-5515-0

Taking a sometimes humorous approach, this heavily illustrated encyclopedic love letter to the human brain covers such topics as memory, the five senses, creativity tricks and illusions, and the brain's evolution—not to mention how one's gray matter actually works. One spread illuminates how the brain processes data, labels experience and creates stereotypes by using photographs of a grass snake (the brain associates the harmless grass snake with other venomous snakes); another section utilizes a cartoon robot in a discussion of the development of good and bad habits. Photographs, flowcharts and activities work in tandem to create an accessible, fast-paced and informative read. Ages 9–12. (Oct.)