The Owner's Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research

Although medical science can describe and define many of the brain's functions, the relationship between brain and behavior is not yet fully understood. Howard, director of the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies, a Charlotte, N.C.-based consulting firm, organizes workshops so people can better comprehend this relationships and make appropriate changes in their lives. His book includes chapters on the psychobiology of emotions and getting along with the opposite sex (including research on why men and women supposedly differ in math and verbal skills). He cites studies from a variety of sources to back himself up. Some of his goals are very basic--for example, how to get a better night's sleep or improve memory by relying on specific diet recommendations. Others, such as delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease, are more experimental. But, unfortunately, the book reads as a hodge-podge of research findings, followed by applications by Howard. (July)