The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper

Clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Robertson (The Winner Effect) explores why stress energizes some people and has devastating effects on others in this fascinating treatise on the human mind—something he describes as a malleable object, not hardwired. “If psychological stressors can physically change the brain... surely psychological therapies should be able to do the same,” he writes. Why do some people become energized through anxiety and stress, while other people—often those with a more fixed view of themselves—see difficult situation as indications they aren’t competent, and crumble? It’s how the “software of the mind” combines with the “hardware of the brain,” Robertson says. One key piece of that mix is noradrenaline, a chemical he calls a “natural alerting drug.” It is also a neuromodulator, which strengthens the brain’s ability to form connections and thereby its learning and memory functions. In fact, he believes noradrenaline can be a partial antidote to Alzheimer’s disease, making brain cells less susceptible to damaging amyloid proteins. The author emphasizes, however, that it’s necessary to find the balance between too little and too much stress. Robertson’s enlightening theories on brain chemistry make fascinating food for thought and will help readers see the upside of stress. [em]Agent: Felicity Bryan, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.) (Jan.) [/em]