Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

The Brain That Changes Itself - Dr. Norman Doidge

Medical students used to be taught that the brain was fixed. The brain was likened to a machine that had specific parts to perform specific functions. Ageing and trauma impaired function forever. Parts wore out and no tune-ups could really bring the brain back to optimal perception, memory, or attention.

Doidge’s thesis in this book is in fact, the brain changes all the time, not only with ageing and injury, but through everything we experience. The machine model is not the way to view the brain. It is not hard-wired forever for this or that function. Doidge explores the seminal concept of neuroplasticity, showcasing the brain's capacity to rewire itself in response to experiences, learning, and recovery from injuries and trauma.

For instance, Doidge argues that we have senses we don't know we have. We don't think much about balance until we feel dizzy. It is scary feeling to suddenly lose the confidence that we are not going to fall. The sense of tumbling down may induce panic too. Doidge describes new devices that can tell the brain to re-route signals to stay balanced. The brain does not care about the source of a signal but can process that signal and change its function to adapt to perform novel tasks.

The main appeal of this book is the lucid writing. Any thinking person who in interested in the topic will get much out of reading it. It also gives heart to readers who have left middle age in the rearview mirror. Don't renounce physical exercise, never quit reading.