Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brains Maximum Potential by Daniel G. Amen

Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brains Maximum Potential Reviews

• 
  Splendy

  Fish oil supplements. Everyone’s talking about taking fish oil. Well, I don’t eat fish. And I’m not a big fan of killing fish either. But after hearing so much about the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids, I decided I’d do some research on my own. But then I got lazy and never did it. Until one day, I passed by this book, prominently displayed at the library. On a whim, I read it, and I’m so glad I did!
  
  We all know that we need to eat well, take vitamins, exercise, think positive, and if necessary, take medication. But this explains why, in a medical and psychological way.
  
  Dr. Amen is very pro-fish oil, and surprisingly he never addresses flax seed oil, which also provides Omega 3 fatty acids but without the oily fish killing. But along the way on my quest to learn more about fish oil and other vitamins, I encountered a lot of other useful advice and insight about the human brain and how to strengthen its internal controls. Slow down and spend some time thinking about your thinking.
  
• 
  Kevin Chavis

  Our society tends to not pay attention to the brain. Yet we expend about a quarter of our energy maintaining it! We know so little about it and yet it does so many amazing things.
  
  This book also gave me insight into psychological problems, and how they affect unique regions of the brain. I think our society needs to start scanning the brain more often. We punish people and throw them in prisons without looking at their brains, and do not bother to help them recover.
  
  I recommend this book to anyone that gives a damn about their brain, and wants it to function at a higher level. There are very helpful tips that pertain to everyone and those with unique circumstances.
• 
  Kathryn Patterson

  First, my disclaimers:
  
  1. I did not read the entire book cover to cover. I used this book as a reference book to look up information.
  
  2. I really give the book three and a half stars, but I'm not sure how to show that on GoodReads.
  
  A few months ago, I read an article on line about ANTS - automatic negative thoughts - and how they plague (mostly) women. As I read the article, I saw myself, my friends, and my family in the descriptions of how these ANTS infect the brain with negativity and self-doubt.
  
  So I began to research the phenomena, and stumbled across this book while looking for a different book. "Magnificent Mind at Any Age" shows how the physical structures of the brain reflect our lives in terms of damage, and how that damage in turn effects our lives. By breaking this circle of negative reinforcement, we can make our lives better.
  
  As one of the ways to improve your thinking, the author discusses ANTS and how to deal with them. But he also covers lots of other areas in which a person can improve their brain.
  
  I only gave the book three and a half stars because I cannot justify a higher score without reading more of the book. And because what I read leaves me with the nagging suspicious that the author somehow gets a kickback from people who sell fish oil supplements.
  
  But if you are looking to improve your mind and are willing to take fish oil pills, then this is definitely the book for you.
• 
  Heydi Smith

  This is the perfect book on brain health and how essential it is to optimizing our health and living to our full potential. I will be reading this book over and over for sometime. Applying a new tip to my life each time. I will be recommending this book to all my friends as I want them to all live happy, healthy lives and the tips in here can help them do this.
  
  I’ve read all of Dr. Amen’s books and each seem to get better than the last. So far, this and his Brain Warrior book are my favorites. The Brain Warrior Cookbook that he wrote with his wife is also fantastic. I want to try all of the recipes in it and plan to do so over time. Also, they have free YouTube videos on health and recipes.
  
  I told my husband I want this book in every available format - cd, book, and download. :)
  
  If I had money I would go visit Dr. Amen myself but I can only imagine how expensive such a visit would be being that he is so renowned. I will be happy with the advice from his books which is all pretty similar, so I think it’s safe to say, is probably similar to the advice he would give me in person.
• 
  Julie

  Totally fascinating book. My favorite class in college was Brain and Behavior-- and this would have made the class even better if it had been out then! The human mind is so amazing, and he explains it in simplified terms for people like me:) He fills out the connections between our behaviors and feelings, and the physiology of the brain. After reading this, I came away with the desire to be a lot less judgmental of people struggling with any sort of mental problem (anxiety, depression, and even more extreme behaviors) and a lot more hope for myself that I can literally change my brain and overcome some of my own obstacles (ie, major anxiety-- maybe someday I will get on an airplane again!!!)
  
  One note-- he does push some natural supplements (which don't seem too extreme)and is not opposed at all to modern medications (ie. anti-depressants). But I can imagine that some people would read this and then just go out and start using the natural supplements without medical help and guidance. I think when it comes to your brain-- you need to find a doctor who is open to natural medicine (and understands it), and knows how to use other types of medication as well.
• 
  Peter Galamaga

  Fantastic explanation of how the brain works with concrete examples of how certain specific behaviors can be directly traced to certain parts of the brain. Dr. Amen explains the many ways that injury, diet, exercise, habits etc. impact brain health and thus quality of life.
  Some reviews charge that this book is an advertisement for Dr. Amen's products and services. I did not see this AT ALL. While he does allude to these things, in no way did I get the sense that I was being told that the only answer was to buy things from Amen Clinics.
• 
  Amy

  This book was recommended to me and did not disappoint. Part of me said "I know that," but the truth is that while I may know what is good for my brain I don't always act that way. His program (not quite an infomercial....) was aired during the KCTS PBS pledge drive this year. Don't just read the book, act on it!
• 
  Jennifer Gamboa

  I saw Dr. Amen on PBS, I believe. He was amazing so I went and bought his book. I also do his meditations and brain games and music series on his website. Everything has been of great benefit to me and my family.
• 
  Helen

  Great book for learning how to protect your brain, as well as lots of excellent tips for parents. One such tip is for children under two to avoid television so their speech can develop to full potential. Chapter 6 deals with ADD and Dr. Amen is honest about dealing with this in his own family. Also interesting were some the causes of chronic insomnia that surprised me, such as asthma medications.
  
  Another concern for children is watching the same movie over and over. Once a child has seen a movie, there is little suspense or thought about what happens next. Repetitive watching turns out to be a no-brain activity.
  
  Never reading to a child is a bad brain habit. Children need new learning to expand their brains and they learn best in an enriched environment. The more active parents and caregivers are in encouraging reading and education, the more children will see learning as a lifelong value. New learning throughout life is thought to be a major preventive factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
  
  Trying to hold Kaitlyn when she was a year old was like trying to hold a live salmon.
  
  
• 
  Semra Özçelik

  İnsan tutum ve davranışlarının beyindeki bölümlerle bu kadar net ilişkilendirildiği bir kitap hiç okumamıştım. Beynimizdeki her bir bölümün işlevi ve bu bölümlere nasıl iyi bakabileceğimize dair bilgiler edindiğim faydalı bir okuma oldu.
  
  Kitapta bana biraz fazla gelen; takviye gıdalar, ilaçlar, beyin spect detayları gibi kısımlar da vardı ancak bunlar genel anlatımın önüne geçmiyor. Kitapta genel olarak Dr. Daniel Amen'in deneyimleri üzerinden beynin gücü ve kapasitesi bilimsel kaynaklara dayandırılarak anlatılıyor. Kitapta her bir bölüm arkada kabarık bir referans listeyle desteklenmiş. Bu anlamda kaynak olarak da kullanılabilecek bir kitap.
  
  Kitabın en keyif aldığım kısmı 2. yarısı oldu. Burada arka planda farkında olmadan otomatik olarak dönen düşüncelerimiz ve bunların etkilerine yer verilmiş. Ayrıca çeşitli farkındalık çalışmaları ve uygulanabilecek pratikler de mevcut.
  
  "Ne yazık ki düşüncelerinize meydan okumazsanız hepsine doğruymuş gibi inanırsınız."
• 
  Theresa Hildebrand

  
  So much great information jam packed into these pages. Having listened to the audio book, I know that this would have been better to have in print so that I could go back & re-read certain sections. Despite the overwhelming amount of information, I did find a few good take-aways.
• 
  Debra Harley

  "Passionate living is the soul of success and the hallmark of a magnificent mind." The synchronicity of reading this book now is amazingly helpful for me. Contains many helpful tools just about anyone can use whether they have the same interest in brain health as I do or not.
• 
  D.C.

  I love the breakdown of the various types of ADHD and the specific descriptions of anxiety and depression. He truly explains the brain in a way I can see, although I am listening to the audio version.
• 
  M T

  There's a lot of really interesting information in this. My only complaint is that I really think that information would have easily fit into a pamphlet or small book, I started to feel like he was talking just to fill space. So I would recommend reading it with the intent of skipping around.
• 
  Aimee

  Very interesting listen! Liked it so much to look into other info from Dr. Amen.
• 
  Ceanlia Vermeulen

  Dr Amen is brilliant!!!
  He not only helped me understand the students I’m working with but also myself.
• 
  Debbie

  It seems like all of these books say the same thing - even use the same stories.
• 
  Tess Mertens-Johnson

  My 78 year old father who still runs his lumber business is having memory issues. He is seeing a neurologist and is working hard to retain his memory.
  I find myself at 52 not remembering like I used to at home, work, and in general life.
  I saw this book in the library and read it cover to cover. I have a practical medical education, and I thought many of his suggestions to be a help for my father and myself.
  Nutrition, excursive, cognitive exercise and supplements in areas of need are beneficial to my age. My father, they can help but not in the degree I can due to his age.
  Dr. Amen suggested over the counter supplements as a fast an inexpensive way to try to stabilize the body chemistry prior to prescription medications. The reader can take these suggestions and look for results.
  He scans the brains of patients that come to him for brain activity to find the portion of the brain that is slow or lacking function.
  I found the book interesting and got some ideas to try for my father and myself. You don't have to have a medical background to understand and try his suggestions.
  
• 
  Chas Tomac

  This book covers the mind and ways to keep it healthy. The author feels aerobics and omega 3 fish oil go a long way in keeping your mind healthy. He discusses MRI's and SPECT images of the brain which reveal dark patterns in damaged brains. He compares before and after treatment images which reveal the brain repairing itself through proper treatment. This treatment usually starts with natural methods, exercise and proper diet, abstaining from alcohol and nicotine than leads to prescriptions if improvement is not shown.
  Other interesting points discussed concern mental hang-ups in the general populace. Many problems develop as people are growing up in environments that don't promote a healthy life style. The author contends that many marital problems are a result of how the persons childhood was developed, under what kind of circumstances.
  This is a easy read and very informative.
  
• 
  Ben

  This book is very specific in its medical orientation. It covers lots of things that can damage your brain, then deals with what cognitive effects thhat damage yeilds (depression, temper, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc) and using brain scans analyzes how each of the maladies can be treated herbally and medically, and specifically how each drug or herb reverses the damage or lack of activity in the area of the brain affected.
  
  I was blown away by how much science there was behind the research, and how detailed it became. Probably a little over the top for a light self-help read unless you or a loved one suffers from a mental malady. But it was very informative. He also covers a great deal of listening and coping skills, and talks about things you can do as preventative maintenance.
• 
  Lily

  Really liked this book. It was a wealth of information! I have to say that I enjoyed it much more listening to it on audio cds. Got a lot more out of it that way. However, I did go and buy the book to keep as a reference guide. I had initially picked this book, because I liked the title, and was fascinated with the brain. It has been much more than that. I didn't realize how many tips and information was within this book for development of the brain from childhood to adulthood. I learned that in maintaining a healthy brain, it was very much dependent on stimuli in our environment down to the food we ate. In my personal mission to learn more Alzheimers, this book turned out to be very helpful. Definitely recommend this book!
• 
  Kevin Chavis

  Our society tends to not pay attention to the brain. Yet we expend about a quarter of our energy maintaining it! We know so little about it and yet it does so many amazing things.
  
  This book also gave me insight into psychological problems, and how they affect unique regions of the brain. I think our society needs to start scanning the brain more often. We punish people and throw them in prisons without looking at their brains, and do not bother to help them recover.
  
  I recommend this book to anyone that gives a damn about their brain, and wants it to function at a higher level. There are very helpful tips that pertain to everyone and those with unique circumstances.
• 
  Nicole

  It was an interesting read. He suggests good and perhaps obvious solutions to many problems... but it's neat to hear about how problems are associated with underperforming areas of the brain.
  
  I started to feel like I wasn't going to take much out of the book though. He has lots of great ideas, but I don't think I'm going to implement them... such as writing down my negative thoughts in order to deconstruct them.
  
  I really appreciated his take on people with very negative behaviours, and how those behaviours can just be associated with an unhealthy brain. It's nice to see someone explain negative behaviours in a logical way for those who might just see "bad people".