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The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (James H. Silberman Books) | 
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Author: Norman Doidge
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $7.01 (44%)
New (45) Used (20) from $7.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  84 reviews
Sales Rank: 407
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2
ISBN: 0143113100
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.8
EAN: 9780143113102
ASIN: 0143113100
Publication Date: December 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, IN-HOUSE READY TO SHIP!!! NOT A BARGAIN, REMAINDER OR BOOKCLUB BOOK!!! WE ARE A 5 STAR SELLER.
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Product Description
An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives theyve transformed. From stroke patients learning to speak again to the remarkable case of a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, The Brain That Changes Itself will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 79 more reviews...
 The Brain that Changes Itself August 18, 2008
This is a fantastic book - well written and easy to read and understand; great case studies;a must for anyone with any interest in the brain; anyone who has aged parents or friends and is looking for some help in understanding how to keep the brain alert or even how to reconfigure it!
 Important about the brain August 10, 2008
Very interesting and instructing about the wonderful brain we've got.
A must for all therapists around the world.
 Fascinating topic, dull book August 8, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of Oliver Sacks, and a fellow Sacks fan recommended this book. But in my humble opinion, Doidge makes his fascinating subject amazingly dull. I agree with another reviewer who said this book reads like a sales pitch. The personal stories are rambling, repetitive, and unscientific. I left my half-read copy on an airplane to lighten my carry-on luggage.
appears to be a sales pitch August 7, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I am, and always have been, fascinated by the brain, and the plasticity of the brain is nothing new. This idea has come up in many books about the brain over the past several years, and is pretty much common knowledge. I find the author contradicts himself in several places, making the point of the plasticity of the brain in one part, then stating the old behaviorists' mantra, basically, you are the product of your upbringing (I think this is contradictory because people are flexible enough to become the person they choose to become, not that they are destined to become something because they had a bad childhood). I'm halfway through the book, and it seems to me the author has the goal of pushing Fast ForWord and the products from Posit Science. With a little research, one can find both companies were founded by Dr. Merzenich, and they are very costly. The Fast ForWord program is only available to schools for a hefty sum, and the brain exercises by Posit Science cost $400 for one user (that was the least expensive version). If people suffering from autism, Asberger's, and other spectrum disorders, could be helped by these kinds of programs, don't you think they would be made more affordable in order to help as many families as possible? I think the book, The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, sums it up (although unintentionally)on page 234: "...the month after the Science publication (in 1996), Merzenich (et al)...raised enough private financing to form Scientific Learning Corp., the first company dedicated to making money from neuroplasticity." Merzenich-and his research and products- is nearly the main focus of the book. That is why I think this book is just another sales pitch for a high-priced program. Apparently only the wealthy should be helped, perhaps? Or maybe this is another way to prey on the fears of the elderly, those who fear dementia.
Amazing Brain August 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a special education teacher this book has been an amazing eye-opener to helping anyone learn new skills, especially adults. But teaching learning disabled students and otherwise impaired children brings a lot of insight into what this book is all about. I loved it and plan to reread it, taking notes as I go. There is a lot that can be done, clearly, and we can never think that someone is limited in what he can learn.
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