An interesting book overall with a lot of good information about how to keep a focused, healthy brain.

The most interesting part of the book to me was where he describes how the various parts of the brain affect one's mood, including one's sexual drive (or lack thereof) and the foods you can eat and habits you can cultivate to help them function properly. My least favorite part was his section on identifying personality disorders -- mainly because with each section I started wondering if he was describing me.... (I hear that's normal when reading these kinds of books, but it's no less disconcerting.)

One of the things that struck me while reading this book is making your brain (and therefore your sex life!) healthier isn't really all that different from making your body healthier overall. Basically: Exercise regularly, eat right, avoid junk food and unnecessary drugs. Granted there's a little more to it than just that, especially if you have some physical or emotional trauma, but it's a good place to start.

My biggest criticism is that the author seems to view things a little too much from his specialist point of view. Looking at your behavior as a function of your brain activity (or lack of activity) is certainly useful and beneficial from time to time. But I would argue that it's just as good not to think too much about whether one's brain is working properly, lest it become an obsession.

And of course, I believe that looking at the physical is only half of the equation. I do think that there is a metaphysical ingredient as well. (I understand the argument that metaphysical feelings, such as those that we have with regard to "free will" or possessing a "soul," could themselves be a trick of the brain, but if that's the case, why fight it? Clearly our brains think such metaphysical feelings are beneficial to us, and evolution has equipped us with such brains, so embracing those feelings must be a good thing, right?) I enjoy thinking about chicken-and-egg problems such as: Are decisions made by activity in the brain or does brain activity occur because decisions are made? Regardless, where does the decision or activity originate? Does a brain that is functioning properly make "right" or "good" decisions, or even "more correct" and "better" decisions on average? And so on... ( )

Interesting, but I wonder...
Recently there have been stories about using oxytocin spray to heal broken relationships. Hmm. It could work, I suppose, but it think doing a load of laundry might be better overall. Or perhaps just touching one another.
This book talks about brain chemicals and how they affect emotions. Since we understand so very little about the brain anyway (hey, I have MS and they have no idea how to work with that), and the medications they use for depression and other brain disorders work in unpredictable and undefined ways and also seem to really mess with so many other things, I found the good doctor's recommendations a bit scary.
I love reading about the brain. I hate the idea that taking a pill that alters brain chemistry is the solution to everything. ( )