Interesting review of brain research and what it tells us about keeping our brains in shape. The epilogue gives a pretty good review of the information detailed in the rest of the book. At times,though, I felt like the author was writing for popular magazines (O, Cosmo, etc.) and by throwing in a few "may"s and "could"s, added a few more bits of advice that "may" not be borne out by the current research. Enjoyed the read. Easy to understand. ( )

Goodness knows, I'll take whatever help I can get.

Well written. Restak has the credentials to write on the topic and demonstrates that he is knowledgeable. Admittedly, the bottom line of a healthy diet, exercise, and mental activity is fairly common sense. ( )

Restak has definitely done the research on this book. He presents not only the brain diet ("if it's good for your heart, it's good for your brain"), but also various exercises to keep the memory and adaptability your brain has and even to improve it. Unfortunately, none of the exercises are particularly exciting and I can't see myself doing most of them with any regularity. He does talk a bit about video games, but in sort of conflicting ways--"here are all the great things you can get from them" vs. "don't spend more than an hour three times a week on them or you could suffer negative effects."

Still, the book is definitely worth reading, especially inasmuch he talks about the correlation between dementia and various activities/lack of activities. The various studies are also really interesting, if that's your bag (and it is definitely mine). Unlike many things you'll run across that are based on "junk science," this book is very specific about which things are factual and which are still speculative. ( )