Brain Rules

12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

By: John J. Medina

Narrated by: John J. Medina

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Most of us have no idea what's really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know - such as the brain's need for physical activity to work at its best. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget - and so important to repeat - new information? Is it true that men and women have different brains?

In Brain Rules, molecular biologist Dr. John Medina shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule - what scientists know for sure about how our brains work - and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.

Medina's fascinating stories and sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You'll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You'll peer over a surgeon's shoulder as he finds, to his surprise, that we have a "Jennifer Aniston neuron". You'll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can't tie his own shoes.

Visit brainrules.net/dvd to view videos mentioned in the book.

©2008 John J. Medina (P)2008 Pear Press

Excellent and informative book!

Loved this book. Very interesting listen on how the brain works. Learned some valuable techniques on the best way to arrange my studying to be the most effective.

Loved the material, hated the narrator

Would you listen to Brain Rules again? Why?

It is very useful information on how the brain works, which I find fascinating.

What other book might you compare Brain Rules to and why?

Spark is one that comes to mind as it deals with Brain science.

What didn’t you like about John J. Medina’s performance?

His vocal inflections at times were really annoying, almost whining.

Insightful, though a bit long winded

I found the book to be overall interesting, and insightful. Though the end examples on the author's examples of how he wished different models would work sometimes seemed to be there just to fill up the book.
Though some of the information is common knowledge, the author does give a clearer view of some of the information, and does so in an entertaining way. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to step into learning about the way they work, it's worth it.

Fascinating and Thoroughly Interesting

Where does Brain Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is definitely in the top 3 position of the best audiobooks I've listened to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I guess that would be Dr. Medina.

What about John J. Medina’s performance did you like?

His voice is immediately interesting to listen to, and doesn't tire you - quite the opposite, his voice is animated and jolly. It feels like your older uncle or wise grandfather is talking to you in his living room.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at the stories, and cried at my own counterproductivity.

Any additional comments?

The book is very heavy on the Darwinian Evolution presuppositions. If that bothers you, it may be best to skip it. If you can stomach that it's still a very fascinating read, definitively pointing to a Creator if you're willing to see it.

Interesting, lots to think about.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If that freind were interested in brain science, psychology or learning I certainly would.

What three words best describe John J. Medina’s voice?

talks too fast --but with Audible, I simply slowed down the narrator speed and it was perfect. One more reason to love Audible.

What did you learn from Brain Rules that you would use in your daily life?

since I am involved in influencing people, it may prove very useful.

Must read for any trainer or educator

What did you love best about Brain Rules?

Medina explains the science of learning: how long a trainer has to get the message across to her audience. The book addresses how to feed information to an audience in a way that an individual's brain will not shut down and their attention drifts away. Medina explains with analogies and stories what is happening in the human brain to process information. He debunks several myths like left and right brain and "multitasking." This information is really helpful in planning a presentation to help the audience learn. He takes a topic which could be very technical and difficult to process and breaks it into easy to follow pieces.

What did you like best about this story?

His use of stories to explain highly technical information.

Such fun!!

I love all of the ‘Brain Rules’ books. The author has such an amazing passion for the brain and he relates it with humor and compassion while backing it with science and studies. I’m hooked!

Very enjoyable

My knowledge on science is minuscule, so some parts I didn’t understand. That’s because I wanted to make it relatable. Through no fault of the book.

A most useful & entertaining book. Best this yr.?

Where does Brain Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I read / listen to a lot of books on the subject and am constantly irritated buy the authors who write about the same major studies and appear to have the depth of a google search, so I very much appreciated that Brain Rules is written and read by a grumpy scientist who comments on and includes only double blind studies, because everything else that is included in other "popular" books is just snake oil.

What other book might you compare Brain Rules to and why?

"Thinking Fast and Slow". Because it's a science based book that questions what we perceive as reality.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Your brain is busy and fills in the spaces with what it expects. But what you expect isn't always what happened.

Any additional comments?

John J. Medina --- has put together well thought out chapters that come across like that rare teacher who is fascinated by the subject and wants to share both the material and fascination with you.The Book and audio book have links to chapter reviews and Videos.

Very interesting and informative

If you could sum up Brain Rules in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, informative, and insightful

What was one of the most memorable moments of Brain Rules?

Finding out that our classrooms and businesses are set up in ways that make our brains less efficient.

Which scene was your favorite?

Learning about how our brains learn and the optimal conditions for learning.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No