• Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)

  • 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
  • By: John Medina
  • Narrated by: John Medina
  • Length: 8 hrs
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,204 ratings)

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Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)  By  cover art

Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)

By: John Medina
Narrated by: John Medina
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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 - like the need for physical activity to get your brain working 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 knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains? In the New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, 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 infectious 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 proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You’ll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can’t tie his own shoes. You will discover how: Every brain is wired differently. Exercise improves cognition. We are designed to never stop learning and exploring. Memories are volatile. Sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn. Vision trumps all of the other senses. Stress changes the way we learn. In the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works - and how to get the most out of it.

©2014 John J. Medina (P)2014 John J. Medina

Critic reviews

"Dissects the workings of the brain in plain English, explaining its role in the workplace and classroom…a writing style that makes words leap off the page."- ( USA TODAY
"Few people are better qualified to help managers sift through all the hype than John Medina."- Harvard Business Review
"Brain Rules is one of the most informative, engaging, and useful books of our time."- Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen

What listeners say about Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Dear Publishers . . .

Any additional comments?

Dear Publishers,

Please don't allow authors to read their own books. I know that it seems like reading a book would be easy for someone who actually wrote the book, but it almost never works out well. In fact, it usually works out as well as it likely would to have a narrator first author a book before reading it.

At this point, we're accustomed to professional narrators, with their skilled cadence and timing. Unless you're prepared to train an author to do that, please let them stick to what they're good at: writing.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • AJ
  • 09-16-15

On my second read

Would you listen to Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded) again? Why?

I am truly enjoying this book during my commute. This is my second reading and I find I am catching things I missed the first time I listened to the audiobook. At this point I now want to participate in the online exercises, review diagrams and related material. Great work.

What about John Medina’s performance did you like?

He is a terrific reader. His voice is dynamic and engaging. Lots of vocal variety relevant to the topic. Fantastic!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant Book

I found the content interesting and amazing. I'm happy that the book is narrated by John as his enthusiasm and passion for his work and knowledge shines through.

I highly rate this book and also highly recommend Brian Rules for Baby.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Solid contents and enthusiastic narration

As a former researcher, I'm impressed by how the author respects facts. He is honest about how much research has been done on each subject and gives warnings on controversial topics and inconclusive areas under active research. The narration is great. As a sleep-deprived parent of a baby, I still mostly stay awake when listening.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting book; uneven performance

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There are some practical insights, but the content is weighted more heavily toward theory than I had expected. The author displays genuine and palpable enthusiasm for the subject matter that makes the book fun to listen to.

The performance has the usual uneven characteristics that I have come to expect in titles that are read by the author rather than a professional narrator. There are a number of sudden changes in audio quality where a section was obviously re-recorded and spliced in. I got used to it after a while.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not hard to follow w/o having previous knowledge

Need to go back through every chapter for clarity but very easy to follow if have no previous knowledge of brain science. I will apply much of this to school, family, and work. Thank you Dr. Medina.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining and informative

I have listened to and shared this audio book with both family and friends. Everyone agrees this is a very useful and informative book. I recommend it to all.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good book, bad reader.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It's a useful and entertaining book, but unfortunately, the author chose to narrate it himself. Lacking the endurance of a professional narrator, his voice starts to go at Chapter 2. The sound of voice damage is too painful to bear.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Thoroughly enjoyed this insightful book

Very interesting content, delivered with great examples. There are many key take aways. The chapter summaries are helpful and to the point and the authors performance narrating the audiobook keeps you awake and engaged as if listening to a [very insightful] friend.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Met my curiosity about how our brains work.

Being natrated by the author was a good choice in this case. He personalized it very well with intuitive voice inflections at just the right spots. The subject was current and included integrating the modern technological world we know in 2018.

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2 people found this helpful