Healthy Brain, Happy Life

A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better

By: Wendy Suzuki, Billie Fitzpatrick

Narrated by: Wendy Suzuki

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

A neuroscientist transforms the way we think about our brains, our health, and our personal happiness in this clear, informative, and inspiring guide - a blend of personal memoir, science narrative, and immediately useful takeaways that bring the human brain into focus as never before, revealing the powerful connection between exercise, learning, memory, and cognitive abilities.

Nearing 40, Dr. Wendy Suzuki was at the pinnacle of her career. An award-winning university professor and world-renowned neuroscientist, she had tenure, her own successful research lab, prestigious awards, and international renown.

That was when, to celebrate her birthday, she booked an adventure trip that forced her to wake up to a startling reality: despite her professional success, she was overweight, lonely, and tired and knew that her life had to change. Wendy started simply - by going to an exercise class. Eventually she noticed an improvement in her memory, her energy levels, and her ability to work quickly and move from task to task easily. Not only did Wendy begin to get fit, but she also became sharper; she had more energy, and her memory improved. Being a neuroscientist, she wanted to know why.

What she learned transformed her body and her life. Now it can transform yours.

Wendy discovered that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. With exercise, your body feels more alive, and your brain actually performs better. Yes - you can make yourself smarter. In this fascinating book, Suzuki makes neuroscience easy to understand, interweaving her personal story with groundbreaking research and offering practical, short exercises - four-minute Brain Hacks - to engage your mind and improve your memory and your ability to learn new skills and function more efficiently.

Taking us on an amazing journey inside the brain as never before, Suzuki helps us unlock the keys to neuroplasticity that can change our brains, or bodies, and ultimately our lives.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2015 Wendy Suzuki (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Really enjoyed the book

I enjoyed the book; as a scientist and couch potato, I found the book informative.

Technical too technical and story too anecdotal

From the title, I thought I'd get an individualized program based on research, but the book was about how exercise and meditation slowly changed a fat jerk into a fit and happier person.

The technical information seemed to be mostly about which parts of the brain were activate when. Without illustrations (at least in the audio version) I couldn't follow which specific parts of the brain were which (and I've taken physiology.)

The proof reading was good, and I did listen to the whole story, but I didn't find the useful information about healthy brains very dense.

More Personal than Scientific

Good book but felt like it was autobiography. I was expecting more science based information.

great book. easy to listen. everyone should learn

this book is not my normal genre but I loved it. i tried several others but this is the one i needed. I'm in mid 30s and have struggled with life long on n off again depression. when I'm not depressed I'm happy energetic and friendly and when I am depressed I am a miserable human being and it causes all kinds of problems in my relationships and career and weight gain. I realized I needed to understand my brain get of of this roller coaster. I know the amount of exercise i get, my weight and general mental well being are related in my history but is cause of release from depression from exercise or is the increase in exercise caused by the lift from depression? are they even related? and decided to learn more about my brain to avoid future depressive episodes. I think this book has given me not only the tools I need to meet that goal but the motivation as well. I learned about the relationship between my brain and exercise as well as so much more 'stuff' that I just know will improve my overall quality of life for the rest of my life! this book is a game changer! if u want to be happier, smarter and healthier get this book asap. thank u so much Wendy!!!!

Healthy brain happy life

Very informative and I now am starting my own physical fitness routine....I like the advice to start slow.

Great Audiobook

quite insightful and enjoyable !!!!!

Don't give up and you will get some great life lessons out of this book. The first few chapters can start to get a little too technical for some but if you can get through that part the rest will help you path yoyr own path to personal enlightenment. First audio book i was able to complete all the way through.

Thank you Wendy Suzuki

Great for understanding concepts

Great book for basic understanding of ideas and some practical techniques. Enjoyable and informative, not a self help guide style of book.

Create the Best You Possible

Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist creates a blueprint of a energetic and zesty life. She uses herself as the “lab rat” and her honesty shines a light straight to the heart. This book helped me reboot my life. Thank you!

I can feel her passion for her work and her life!

I really enjoyed Wendy reading her own book. You can tell she is very excited about what she has to say. I stumbled upon Wendy after googling running and health, or exercise and the brain. I was writing a paper for my Psychology class and was stuck in a rut. My mind just couldn't focus on and one topic and not one topic really actually jumped out to me as "this is it!" So I went for a run. Came back felt amazing and that was when I googled. I listened to a few different Ted Talks but when I watched Wendy's talks, I thought I NEEDED to learn more from her. Wendy has steered my passion for psychology, my love for exercise and own beliefs that exercise makes people happy intro high gear! I read this book (she read it to me) and plan to listen again to catch the things I have left out. I enjoy that she doesn't just stay on the surface of exercise and health of the brain but she dives into the physiology of brain functionality. Wendy helped me emphasize my hunch about what had changed in my brain and I earned and A on my paper! I definitely recommend this for everyone!

One big thank you!

Very enlightening and a must read for anyone looking for a change and can not figure it out.