The Aging Brain

By: Timothy R. Jennings MD

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

While growing older is inevitable, many of the troubles we associate with aging - including dementia, disability, and an increased dependence on others - are not. The choices we make now can help us to maintain our vitality, a sharp mind, and our independence as we age.

Filled with simple, everyday actions we can take to avoid disease, promote vitality, and prevent dementia and late onset Alzheimer's, The Aging Brain is an easy-to-use guide to maintaining brain and body health throughout our lives. Based on solid, up-to-date scientific research, the interventions explained in this book not only prevent progression toward dementia even in those who have already shown mild cognitive impairment, they also reduce disability and depression and keep people living independently longer than those who do not practice these methods.

For anyone hoping to slow the aging process, as well as anyone who acts as a caregiver to someone at risk of or already beginning to suffer from dementia and other age-related diseases, this book offers a hopeful, healthy way forward.

©2018 Mission Audio (P)2018 Mission Audio

Dementia Prevention in 2018

I was interested in this work because of family members' failing health; I have been following this topic for a couple of years and wanted to hear the most current thinking. I found some reiteration of information from earlier books/articles/sites, but also new information added. I liked that each chapter ends with action steps - things you can do now to improve your health. This author does have a strong spiritual/Christian bent, but I would say the spiritual aspect is in addition to a strong scientific premise. I enjoyed the chapters that dealt with faith issues, but I think some readers might not find them as helpful. Overall I found the material very well organized and I felt it was "news I could use," being able to add a few more tools to my prevention toolkit. The narrator was a fine choice for this selection.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Informative and relevant

This book is for everyone even if you don't know anyone with dementia. If you are alive, your brain is aging and this book holds relevant information. It's easy to follow and easy to implement the suggestions.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

RIDICULOUSLY RELIGIOUS!!!

Although this book does a fantastic job with giving guidelines on living a healthy life, designed to avoid dementia and aging, with a wonderful narrator that makes it a pleasure to listen to and makes me excited to try his suggestions- it is SO religious! The author literally argues that it is unhealthy to be atheist and spends several chapters on why you should believe in New testament God and afterlife. What this is doing in a book on dementia is beyond me. I appreciate the advice on having a spiritual grounding and finding ways to relax, but I do not like the Christianity-centric prescriptions. He even cites Dawkins book, The God Delusion, but clearly doesn't see that the underlying point is not about Old Testament God but all religion.

If you are an ardent atheist you will find this difficult to listen to at times. If you're a mainstream Christian you'll probably really like it.

And if this book actually convinces you it is unhealthy to be secular or that all atheists must be existentially depressed, it's not true! Atheists are just as happy and depressed as everyone else. The author cites no research for his arguments to the contrary.

Aging Brain and dementia

I am about 2/3 through the book. I feel like one needs a medical degree to truly understand the meanings that the author is attempting to bring across. I wish that he was sitting with me while the book is being read (audible) because then I could ask what all the acronyms mean that he speaks of and have him go into more detail about the scientific background of different chemicals that he is referring to. I find the book interesting (as far as I can comprehend) but it is frustrating. Also, I am at the point now in the book that I have decided that there really isn't anything left that I can eat or cook unless I just pull it up from the garden or reach into the ocean and just start munching on the nearest fish I can grab on to that won't cause damage to my body and brain. However that being said, I have also decided that "daily fasting' as a permanent activity for the rest of my life probably isn't a viable option, so I think I am doomed to get dementia.

Why do you need to bring religion into the discussion?

Didn’t particularly enjoy the book.
I thought the first half of the book was full of healthy guidelines that you can get from reading any health magazine.
Than there is a full chapter dedicated to faith and god.
The last part of the book (1/4) is interesting but unfortunately not enough to justify listening to the previous 6+ hours.