New Book: John Medina's Brain Rules

John Medina's new book, Brain Rules, is now in stores. The book covers 12 things scientists know about the brain and offers revolutionary ideas that will change how we work and learn.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) March 17, 2008 -- Would you wear gym clothes instead of a suit to your next board meeting? Dr. John Medina, renowned molecular biologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, thinks that is exactly what you should do! Why? Because we know that exercise boosts brain power (Brain Rule #1). In the February issue of Harvard Business Review, Medina outlines a brain-friendly workplace where board meetings are conducted on treadmills and desks are equipped with stationary bicycles. Medina says, "In a competitive climate, exercise is as close to a magic productivity bullet as you'll get." The magazine has selected Medina's work on exercise as one of its "breakthrough ideas for 2008."

In a competitive climate, exercise is as close to a magic productivity bullet as you'll get.

Medina's breakthrough work doesn't stop there. He combines all the latest research on the brain's "performance envelope" with real-world ideas of how we can change the way we work and learn in "Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School" (Pear Press/Perseus Books Group; $29.95), the Pear Press debut title and film for 2008.

In each chapter, he describes a brain rule--what scientists know for sure about how our brains work, presents the science supporting each, and then offers ideas for how the rules might apply to everything we do, especially in our workplace and schools. Medina's passion for brain science is contagious. The book is packed full of fascinating stories, enlightening case studies, and humor, making it accessible to all of us. A helpful summary of each brain rule is included at the end of each chapter.

Along the way you'll discover:

• The brain is a survival organ. It is designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment and to do so in nearly constant motion (to keep you alive long enough to pass your genes on). There is no greater anti-brain environment than the classroom and cubicle.
• Multi-tasking is a myth. Research shows your error rate goes up 50% and it takes you twice as long to do things. Walk into any office and you'll see people sending e-mail, answering their phones, Instant Messaging, and on MySpace--all at the same time. Research shows your error rate goes up 50% and it takes you twice as long to do things.
• It takes years to consolidate a memory. What you learned in first grade is not completely formed until your sophomore year in high school! Medina's dream school is one that repeats what was learned, not at home, but during the school day, 90-120 minutes after the initial learning occurred.
• Taking a nap at 3PM might make you more productive. In one study, a 26-minute nap improved NASA pilots' performance by 34 percent. Sleeping is powerfully linked with the ability to learn.
• Stress damages virutally ever kind of cognition that exists. You have one brain. The same brain you have at home is the same brain you have at work or school. The stress you are experiencing at home will affect your performance at work, and vice versa.
• Men and women have very different brains. When researcher Larry Cahill showed them slasher films, men fired up the amygdale in their brain's right hemisphere, which is responsible for the gist of an event. Their left was comparatively silent. Women lit up their left amygdale, the one responsible for details. Having a team that simultaneously understood the gist and details of a given stressful situation helped us conquer the world.
• It is so easy to forget--and so important to repeat new knowledge. In partnership with the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University, Medina tested Brain Rules in real classrooms of 3rd graders. They were asked to repeat their multiplication tables in the afternoons. The classrooms in the study did significantly better than the classrooms that did not have the repetition. If brain scientists get together with teachers and do research, we may be able to eliminate need for homework since learning would take place at school, instead of the home.

Medina has put all his research into "Brain Rules," a user-friendly guide which Publishers Weekly attests "should engage all readers." For clips of the Brain Rules DVD, YouTube videos, excerpts from the audio book and more, visit the Brain Rules Web site.

About the Author:
Dr. John J. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and research consultant. Medina holds joint affiliate faculty appointments at Seattle Pacific University, where he is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research, and at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in its Department of Bioengineering. In addition, Medina was the founding director of the Talaris Research Institute, a Seattle-based research center originally focused on how infants encode and process information at the cognitive, cellular, and molecular levels.

In addition to Brain Rules, Medina's books include: The Genetic Inferno, The Clock of Ages, Depression, What You Need to Know About Alzheimer's, The Outer Limits of Life, Uncovering the Mystery of AIDS, and of Serotonin, Dopamine and Antipsychotic Medications. Medina is also the regular "Molecules of the Mind" contributing columnist for Psychiatric Times. He lives in Seattle with his wife and sons.

About Pear Press:
Pear Press is a small publisher that publishes big books. We plan to publish no more than one book every year or two because it takes time to deliver quality content.

We believe books are still important in the 21st century. We strive to combine the best of old-world publishing and new-world media. Our mission is to maximize the reach of our content around the world, and so the content takes many forms: printed book, audio book, film, e-book, video, blog, Web tutorial, e-mail newsletter or live presentation by one of our authors.

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