Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
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Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.76
EAN: 9780316113502
ISBN: 0316113506
Label: Little, Brown and Company
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2008-01-10
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Studio: Little, Brown and Company
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Editorial Reviews:
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A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.
In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Making the Connection
Comment: I was so happy as I read this summary from ParentDigest, when I saw that this book would be explaining the value of exercise not only on our children's bodies, but on their minds. So good to see that someone agrees that physical activity raises children's ability to learn.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and Irritating
Comment: Whatever your problem is, exercise will very likely solve it. Whatever your dream is -- living longer, more energy, better mood, and so on -- exercise will make it come true. There. Now you've read the book.
Well, you haven't quite read it... You will have missed hundreds of pages of dull and mostly irrelevant discussions of brain anatomy, neurotransmitters, and stress physiology. If you sometimes read about science, mood, stress, and so on, you've seen it all before.
I gave this book two stars instead of one. I considered one. If you are thinking about exercising more, it's probably a good idea. This book might inspire you to get off the sofa and head to the gym. It deserves a little credit for that.
The truth is, exercise might improve your mood, increase your intelligence, improve your educational success, cure your ADHD, or solve your addiction problem... Or, it might not. There's one way to find out, which is to try it. Exercise a lot, and stick with the program long enough to find out. Good luck with it.
Recent research does seem to indicate that exercise can improve or cure depression, in some cases, and maybe help solve other problems, too. Don't get too excited, though. Most of this research consists of small studies, rat studies, test tube studies and poorly controlled studies. The "revolution" in exercise research has not yet occurred.
The authors have never seen an exercise study they didn't like. They are enthusiasts and true believers. Drop a nickel in the slot -- what comes out? Big surprise! Exercise! Are there contrary studies? Do some people fail to benefit from exercise, and, if so, why? Are some methods more effective than exercise? Are some exercise studies so flawed that they should be disregarded? You'll never find out from reading this book.
Spark is a hodgepodge of anecdotes, case studies from the author's clinical experience, summaries of scientific studies, commentary from the author and useless physiology lessons that almost every reader will skim or skip. It has no literary coherence, no theoretical or scientific coherence.
Desperate to avoid obesity and diabetes, wishing to live longer, hoping to be more attractive, many people are exercising regularly. That's probably wise. Most people aren't exercising at all. It's probably better to exercise. That's about all you're going to learn from this book
Customer Rating:
Summary: Scientific Proof to back up our anecdotal observations
Comment: I was looking for information to help children with Learning Disabilities. This book provides scientific and medical evidence of the benefits of exercise to reduce stress and improve learning abilities as well as to improve self-confidence and reduce anxiety. All information is easy to read and applicable to average people. Every school teacher, phys-ed teacher, parent and adult should read this book. John J. Ratey, MD is THE EXPERT in this field. Now, I will head over to the treadmill to fire up my brain...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Why putting you and your fitness first is good for everyone - family, job and friends
Comment: This is an exceptional book on why exercise should be the cornerstone of your life.
The only problem is it may be a little "stiff" for the less scientifically inclined. I have a Masters degree in Engineering Physics and I had to step back in key paragraphs to re-read it. Got it, but it sometimes took patience. On the other hand, it also may be a testament to the depth of this book. It would have been nice if there could have been more tables, charts and figures to help examine the material. Instead of text only to describe biochemical mechanism within the body, there should be accompanying drawings. If there were, then it would have been a 5 out 5.
What's astounding about this book is that he gives the reader all the latest, myth busting research right up to the end of 2007. All his evidence will have you no longer saying to your kids "Did you finish your homework, then you can go out to play" but rather "Did you finish your playing outdoors, then you can do your homework". Suffice it to say we were never built to sit at a desk. We haven't changed much since the days of tracking down prey with combinations of walking, jogging and sprinting to make the kill. Yet, most people burn less than 50% of the calories that our ancestors did. This is compounded by our lack of focus on fitness coupled to a sedimentary work life. And I think that is the premise of the book and may be the root cause of all the afflictions he goes on to talk about: kid's poor scores in school, adult and child obesity, dementia, parkinson disease and depression to name a few. He also gives the latest research insights for fitness with number of days, hours and intensity levels that are best. Unfortuately, he doesn't go into details of the how to run, weightlift etc. That I think is for another book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Exercise, the most important thing your life is missing
Comment: Spark explains the burgeoning research into how exercise is one of the key ingredients missing in the modern Western lifestyle. The author uses numerous anecdotal, statistical and research based examples to make a compelling case for improving quality of life during any phase by simply moving.
Depressed? Exercise! Injured? Exercise! Obese? Exercise.
Spark is an important book because the idea that you might just be able to replace your Lexapro prescription with an hour of Dance Dance Revolution per day is hugely important. The idea that your brain chemistry and your ability to feel good is largely based on how much you move is hugely important.
I happened to find Spark about a year into a rejuvenation of my own health through exercise so let me add my own anecdotal evidence - exercise can and did allow me to get through depression, panic attacks and has helped me with what is probably a mild case of ADD or ADHD - conditions I once scoffed at as made up.
Spark is a convincing tome. If it cannot get you to stop popping pills and start exercising ever day, nothing will. I did not give Spark five stars because some of the explanations of how brain chemistry works are a little complex for the general reading public.
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