John Medina

How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

Brain Rules for Baby

Steven Ovadia

I liked that this was rooted in science without being overly clinical. It had a good balance of evidence-based decision-making and more general caring.

Bestselling author Dr John Medina turns his expertise to the professional world, guiding the reader through what brain science and evolutionary biology have to say about topics ranging from office space and work—life balance to power dynamics and work interactions. Medina discusses vital questions to do with the workplace in the time of COVID-19, such as how to keep people interested in a presentation, how to keep oneself engaged in work and the office, and how to be productive — all based on scientific peer-reviewed research. He also covers topics such as why taking breaks in nature during the workday improves productivity; how planning a meeting beforehand makes it more effective; why an open-office plan isn’t a good office plan; how a more diverse team is a more potent team; why talking to co-workers online is so exhausting; why allowing for failure is vital to a company’s success; and much, much more As ever, Medina’s charming descriptions and hilarious anecdotes break the science down to practical applications that every reader can understand and benefit from.

the science of thinking smarter in the office and at home

Brain Rules for Work

Ivaylo Durmonski

The goal of the book is to help us understand how our brains are wired, so we can, hopefully, adjust our behavior for the better and learn new things faster.

John Medina, who is a seemingly well-educated medical consultant, outlines 12 rules that, according to him, govern our brains.

And while there are interesting points about how our brains operate, the writing style feels somehow blunt. It felt like I’m reading a 4th-grade biology textbook.

Which is not that bad if you think about it. After all, he is trying to convey very complex neurological nonsense to an audience formed primarily by people who have no previous experience or knowledge in brain things.

Still, personally, the writing style in the book is not something I can positively grade.

And speaking of audiences, although I don’t believe the book was aimed towards marketers, I’m quite sure that people who operate in the advertising industry can benefit a lot from the text.

By learning how our brains are designed to work, sellers can create more compelling products and increase their profits.

Key takeaway:

Above all, our brains have evolved to help us survive the great outdoors. Nowadays, however, it’s no longer necessary to be a skilled hunter to live another day. It’s more important to become a rational decision-maker. But how do you become such a person? You can start with two things: First, you need to understand that our natural instincts are pushing us towards quick wins that are not always beneficial in our current setting. And second, focus on making learning new things emotionally appealing to you and to others.

Read the full summary:
https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/...

Insructs parents on raising intelligent and emotionally stable children, from newborns to toddlers, by encouraging healthy brain activity and development and debunking traditional and contemporary "brain-boosting" methods.

Ervin Szerdocz

I had higher expectations of this book, but it still delivered for me a good amount.
I especially liked how the book ended, with a recap and a lot of other practical advices. I felt that I can "take some home" towards the end, whereas most of the time the information was just a "filler", converging into a solid point.

Brain Rules for Baby How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

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