November 15, 2016
In 1888, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in Twilight of the Idols: "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." Neuroscientist and trained clinical psychologist Robertson (T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Scientist, Ctr. for BrainHealth, Univ. of Texas at Dallas; The Winner Effect) is a young graduate when he first comes across this line in 1974. Throughout his career, this maxim comes back to him while he studies attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, spatial neglect, and biofeedback. As a neuropsychologist, the author becomes interested in lateralization of brain functions. What he aims to determine is how the brain and mind interact and help us rise to life's stressful events and continue on stronger. He devotes half a chapter to anger, an emotion that it is taboo to express but can be key in surviving difficulties. Cognitive reserve, which stems from mental challenge and social interactions and protects the brain against dementia, brings the author closer to solving his Nietzschean puzzle. Robertson concludes positively by maintaining that Nietzsche is right, but also that a person's faith in emotional self-control is essential to resilience. VERDICT No easy read, this book is recommended for knowledgeable psychology and neuropsychology enthusiasts.--Maryse Breton, Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 10, 2016
Clinical psychologist and neuroscientist Robertson (The Winner Effect) explores why stress energizes some people and has devastating effects on others in this fascinating treatise on the human mind—something he describes as a malleable object, not hardwired. “If psychological stressors can physically change the brain... surely psychological therapies should be able to do the same,” he writes. Why do some people become energized through anxiety and stress, while other people—often those with a more fixed view of themselves—see difficult situation as indications they aren’t competent, and crumble? It’s how the “software of the mind” combines with the “hardware of the brain,” Robertson says. One key piece of that mix is noradrenaline, a chemical he calls a “natural alerting drug.” It is also a neuromodulator, which strengthens the brain’s ability to form connections and thereby its learning and memory functions. In fact, he believes noradrenaline can be a partial antidote to Alzheimer’s disease, making brain cells less susceptible to damaging amyloid proteins. The author emphasizes, however, that it’s necessary to find the balance between too little and too much stress. Robertson’s enlightening theories on brain chemistry make fascinating food for thought and will help readers see the upside of stress. Agent: Felicity Bryan, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.)