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Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain | 
| Author: John J. Ratey
Creator: Eric Hagerman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $13.41
You Save: $11.58 (46%)
Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 1606
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0316113506
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.76
EAN: 9780316113502
ASIN: 0316113506
Publication Date: January 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Book, ALL days Low Price !
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...
 Making the Connection January 5, 2009
Busy Mom (Larkspur, CA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
 Deep But Interesting January 4, 2009
Susy Billings (Kansas City, MO United States)
This book was a bit on the challenging side to comprehend (for me), but I liked it. NOTE: I'm just personally not all that familiar on a daily basis with terms (and understanding) of hypothalamus, pituitary, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, etc. These terms and others were used frequently which stilted my ease-of-comprehension as I was reading. So be aware that this book may not be a "quick" read.
In the book's defense, I have to admit that I have probably become over-conditioned to today's standards of writing to the general population's 8th grade level.
I do plan to go back and read it again in the near future, because I recognize there are valuable points; i.e., strong reasons, to use as ammunition (good ammunition) to get one's self motivated to exercise. TIP: When I do go back to read it, I will go to the glossary first to review the definitions; I think that will help tremendously.
Scientific Proof to back up our anecdotal observations December 26, 2008
Wayne Botha (South Windsor, CT, USA)
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...
Why putting you and your fitness first is good for everyone - family, job and friends December 20, 2008
Robert Rowntree (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
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