IMS Magazine - Summer 2012 edition in PDF format - Institute of ...

BOOK REVIEWS
Book Reviews
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Worth missing a day at the lab Try to squeeze in between experiments Wait for the weekend Wait until degree is complete
Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske, with Liz Neporent
The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies
Great Minds Use to Achieve Success
Da Capo Press, 2011; 240 pages
In the creative collaboration between
clinical psychologist Jeff Brown and
cognitive neuroscientist Mark Fenske, the
book The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds
Use to Achieve Success combines cutting-edge
neuroscientific research with well-established
cognitive-behavioural psychological strategies
to reveal how highly successful brains function.
The authors give practical guidance to enhance
cognitive performance and to allow the reader to
achieve unique, personal ideas of success.
The Winner’s Brain starts by taking the reader
through an engaging tour of the history of neuroscience
and a brief overview about what we
currently know about the inner workings of the
human brain.
The authors then reveal the importance of neuroplasticity,
which is defined in the book as the
neurocircuitry changes that occur with every experience,
and using this to take control of your
brain “in order to position yourself to achieve
your goals and dreams.” According to Fenkse, in
a recent communication with the IMS Magazine,
“The saying ‘old dogs can’t learn new tricks’ is obviously
wrong.”
The Winner’s Brain outlines five “Brain Power
Tools” that all Winning Brains have in common:
the Opportunity Radar (knowing which opportunity
will lead to success and which will not), the
Optimal Risk Gauge (calibrating a risk threshold
to decide whether or not a chance is worth taking),
the Goal-Laser (intentionally and deliberately
taking steps to accomplish important goals),
the Effort Accelerator (keeping motivated), and
the Talent Meter (knowing your strengths and
weaknesses). All of these Brain Power Tools can
be strengthened by strategies termed “Win Factors,”
which include Self-Awareness, Motivation,
Focus, Emotional Balance, Memory, Resilience,
Adaptability, and Brain Care.
These tools and strategies are derived from highly
complex concepts in neuroscience and cognitivebehavioural
psychology that are not easily translated
into a language accessible for individuals outside
of these fields. However, Brown and Fenske,
ably assisted by health-writer Liz Neporent, master
this feat of knowledge translation with playful
and clear writing that offers an adequate foundation
in science (highlighting applicable pieces of
information), step-by-step instructions on how
to master change, and interviews conducted with
individuals with a range of real-life success stories.
Some inspirational stories of success include
interviews from Trisha Meili (also known as the
Central Park Jogger), Kerri Strug (gymnastics
Olympian), Kevin Clash (Sesame Street’s ‘Elmo’),
Andy (a London Black Cab driver), Camille Mc-
Donald (Bath & Body Works’ President of Brand
Development), and one of Fenske’s most inspirational
interviews, B.B. King (Blues guitar legend).
Fenske states that when he and his colleagues
were writing the book, they wanted to include
“real world examples of people and the science in
action, exemplifying the science and research behind
each [particular Win Factor].” Fenske went
on to tell us about his interview with B.B. King,
in which B.B. King “talked about humble beginnings,
being very poor, and how being a black
artist was full of challenges when he started out.”
Fenske heard the “resilience and dedication of
[B.B. King] pushing through time after time, and
how he had the mental strategies at [the beginning
of his career] that he still uses as a performing artist,
such as practicing and constantly and continually
working on himself and what he does.”
As this book is about translating the complex
concept of neuroplasticity into easily accessible
terms for many audiences, B.B. King’s interview,
amongst many others, “illustrates how the brain
is constantly changing and that each of us can be
proactive by taking part in how our brain changes
over the course of a lifetime.” Fenske reflected on
what he has come to know about neuroscience
and said, “This is a message of hope…We don’t
just have to settle with what we are or what we can
do at any point in time.”
The Winner’s Brain is a valuable combination of
expertise of neuroscience and clinical practice.
And Fenske added, “The book benefitted tremendously
from interactions with students, which facilitated
discussion and helped in brainstorming
ways that [this knowledge] can be translated into
a language that anyone can use.” Fenske cleverly
pointed out that there are “more than just scientists
who can use this new knowledge to increase
their Brain Power in their day-to-day lives.”
Column by Brittany N. Rosenbloom
27 | IMS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2012 GENOMIC MEDICINE