The playful brain : the surprising science of how puzzles improve your mind Cover Image

The playful brain : the surprising science of how puzzles improve your mind / Richard Restak ; with puzzles by Scott Kim.

Restak, Richard, 1942- (Author). Kim, Scott. (Added Author).

Summary:

A leading neuroscientist and noted puzzle designer reveal how puzzle solving can improve brain function, discussing the different kinds of memory that are used to solve puzzles, common memory pitfalls, and the benefits of trial-and-error methods on maintaining brain health.

Record details

ISBN: 9781594487774
ISBN: 1594487774
Physical Description: 294 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: New York : Riverhead Books, 2010.

Content descriptions

With Note:	MARCIVE 4/04/11
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-288) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	The art and science of brain enhancement -- Learning to solve puzzles -- Memory -- Working memory: brain juggling -- Long-term memory: imagining the future by remembering the past -- Perception -- Perceptual skill learning: the sommelier and the hockey player -- Visual thinking: seeing, not just looking -- Spatial thinking: the challenge of mental rotation -- Listening: the foley artist and the cocktail party -- Motor skill learning: of mental maps and pickpockets -- Time: clock time vs. brain time -- Cognition -- Thinking in words: the hammer, the saw, and the hatchet -- Logic: reasoning in uncertain situations -- Emotions and thinking: the anger superiority effect -- Mathematics: doing the numbers at the checkout line -- Illusions: shadows, balls, and rotating snakes -- Creativity: the magic matches of Carlo Reverberi.