Train Your Brain
60 Days to a Better Brain
by Dr. Ryuta Kawashima

You know the saying: "Use it or Lose it." This is not only true for your muscles but for your most important organ, your brain.

Dr. Ryuta Kawashima is Professor of neuroscience and head of the Functional Brain Imaging Center at Tohoku University. His successful research, especially with sufferers of Alzheimer's, is revolutionizing health care around the world.

Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain and Train Your Brain More: 60 Days to an Even Better Brain advertise that they will give you better brainpower, better memory and better creativity. And who couldn't use that?

After 20 years of research, Dr. Kawashima says that he found the best way to really stimulate the brain is to perform simple mathematical calculations quickly and to read aloud. His research suggests that these exercises help people retain mental clarity and stave off the mental effects of aging.

The program consists of a daily exercises. Solve the simple calculations (8-6= or 5x3= for example) and track your time to complete on the included chart. There are also counting tests, memorization tests and something called a Stroop Test.

The Stroop Test consists of colored blocks with the name of a color printed on it. But the name is different from the color. For example, the word 'red' may appear in a blue box.

After the 60 days, you can begin the process again and track your progress. You may be surprised at the improvements.

Just like with physical exercise, you have to stay with it. Like your muscles, once you stop exercising your brain it will again slowly start to decline.

It's fascinating to see the difference in the brain from when you are watching TV and when you are doing some of these exercises. The pictures in the book from a brain imaging device make it clear that we need to use our brain to keep it working for us. This book is a great start.