In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule--what scientists know for sure about how our brains work--and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.

Includes index. "Watch the 45-minute film as an introduction to the book. Special link for paperback readers: www. brainrules.net/dvd"

Exercise -- Rule #1. Exercise boosts brain power -- Our brains love motion -- The incredible test-score booster -- Will you age like Jim or like Frank? -- How oxygen builds roads for the brain -- Survival -- Rule #2. The human brain evolved, too. -- What's uniquely human about us -- A brilliant survival strategy -- Meet your brain -- How we conquered the world -- Wiring -- Rule #3. Every brain is wired differently -- Neurons slide, slither, and split -- Experience makes the difference -- Furious brain development not once, but twice -- The Jennifer Aniston neuron -- Attention -- Rule #4. We don't pay attention to boring things -- Emotion matters -- Why there is no such thing as multitasking -- We pay great attention to threats, sex, and pattern matching -- The brain needs a break! -- Short-term memory -- Rule #5. Repeat to remember -- Memories are volatile -- How details become splattered across the insides of our brains -- How the brain pieces them back together again -- Where memories go -- Long-term memory -- Rule #6. Remember to repeat -- If you don't repeat this within 30 seconds, you'll forget it -- Spaced repetition cycles are key to remembering -- When floating in water could help your memory -- Sleep -- Rule #7. Sleep well, think well -- The brain doesn't sleep to rest -- Two armies at war in your head -- How to improve your performance 34 percent in 26 minutes -- Which bird are you? -- Sleep on it! -- Stress -- Rule #8. Stressed brains don't learn the same way -- Stress is good, stress is bad -- A villain and a hero in the toxic-stress battle -- Why the home matters to the workplace -- Marriage intervention for happy couples -- Sensory integration -- Rule #9. Stimulate more of the senses -- Lessons from a nightclub -- How and why all of our senses work together -- Multisensory learning means better remembering -- What's that smell? -- Vision -- Rule #10. Vision trumps all other senses -- Playing tricks on wine tasters -- You see what your brain wants to see, and it likes to make stuff up -- Throw out your PowerPoint -- Gender -- Rule #11. Male and female brains are different -- Sexing humans -- The difference between little girl best friends and little boy best friends -- Men favor gist when stressed; women favor details -- A forgetting drug -- Exploration -- Rule #12. We are powerful and natural explorers -- Babies are great scientists -- Exploration is aggressive -- Monkey see, monkey do -- Curiosity is everything.