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Spark

Authors: John J. Ratey, Eric Hagerman
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Category: Book

List Price: ~~Ł24.99~~
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Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

2 reviews
Sales Rank: 67961

Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
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 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - Spark

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Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

The Spark that could change your life. May 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Excellent book and it provides us with another very powerful reason why we should exercise. Anyone who has ever exercised on a consistent basis will attest to the benifits and now this new research makes it even more important that we develop an exercise program that we can enjoy and that has the power to lift depression, make us more sociable, grows more brain cells, improves our mememory, keeps dementia at bay and so on. In an era where psychiatrists are keener than ever to prescribe anti-depressants that often have the most horendeous side effects its great news to know there is a better way to help ourselves. In many ways the whole concept makes perfect sense but when Ratey provides the research to support the ideas then we can easily see why it is so.

5 out of 5 stars

Regular Aerobic Exercise Helps School Performance and Improves Mental Performance During Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Aging March 12, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I've read a lot about the brain in the last decade, and I thought this book was the most helpful summary I've seen of what to do differently. The thinking person is the person who aerobically exercises regularly.

Spark is an excellent summary of the brain research during the last decade or so that has added to our knowledge of how regular aerobic exercise stimulates better and more effective mental activity. Dr. Ratey considers the impact of such exercise on school-age children . . . and adults with stress, anxiety, depression, attention deficits, hormonal changes, and aging bodies. He also recommends a general exercise regime that seems to optimize what we know today from these studies.

The essence of the book can be found in the observation that optimal brain functioning requires plenty of blood, the right nutrients, a balance of body chemicals designed to help the brain operate, and an ability to grow new cells and connections in the brain. Each of these elements is helped by regular aerobic exercise. The results are often measurable within a few weeks.

So if you thought that aerobic exercise was simply about looking and feeling good, you're wrong. It's also about thinking well and being able to learn. There are longevity and other quality of life benefits as well . . . including reduced incidence of disease and less chance of dementia.

The book also explores that you don't have to do a tremendous amount of exercise to get most of the benefits.