If you went back 60 or 70 years there were several clear understandings of our brain structure. One was that after teenage years the structure of the brain was fixed. Another was that you could not form new brain material. Finally, certain areas of the brain did certain things – each area had their job which they stuck to.
Passage of time has proven these assertions wrong. We now know that brains continue to change throughout our life – plasticity. We know we can grow new brain matter – neurogenesis. We know that localisation – one area for one job – is not fixed, and different brain areas can take over different activities.
There are of course limitations, but the brain is far more fluid that we knew even to comparatively recently. And of course, we still learn.
This is a book about brain changes – it’s not a text book, more a discussion focused on a handful of case studies, and whilst it’s not light reading, neither is it impenetrable. The author strikes a good balance between concept, detail and interest.
If you have an interest in the brain, things that effect it, what may change it, then you’ll find this a fascinating read. I certainly did, and it helped anchor a lot of the learning from my Yoga Therapy studies.
As always, you can buy the book on Amazon, and Yinspire earns a small commission
