Audiobooks by John Medina

Attack of the Teenage Brain: Understanding and Supporting the Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner

"Marvel at the neuroscientific reasons why smart teens make dumb decisions! Behold the mind-controlling power of executive function! Thrill to a vision of a better school for the teenage brain! Whether you're a parent interacting with one adolescent or a teacher interacting with many, you know teens can be hard to parent and even harder to teach. The eye-rolling, the moodiness, the wandering attention, the drama. It's not you, it's them. More specifically, it's their brains. In accessible language and with periodic references to Star Trek, motorcycle daredevils, and near-classic movies of the '80s, developmental molecular biologist John Medina, author of the New York Times best-seller Brain Rules and Brain Rules for Baby, explores the neurological and evolutionary factors that drive teenage behavior and can affect both achievement and engagement. Then he proposes a research-supported counterattack: a bold redesign of educational practices and learning environments to deliberately develop teens' cognitive capacity to manage their emotions, plan, prioritize, and focus. Attack of the Teenage Brain! is an enlightening and entertaining read that will change the way you think about teen behavior and prompt you to consider how else parents, educators, and policymakers might collaborate to help our challenging, sometimes infuriating, often weird, and genuinely wonderful kids become more successful learners, in school and beyond."

John Medina (Author), John Medina (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Science of Sleep

"The Science of Sleep, by developmental molecular biologist Dr. John Medina, gives you the facts-and the prescription to sleep well-in his signature engaging style. Adapted from Medina's Brain Rules for Aging Well:10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp, in this chapter you'll learn how the sleep cycle is born of a constant tension between hormones and brain regions vying to keep you awake, and hormones and brain regions trying to make you go to sleep. This is called opponent-process theory. Sleep, scientists are finding, doesn't have as much to do with energy restoration as it does with processing memories and flushing out toxins in the brain. As you grow older, your sleep cycle becomes more fragmented, particularly the part of the cycle during which toxins are flushed out of the brain. Accruing good sleep habits by middle age (a stable sleep routine; no caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine six hours prior to going to sleep) is the best way to avoid sleep-related cognitive decline in old age. You may already be experiencing the sometimes-unpleasant effects of the aging process. Or you may be deeply concerned about your loved ones who are. Either way, The Science of Sleep is for you."

John Medina (Author), John Medina (Narrator)

Audiobook

Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp

"Brain Rules for Aging Well, by developmental molecular biologist Dr. John Medina, gives you the facts-and the prescription to age well-in his signature engaging style. With so many discoveries over the years, science is literally changing our minds about the optimal care and feeding of the brain. All of it is captivating. A great deal of it is unexpected. In his New York Times best seller Brain Rules, Medina showed us how our brains really work-and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools to match. In Brain Rules for Baby, he gave parents the brain science they need to know to raise happy, smart, moral kids. Now, in Brain Rules for Aging Well, Medina shares how you can make the most of the years you have left. In a book destined to be a classic on aging, Medina's fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into the science. Brain Rules for Aging Well is organized into four sections, each laying out familiar problems with surprising solutions. First up, the social brain, in which topics ranging from relationships to happiness and gullibility illustrate how our emotions change with age. The second section focuses on the thinking brain, explaining how working memory and executive function change with time. The third section is all about your body: how certain kinds of exercise, diets, and sleep can slow the decline of aging. Each section is sprinkled with practical advice-for example, the fascinating benefits of dancing-and the brain science behind each intervention. The final section is about the future. Your future. Medina connects all the chapters into a plan for maintaining your brain health. You may already be experiencing the sometimes-unpleasant effects of the aging process. Or you may be deeply concerned about your loved ones who are. Either way, Brain Rules for Aging Well is for you."

John Medina (Author), John Medina (Narrator)

Audiobook

Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and Scho

"Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—like the need for physical activity to get your brain working its best. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains? 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. Medina’s fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You’ll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You’ll peer over a surgeon’s shoulder as he proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You’ll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can’t tie his own shoes. You will discover how: -Every brain is wired differently -Exercise improves cognition -We are designed to never stop learning and exploring -Memories are volatile -Sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn -Vision trumps all of the other senses -Stress changes the way we learn In the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works—and how to get the most out of it."

John Medina (Author), John Medina (Narrator)

Audiobook

Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded): How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

"What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know. In his New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina showed us how our brains really work—and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools. Now, in Brain Rules for Baby, he shares what the latest science says about how to raise smart and happy children from zero to five. This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control. Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops – and what you can do to optimize it. You will view your children—and how to raise them—in a whole new light. You’ll learn: -Where nature ends and nurture begins -Why men should do more household chores -What you do when emotions run hot affects how your baby turns out, because babies need to feel safe above all -TV is harmful for children under 2 -Your child’s ability to relate to others predicts her future math performance -Smart and happy are inseparable. Pursuing your child’s intellectual success at the expense of his happiness achieves neither -Praising effort is better than praising intelligence -The best predictor of academic performance is not IQ. It’s self-control What you do right now—before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and through the first five years—will affect your children for the rest of their lives. Brain Rules for Baby is an indispensable guide."

John Medina (Author), John Medina (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by John Medina

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