Brain Rules

I just came across a book called "Brain Rules", written by John Medina, who is (from his website):

...a developmental molecular biologist focused on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. He has spent most of his professional life as a private research consultant, working primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries on research related to mental health. Medina holds joint affiliate faculty appointments at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in its Department of Bioengineering, and at Seattle Pacific University, where he is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research.

His book unpacks a great deal of research on how our brains work best (or worst), and touches on things like the effect of exercise on brain function (it's phenomenally good), how long we can hold attention (very short), how short term memory can be enhanced (a lot of repetition and saying things out loud), the effects of sleep deficiency on brain function (a lot, and it's not good), and the role of vision in learning.

The book seems to have a great deal of info that's relevent to teachers and presenters, and if he writes anything like he talks, it should be a fun read. You can see a video of him talking at Google here, and see his website here.

I'm putting the book at the top of my post-CFA reading list

HT: Presentation Zen