Your Brain On Cubs

Chicago Cubs fans offer a unique conduit for understanding how our brain lets us believe in a "curse", and what makes a day at the ballpark so enjoyable. For the players, brain research offers insight into what makes it possible to hit a fastball traveling 95-miles an hour.

"An important book... a proven and practical guide." —Steven H. Ferris, PhD, director, Alzheimer's Disease Center, NYU Regain, Retrain, and Maintain Your Brain Help Prevent Memory Loss - Increase Brain Agility - Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Because memory loss is the number one health concern of Americans over forty-five,The Brain Training Revolutionis a valuable weapon on the battleground of aging. You have the power to grow and strengthen your brain, minimize the severity of age-associated memory lapses, and reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. You can greatly influence the vitality of your brain. You can guard against brain disease. It's never too late to start the Brain Training Revolution, and the scientific evidence is clear—you will feel better and your body and brain will benefit. The Brain Training Revolutionoffers a unique three-part prescription for a brain-healthy life. Boost Brain Health Help Prevent Memory Loss Increase Brain Agility Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's This innovative step-by-step guidebook and DVD show you how to fight off memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, how to blunt the assaults of aging, and how to perform at the mental level you desire in your fifties, sixties, seventies, and beyond. Dr. Paul Bendheim, founder of the brain-health firm BrainSavers LLC, has created a lifestyle plan that incorporates medical evidence–based brain-healthy eating, modest physical exercise, and challenging mental exercises (some included here in color for an extra brain workout), all of which you can adapt to your own comfort level. You'll find out more about: What to expect as your brain gets older How to boost your brain's performance in midlife and beyond while combating normal age-associated memory loss How to protect and strengthen the "memory maker" in your brain, the small sea horse–shaped structure called the hippocampus How modest lifestyle adjustments can make a huge difference in maintaining a healthy brain The importance of plasticity and brain reserve: how you can better your brain at any age The features of the brain that are critical to healthy brain aging How to work out your brain using full-color illustrations Simple things you can do every day to keep your brain healthy and functioning at its peak These big three components for brain fitness, along with stress management and a good night's sleep, add up to a complete and proven plan for healthy brain aging that your mind will thank you for. Brainsavers.com– A BrainSavers ™ Book Bonus DVD includes interactive mental exercises "With skill, clarity and grounding in research, Paul Bendheim has put together a highly practical program that explains how to achieve lifelong brain health." —Kenneth S. Kosik, MD, codirector, Neuroscience Research Institute, and Harriman Professor of Neuroscience, University of California, Santa Barbara

The New York Times Bestseller With inside access and reporting, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and FOX Sports analyst Tom Verducci reveals how Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon built, led, and inspired the Chicago Cubs team that broke the longest championship drought in sports, chronicling their epic journey to become World Series champions. It took 108 years, but it really happened. The Chicago Cubs are once again World Series champions. How did a team composed of unknown, young players and supposedly washed-up veterans come together to break the Curse of the Billy Goat? Tom Verducci, twice named National Sportswriter of the Year and co-writer of The Yankee Years with Joe Torre, will have full access to team president Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon, and the players to tell the story of the Cubs' transformation from perennial underachievers to the best team in baseball. Beginning with Epstein's first year with the team in 2011, Verducci will show how Epstein went beyond "Moneyball" thinking to turn around the franchise. Leading the organization with a manual called "The Cubs Way," he focused on the mental side of the game as much as the physical, emphasizing chemistry as well as statistics. To accomplish his goal, Epstein needed manager Joe Maddon, an eccentric innovator, as his counterweight on the Cubs' bench. A man who encourages themed road trips and late-arrival game days to loosen up his team, Maddon mixed New Age thinking with Old School leadership to help his players find their edge. The Cubs Way takes readers behind the scenes, chronicling how key players like Rizzo, Russell, Lester, and Arrieta were deftly brought into the organization by Epstein and coached by Maddon to outperform expectations. Together, Epstein and Maddon proved that clubhouse culture is as important as on-base-percentage, and that intangible components like personality, vibe, and positive energy are necessary for a team to perform to their fullest potential. Verducci chronicles the playoff run that culminated in an instant classic Game Seven. He takes a broader look at the history of baseball in Chicago and the almost supernatural element to the team's repeated loses that kept fans suffering, but also served to strengthen their loyalty. The Cubs Way is a celebration of an iconic team and its journey to a World Championship that fans and readers will cherish for years to come.

Bestselling author David Ewing Duncan takes the ultimate high-tech medical exam, investigating the future impact of what's hidden deep inside all of us David Ewing Duncan takes "guinea pig" journalism to the cutting edge of science, building on award-winning articles he wrote for Wired and National Geographic, in which he was tested for hundreds of chemicals and genes associated with disease, emotions, and other traits. Expanding on these tests, he examines his genes, environment, brain, and body, exploring what they reveal about his and his family's future health, traits, and ancestry, as well as the profound impact of this new self-knowledge on what it means to be human. David Ewing Duncan (San Francisco, CA) is the Chief Correspondent of public radio's Biotech Nation and a frequent commentator on NPR's Morning Edition. He is a contributing editor to Portfolio, Discover, and Wired and a columnist for Portfolio. His books include the international bestseller Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year (978-0-380-79324-2). He is a former special producer and correspondent for ABC's Nightline, and appears regularly on CNN and programs such as Today and Good Morning America.

The New York Times-bestselling history of America's most beloved baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, and the Cubs’ century-long search for World Series glory In A Nice Little Place on the North Side, leading columnist George Will returns to baseball with a deeply personal look at his hapless Chicago Cubs and their often beatified home, Wrigley Field, as it enters its second century. Baseball, Will argues, is full of metaphors for life, religion, and happiness, and Wrigley is considered one of its sacred spaces. But what is its true, hyperbole-free history? Winding beautifully like Wrigley’s iconic ivy, Will’s meditation on “The Friendly Confines” examines both the unforgettable stories that forged the field’s legend and the larger-than-life characters—from Wrigley and Ruth to Veeck, Durocher, and Banks—who brought it glory, heartbreak, and scandal. Drawing upon his trademark knowledge and inimitable sense of humor, Will also explores his childhood connections to the team, the Cubs’ future, and what keeps long-suffering fans rooting for the home team after so many years of futility. In the end, A Nice Little Place on the North Side is more than just the history of a ballpark. It is the story of Chicago, of baseball, and of America itself.

Help your little one unlock their inner courage! Riley the Brave is the story of a little bear with big feelings! Join this super-cool, cape-wearing cub as he embarks on a journey to face his fears. Riley is joined by all of his animal friends who care for him as he faces his difficult feelings. Along the way, Riley learns how sometimes, being tough or loud isn't the bravest thing to be - sometimes it's asking for help, or being brave enough to let someone into your heart. Written for any child who is looking to unlock their inner courage, and particularly those healing from difficult life experiences or trauma, this book creates a safe space for conversations about complex thoughts and feelings. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups which explains how the book helps children, and how to get the most out of it.

You have the incredible power to change the way you think, perceive, and react to stress—for the better—through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT has been known to be widely successful in the treatment of problems associated with anxiety, depression, mood, personality, addiction, weight, and emotions. Until recently, access to CBT was only available through professional therapy. Now with The Brain Mechanic, Spencer Lord delivers a concise, entertaining, and easy-to-use handbook that demystifies cognitive behavioral therapy. With simple exercises, clear explanations, and helpful insight, Lord makes it easy for you to fit this technique into your daily life to improve your mood, broaden your communication skills, and enrich your relationships.

The executive editor of "Sports Illustrated" and a psychologist join forces to examine the behavior of those involved in professional sports, explaining how athletes can successfully put aside personal trauma on game day and why people love to root for aloser.