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

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.

This is Your Brain on Sports is the book for sports fans searching for a deeper understanding of the games they watch and the people who play them. Sports Illustrated executive editor and bestselling author L. Jon Wertheim teams up with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers to take readers on a wild ride into the inner world of sports. Through the prism of behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology, they reveal the hidden influences and surprising cues that inspire and derail us—on the field and in the stands—and by extension, in corporate board rooms, office settings, and our daily lives. In this irresistible narrative romp, Wertheim and Sommers usher us from professional football to the NBA to Grand Slam tennis, from the psychology of athletes self-handicapping their performance in the boxing ring or the World Series, to an explanation of why even the glimpse of a finish line can lift us beyond ordinary physical limits. They explore why Tom Brady and other starting NFL quarterbacks all seem to look like fashion models; why fans of teams like the Cubs, Mets, and any franchise from Cleveland love rooting for a loser; why the best players make the worst coaches; why hockey goons (and fans) would rather fight at home than on the road; and why the arena t-shirt cannon has something to teach us about human nature. In short, this book is an entertaining and thought-provoking journey into how psychology and behavioral science collide with the universe of wins-and-losses, coaching changes, underdogs, and rivalry games. — Boston Globe, Best Books of 2016, Sports

"Originating from a theme issue first published in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences."