Brain Rules

I have recently been involved with an innovative new book project called Brain Rules that is the result of the brilliant Dr. John Medina‘s years of passionate study of the human brain.  Available Tuesday in bookstores everywhere, the book is the central piece to a massive online multimedia project located at www.brainrules.net, on the Brain Rules YouTube Channel, and at John’s new blog.

Hailed as one of the Breakthrough Ideas of 2008 by Harvard Business Review, Brain Rules, presents twelve brain rules— or what scientists know for sure about how our brains work— and then offers transformative ideas for how the brain sciences might practically influence the way we teach our children and the way we work in our daily lives.

One of the many startling conclusions Brain Rules comes to is as follows:

If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle. And if you wanted to change things, you might have to tear down both and start over.

In many ways, starting over is what this book is all about.

For anyone passionate about the future of education, business, and health, John’s ideas are compelling and even disturbing, for much of our success in the future will involve getting back to basics– and Brain Rules is an ideal place to start.