The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

As the title implies, "The Brain That Changes Itself" is an extensive and thoroughly enjoyable look at the history of neural plasticity, albeit from the point of view of a staunch supporter. I found the book to be very well organized, and Doidge's arguments to be very cohesive. The book chapters are filled mostly with stories and case studies regarding a common theme in the study of neural plasticity. Doidge begins by relating the story of Paul Bach-y-Rita's research and efforts to debunk the widely held localizationist theories of the 20th century. He presents some more dramatic case studies such as Cheryl who used her tongue to learn to stand after a debilitating brain injury or Barbara, a seemingly retarded woman, who ended up with advanced degrees and a successful research career (these stories are every bit as interesting as they sound). Doidge relates again and again how massive and usually debilitating brain injuries were overcome by physical and mental therapies. Following his analysis of catastrophic brain injuries and defects, Doidge gives examples of more everyday plasticity. He relates how common disorders such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia can be attributed to (often minor) traumas and incidents during the critical childhood period. He talks about several schools which have had great success rehabilitating victims of those and other disorders through concentrated and prolonged efforts to retrain the brain. He also gives examples of how plasticity can affect even our emotions or sexual tastes. In the final chapters, Doidge relates what he calls the "paradox of plasticity." He explains that, while plasticity can be used to treat crippling injuries, it can also be responsible for equally crippling mental disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder. He explains how rewired neural circuitry can create phantom pain in amputated limbs, reinforce bad habits into addictions, and give rise to compulsive behavior. He further delves into the field of psychoanalysis and reveals the power of thought. He describes many cases where psychoanalysis and new ways of thinking provoke measurable changes in the structure of the brain. He relates one study where a group of people were able to strengthen their finger muscles just by imagining daily finger exercises. As Doidge puts it: "...But now we can see that our "immaterial" thoughts too have a physical signature, and we cannot be so sure that thought won't someday be explained in physical terms. While we have yet to understand exactly how thoughts actually change brain structure, it is now clear that they do, and the firm line Descartes drew between mind and brain is increasingly a dotted line." Finally, for those that make it past the last chapter, the appendices and notes section actually contains a wealth of interesting information. Doidge annotated and explained all of the case studies and references that he uses in the preceding chapters, and included some interesting additional arguments about the nature of culture and its effects on the brain. As with any book that isn't a textbook, "The Brain That Changes Itself" is filled with opinions. Fortunately, many of these opinions are well supported, but readers new to the field could benefit from some time spent in the notes section. Overall the writing style is casual, easy to follow, and very engaging. I particularly enjoyed Doidge's heavy use of case studies to prove his points. Most of the case studies were tremendously interesting, and I regard them as one of the book's best features. I would say that this book is a good read for any audience, but less interesting for those that already have an extensive background in neuroscience. As a final note, I would highly recommend the Kindle version of this book. Unlike some electronic books I have read, the formatting was great, there were no typos, and the book was organized in such a way that I didn't waste time constantly scrolling or flipping pages back and forth.

The stories bring context, relevance, and nuance to the complicated and deeply layered nature of brain science. A book that should be read more than once.

This book completely changed how I think about the brain and its ability to heal and adapt. The idea that the brain can rewire itself, even after injury or long-standing limitations, is both hopeful and fascinating. Many of the case studies are memorable and stayed with me long after I finished reading. The strength of the book is how it brings together science, real-life stories, and history. Some sections are genuinely inspiring and made me rethink what’s possible when it comes to recovery and learning. That said, parts of the book felt dense and a bit repetitive. Some chapters go deep into technical detail, which may be challenging if you’re not already interested in neuroscience. I found myself needing to take breaks or reread certain sections to fully absorb the material. Overall, this is an important and eye-opening book that’s worth reading, especially if you’re interested in brain health, learning, or recovery. I’m giving it four stars because while the content is powerful, the writing style won’t be for everyone.

Neuroplasticity has recently become a bit of a buzzword. Long the preserve of neuroscientists, this is one of a number of new books on the topic written for the public. I recently reviewed Sharon Begley's superb book - Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain - and this one is in a similar vein. Though it is rather different from Sharon's book in which the main focus was on the changes wrought in the brains of meditators, while this one looks at the extraordinary responses of the brain to injury or congenital absence of sensory organs. Since this book went to press, yet another study, this time from India, has shown that some blind children may be able to regain their sight, an observation that is helping turn a lot of neurology on its head. Neuroplasticity is a topic of enormous practical importance. The increasing evidence that the brain is a highly adaptable structure that undergoes constant change throughout life is a far cry from the idea that we are simply the product of our genes or our environment. Our genes help determine how we can respond to the environment; they do not make us who we are. And we all have untapped potential. This is more than the old nature/nurture debate in a new bottle. It has implications for human potential: how much can you develop your own brain and mind? Can you really teach a child to be a kind, loving person who can dramatically exceed his or her potential? Can psychotherapy really help change your brain for the better? Can we help re-wire the brain of a psychopath? Do we have the right to try? The author is both a research psychiatrist and a psychoanalyst who has interviewed many experts in the field. His book is full of well chosen and detailed stories about scientists and their discoveries as well as case reports of triumph over unbelievable adversity. There is also a good discussion of people who have remarkable abilities despite the absence of key regions of the brain. This book is a good complement to Sharon Begley's and if you can afford it, then I strongly recommend that you get both books. If your interest is more in personal development and its effects on the brain, then Sharon's book will be the one for you. If you are more interested in the science and anecdotes about scientists and some amazing patients, then this book may be the one to go for. Highly recommended. Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life

"The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science" by Norman Doidge, is an easily readable, enjoyable, and thought-provoking book that gives the nonprofessional an overview of the new science of neuroplasticity--the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections over the life span. We learn that the brain is no longer thought of as being hard-wired, that people are no longer believed to be merely products of their genes and environment, and that damaged brains have the remarkable ability to repair themselves. Doidge recounts stories of real people who have benefited from advances in neuroplasticity. He gives us just enough background information about each case so that we find ourselves genuinely caring about these people--each person comes to life, like characters in a fine novel. He tells us stories about stroke victims with major physical dysfunction who were able to recover nearly everything that they lost, and then go on to live normal lives again. There is an astonishing story of a woman who lost her balance mechanisms; with help from neuroplasticians, she was able to rewire her brain to use other senses to achieve the same goal. We learn that neuroplastic physicians can design high-technology devices capable of bringing sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and movement to the paralyzed. We learn about an utterly courageous woman who, completely on her own, was able to rewire her brain to compensate for a large number of severe learning disabilities. Eventually, she goes on to found a very successful network of schools devoted to the methodologies she used. The basic concept is simple: the brain can change itself--rewire itself, so to speak. Often it needs only a little structured help to force it into making the new connections. The implications of this new science are staggering. Imagine retraining the brains of the severely mentally disadvantaged--the learning disabled, the autistic...perhaps even the psychopath--so that they are able to function almost normally in society. Imagine the impact this new science may have on prison rehabilitation, special education, psychiatry, and rehabilitation therapy, to name but a few. This is a truly astonishing new frontier, and Doidge makes the concepts easy and enjoyable. I recommend this book highly.

This is my "Book of Hope". Rarely do I read a book that is beautifully written and easily read, but which also changes my understanding and fills me with hope. The mantra when I entered Medical School, in 1965, was that as we approached early adulthood, we possessed about 10 10 or 100,000,000,000 nerve cells, and that the links between them were already formed. From early adulthood, we basically lost around 1000 cells per day, and by old age, this accumulated reduction in the number of cells caused us to lose our faculties and to wither away, and that was that! I remember a friend of mine in the early 70's saying he was going to specialize in Neurology, as we were entering the era of knowledge of the Brain. Well, he will be retiring around now, but the beginning of the era of increased understanding the Brain is upon us. We now know the Brain is not a static organ, but is capable of great flexibility or "Plasticity". Dr Norman Doidge, a Canadian-born psychiatrist and medical researcher, has written a wonderful summary of the physicians, scientists, individuals, who have contributed to our new understanding of the plasticity of the brain, and of the technologies, where we can see the changes in the brain occurring. Brain Plasticity gives so many folk new hope - those with stroke recovery needs, psychiatric problems, learning disabilities and for those of us Boomers, who will have to learn new knowledge and skills, our brain is capable of learning anew, of making new neurons and connecting new pathways. It isn't easy and indeed may take a considerable effort and persistence to alter pathways and re-tool our brains, but much can be done. So, read this book and revel in the exciting prospect of the beginnings of a new era for our understanding of the brain, and with it the awareness that we can change ourselves. Two Canadian Broadcasting Company documentaries on the "Brain that Changes Itself" can be found at the "Nature of Things" and are available for viewing on line. Sadly, I feel the first documentary, which is a summary of the book, is poorly presented, fragmented and doesn't smoothly tell the tale as in the book. The second documentary "Changing Your Mind" with case studies is better, but I guess the problem is that the medium of television can never offer the detail and understanding that can be obtained from a book.

We have all heard the phrases: “mind over matter” and “I think therefore I am.” Many of us are also aware of the debate surrounding the mind-body connection or disconnection. The separation of mind/body is evident in our medical system where you see certain specialists for “medical” issues and others for “mental health” issues. One of the lovely things about this book is the theme of blending together the mind and body. Dr. Norman Doidge shares many different stories through this book showing how the mind and body work together, how we learn, how we unlearn, and how to recover from brain damage. The one word that covers the content of this book is neuroplasticity which is defined as the brains ability to adapt and change its function depending on situation and “rewire” itself should it become damaged. There are stories of individuals ridding themselves of phantom limbs, recovering from strokes to a degree that was thought impossible, living with half of a brain, curing incurable vertigo, recovering from deep depression, successfully treating learning disabilities, and more. Each story is about a real person – their struggles and triumph, and the practitioners who helped them. There are also cautionary tales about habits and chronic pain conditions. I would warn the reader that there is discussion of invasive experimentation on animals, and the fact that the material is quite dense at times. All in all, this is a book that can be read cover to cover or story by story while being picked up and set down several times – this is how I read it. The material is interesting enough, and important enough to take one’s time with. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding how the brain works.

I thank Dr. Doidge for writing this very fascinating book about a very important subject. I believe that doing so also required not only great insight but also a certain amount of courage. His book explains the apparent paradox of my personal experiences as a toddler, and far beyond. Beginning when I was a baby, I suffered severe illnesses: diphtheria, whooping cough and a middle ear infection that left me with a big surgical scar behind one ear, and with a chronic ear infection that lasted for decades. I even had to have two more surgeries as an adolescent to remove "wild meat," that is granulation, proud flesh, from my remaining ear cavity. Forgive my self-promotion, but I am an outstanding, albeit unwitting, lab rat role model whose experiences verify, at least to some extent, some of the subject matter of Doidge's book. As a matter of fact, since my latest episode of healing I have become obsessed to share these healing experiences whenever I can. After my original ear surgery so long ago, I was not able to walk anymore and people also thought that I had become an "idiot." However, Dr. Doidge's book has convinced me that these early-life physical traumas, along with many other diverse, intense, prolonged ones during the first two dozen years of my life, were changing my brain through frequent re-mapping to adapt to them. Many people that have read my story cannot believe that I am still sane and even alive. You can read my very unusual and almost unbelievable memoir at: Heroes from the Attic: A Gripping True Story of Triumph Unfortunately, after its publication I had to greatly curtail my public contact and marketing of it because of slow poisoning that was very difficult to diagnose. However, after it was finally diagnosed, I was able to very slowly recover, and in some ways, I now feel better than ever. Again, thank you, Dr. Doidge, you have helped me understand my seemingly miraculous endurance through unbelievable traumatic experiences. The knowledge I gained from your book encourages me to continue to write another book about what I have learned and gained from my long journey to excellent health. Wishing you the best of health, Herman I Neuman

A book which explains and proves about neuroplasticity with various real life studies.

Ottimo libro sulla plasticità cerebrale spiegato in modo semplice e con numerosi esempi.

Good book , better understanding of human Brian

日本語版を読むより、内容理解がスムースでした。なぜかは、ご推測ください。人間の「脳」の素晴らしさ、神秘さを知り、自分でも更に何か出来そうだぞと確信でき、元気が出てきました。 まずは、TOEICテストに、６７歳にして初挑戦しようと計画しております。以上

One of my absolute favourite books, thank you Dr Doidge for your precious insights.