The development of a brain from its simple beginnings in the embryo to the extraordinarily complex fully-functional adult structure is a truly remarkable process. Understanding how it occurs remains a formidable challenge despite enormous advances over the last century and current intense world-wide scientific research. A greater knowledge of how nervous systems construct themselves will bring huge benefits for human health and future technologies. Unravelling the mechanisms that lead to the development of healthy brains should help scientists tackle currently incurable diseases of the nervous system such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia (to name but a few), discover more about the processes that cause the uncontrolled growth associated with cancer and develop possible treatments. Building Brains provides a highly visual and readily accessible introduction to the main events that occur during neural development and the mechanisms by which they occur. Aimed at undergraduate students and postgraduates new to the field, who may not have a background in neuroscience and/or molecular genetics, it explains how cells in the early embryo first become neural, how their proliferation is controlled, what regulates the types of neural cells they become, how neurons connect to each other, how these connections are later refined under the influence of neural activity including that arising from experience, and why some neurons normally die. Key Features: A concise illustrated guide focusing on the core elements of current understanding of neural development, emphasising common principles underlying developmental mechanisms and supplemented by suggestions for further reading. Text boxes throughout provide further detail on selected major advances, issues of particular uncertainty or controversy and examples of human diseases that result from abnormal development. A balanced mammalian/non-mammalian perspective, drawing on examples from model organisms including the fruit fly, nematode worm, frog, zebrafish, chick, mouse, ferret, cat, monkey and human, and emphasising mechanisms that are conserved across species. Introduces the methods for studying neural development including genetics, transgenic technologies, advanced microscopy and computational modeling, allowing the reader to understand the main evidence underlying research advances. Student-friendly, full colour artwork reinforces important concepts; an extensive glossary and definitions in page margins help readers from different backgrounds; chapter summaries stress important points and aid revision. Associated Website includes a complete set of figures from the textbook.

"Building a second brain is getting things done for the digital age. It's a ... productivity method for consuming, synthesizing, and remembering the vast amount of information we take in, allowing us to become more effective and creative and harness the unprecedented amount of technology we have at our disposal"--

Building Brains expands young children's learning with six hundred brain-based, developmentally appropriate activity ideas. It combines the latest information on brain development with activities that support children's learning and enrich any early childhood curriculum. Rather than step-by-step activities, Building Brains is filled with open-ended ideas that early child professionals can execute in a variety of ways, depending on children's needs and interests. Ideas are organized by age—from age zero to five—and learning domains.

Leadership is a set of abilities with which a lucky few are born. They're the natural relationship builders, master negotiators and persuaders, and agile and strategic thinkers. The good news for the rest of us is that those abilities can be developed. In The Leader's Brain, Wharton Neuroscience Initiative director Michael Platt explains how.

"Each brain enlivens a body in interaction with the social and physical environment. Peter Zumthor's Therme at Vals exemplifies the interplay of interior with surroundings, and ways the actions of users fuse with their multi-modal experience. The action-perception cycle includes both practical and contemplative actions. We analyze what Louis Sullivan meant by "form ever follows function" but will more often talk of aesthetics and utility. Not only are action, perception and emotion intertwined, but so are remembering and imagination. Architectural design leads to the physical construction of buildings - but much of what our brains achieve can be seen as a form of mental construction. A first look at neuroscience offers schema theory as a bridge from cognitive processes to neural circuitry. Some architects fear that neuroscience will strip the architect of any creativity. In counterpoint, two-way reduction explores how neuroscience can "dissect" phenomenology by showing how first-person experiences arise from melding diverse subconscious processes. This raises the possibility that neuroscience can extend the effectiveness of architectural design by showing how different aspects of a building may affect human experience in ways that are not apparent to self-reflection"--

A book for practitioners to help adolescents understand their psychoeducational and neuropsychological testing results.

Active Bodies, Active Brainsoffers a wealth of physical activities to help kids develop physical, social, and cognitive skills. Based on cutting-edge research in brain compatibility, these games and activities help children -increase their ability to focus; -integrate their movement with thinking, thus enhancing development of neural pathways; -improve memory; -open up more areas of the brain to participate in learning; -reduce stress and enhance positive feelings to increase their learning; and -include physical activity in their daily lives. Active Bodies, Active Brainsprovides you with 66 activities and games--and it shows you how to easily modify and extend those to create numerous additional games. Indeed, by applying the techniques in this book, you can create an endless supply of brain-compatible physical activities while helping your participants build cognition, health-related fitness, and physical skills. Based on current brain-based practices, including Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, Active Bodies, Active Brainsincludes 66 cross-curricular critical-thinking activities that are aligned with national physical education standards. Because the activities call for common equipment and supplies that you most likely already have, your costs and prep time will be low. That prep time is further reduced by an activity finder that helps you find the appropriate activity at a glance. In each activity, kids are put in situations where they have to think critically--they learn how to think while they have fun moving. This movement-learning relationship is bolstered by research showing that movement enhances comprehension. Choose from numerous ways to both prompt learning and add variety. In addition to adapting games, you'll find ideas on the following: -Sequencing the activity differently -Considering the task from differing points of view -Identifying the reasoning used -Asking kids to think about their thinking processes -Figuring out what information is relevant to the task at hand Many teachers find they have less activity time because of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and the reduced activity time doesn't help kids learn. With its high-quality activities that are easy to facilitate, Active Bodies, Active Brainsis the perfect antidote for reduced activity time. Infused with brain-compatible strategies and critical-thinking challenges, this book will help students transfer the physical and thinking skills practiced and learned to other physical activities. And they'll become more physically skilled--and mentally adept--in the process.