This delightful visual book provides an accessible introduction to how play affects the holistic development and brain growth of children from birth to five years. Written by a leading expert, it brings current theory to life by inviting the reader to celebrate the developing brain that loves to play and is hungry for sensitive human interaction and rich play opportunities. Packed full of images and links to film clips of children playing in a variety of contexts on the companion website, chapters focus on different ages and stages of development, providing snapshots of real play scenarios to explore their play preferences and the theory that underpins their play behaviour. With clear explanations of what is happening in the body and brain at each "stage," this book reveals the richness of the play opportunities on offer and the adult’s role in facilitating it. Each chapter follows an easy-to-navigate format which includes: • Best practice boxes showing how play in different contexts has impacted a child’s development • QR codes linking to short film clips on a companion website to exemplify key points • Brain and body facts sections providing short accessible explanations of key theories • Play and pedagogy discussion questions • Extended material to support the level four descriptors for degree-level study. With opportunities to dig deeper, full-colour photographs, and a fully integrated companion website, The Brain that Loves to Play is essential reading for all early years students and practitioners and all those with an interest in child development.

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

The Brain Book investigates the amazingly complex and intriguing structure that is the human brain. Made up of billions of nerve cells, the brain controls our thoughts, movements, behaviour and emotions. This comprehensive book explores such diverse topics as how we sense the world, consciousness and memory, through to diseases and disorders, the ageing brain and spinal injury repair. Containing the latest medical research, The Brain Book explains in concise, clear language important health issues such as the effects of recreational drugs and medicines on the brain, strokes, tumours and the biological basis of mental illness. Hundreds of colour images, including stunning 3-D illustrations created exclusively for this book, reveal the intricate workings of the brain to show incredible details beyond what the eye can usually see.

The Human Brain Book is a complete guide to the one organ in the body that makes each of us what we are - unique individuals. It combines the latest findings from the field of neuroscience with expert text and state-of-the-art illustrations and imaging techniques to provide an incomparable insight into every facet of the brain. Layer by layer, it reveals the fascinating details of this remarkable structure, covering all the key anatomy and delving into the inner workings of the mind, unlocking its many mysteries, and helping you to understand what's going on in those millions of little gray and white cells. Tricky concepts are illustrated and explained with clarity and precision, as The Human Brain Book looks at how the brain sends messages to the rest of the body, how we think and feel, how we perform unconscious actions (for example, breathing), explores the nature of genius, asks why we behave the way we do, explains how we see and hear things, and how and why we dream. Physical and psychological disorders affecting the brain and nervous system are clearly illustrated and summarized in easy-to-understand terms.

BECOMING is better than BEING. I have Bubble Gum Brain. I like to chew on my thoughts, flex, bend and stretch my brain, and expand the way I think! I make great mistakes that help me learn. I have Brick Brain. With me, things are the way they are...and they're probably not going to change much. I am the way I am...and that's just how it is. Meet Bubble Gum Brain and Brick Brain: two kids with two VERY different mindsets. Bubble Gum Brain likes to have fun adventures, learn new things, and doesn't worry about making great mistakes. Brick Brain is convinced that things are just fine the way they are and there's not much he can do to change them, so why try? When Bubble Gum Brain shows Brick Brain how to peel off his wrapper, Brick Brain begins to realize just how much more fun school...and life... can be! This creative story teaches children (and adults) the valuable lesson that becoming is better than being, which can open the door to a whole new world of possibilities! Ready, Get Mindset...GROW!!

An Instant New York Times Bestseller A #1 LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results. Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward. Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history. With new breakthroughs in modern neuroscience and the wisdom of thousands of years of contemplative practice, it is possible for us to shape our own thoughts in a similar way for greater happiness, love, compassion, and wisdom. Buddha's Brain joins the forces of modern neuroscience with ancient contemplative teachings to show readers how they can work toward greater emotional well-being, healthier relationships, more effective actions, and deepened religious and spiritual understanding. This book will explain how the core elements of both psychological well-being and religious or spiritual life-virtue, mindfulness, and wisdom--are based in the core functions of the brain: regulating, learning, and valuing. Readers will also learn practical ways to apply this information, as the book offers many exercises they can do to tap the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater peace and well-being.