Brain Manual - Hardcover

To what extent is the human brain like a computer? Both devices have input and output peripherals, and a certain amount of mystery about what happens in between; and both can suffer from system malfunctions and crashes, especially if they're asked to do too much. (More working days in the UK are lost to stress-related illness than to physical problems.) But the brain still has the edge in speed and complexity, and looks like retaining it for a while yet. In this latest book, Dr. Ian Banks looks at how the brain works, what effects the various inputs and outputs have, and what people can do to improve and maintain their own mental well-being and that of those around them. Recent research shows that simple things such as diet and exercise can have a profound effect on mood and memory. Similarly, crosswords and computer games need not be just pastimes, they can increase mental agility. And what happens when you meditate or visit a hypnotherapist? As usual, Jim Campbell's cartoons and Haynes technical illustrations complement the text to make this an entertaining as well as a thought-provoking read.

Dr. Ian Banks has written numerous popular health titles, including the best-selling Haynes Man, Baby and Sex manuals. He is also the author of the NHS Direct Health Care Guide, a frequent broadcaster, the President of the European Men's Health Forum and a practising casualty doctor. Before qualifying medically he was a TV repair engineer, a skill for which his patients sometimes called him out in the evenings. He is married, with 4 children; home is an organic farm in Northern Ireland.