Adrian Webster - Sort Your Brain Out

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright This edition first published 2021 © 2021 by Jack Lewis and Adrian Webster Registered office John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e‐books or in print‐on‐demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com . For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com . Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data is Available: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 9780857088871 (paperback) ISBN 9780857088895 (PDF) ISBN 9780857088901 (Pub) Cover Design: Wiley Cover Image: © IrkoValenko / Shutterstock

4 What This Book Is All About

5 Introduction A bit about us Where Adrian's coming from Where Jack's coming from

6 Your Amazing Brain When it comes to high performance, what does your brain look like?

7 Flying Start BOP1: Water – Start every day by rehydrating your brain BOP2: Exercise – vital for brain health (and for holding onto your marbles) BOP3: Stress – Get a grip on cortisol to manage your stress levels BOP4: Get out into nature, go soak up some rays BOP5: Caffeine – Great for brains (but morning only is best)

8 Old Dogs, New TricksRewiring needed Bring it on! Finding flow Chapter takeaways

9 Cyber HeadsBrain for sale – no longer needed I want it now! External brain reliance Will technology ruin our brains? Staying in to play Multitasking? The buzz and bleep of modern living Brain training ourselves to distraction? Chapter takeaways

10 Gone Fishing (for Great Ideas)Dunking Why is dunking so effective? Perfect timing Enhanced creativity Where in the brain do creative thoughts actually come from? Using novelty to jolt you out of set‐piece behaviours Switch it up Inputting data to feed the Eureka moments Night shift Rest and play Go jump in a few puddles! Chapter takeaways

11 Perception Is EverythingNow you see it, now you don't Your permanent blind spot Wiring up the senses Division of labour Bottom‐up and top‐down brain pathways Do I know you? Mind the gap Impacts of context and expectations on perception Chapter takeaways

12 To Do or Not to DoIcebergs of hindsight Got a hunch? Reward line What do you fancy for dinner? Updating the system Emotion‐flavoured decisions Push and pull Danger zone: excessive buy button activity likely Losses loom larger than gains The price of impatience Chapter takeaways

13 Food for ThoughtDon't wait for the leptin Eating for two (kilos of gut bacteria) Fat filled and sugared up Sugar‐coated vandalism No vacancies Best brain fuels The importance of when, not just what, you eat Chapter takeaways

14 Born To Move: “Sitting Is the New Smoking” Do it for your brain's sake Consistent high performance Unsung benefits Your natural opiates and cannabinoids Enter the iceman Molecules of movement Exploration mode Better out than in Return of the iceman Chapter takeaways

15 All Aboard the Stress Express!Stress is not the enemy Cortisol the motivator Postponing battle Who's driving your train? “Trying” to get to sleep? Sixty crucial minutes Bedroom detective Chapter takeaways

16 “Smart” DrugsEveryone's on drugs! On top of the world Not so smart drugs in schools Whistle while you work Nootropic drugs: big dilemmas, grave outcomes The original smart drug Full of beans Brewing for survival Changing perspectives Fixing up the wear and tear Chapter takeaways

17 Get Yourself Connected Help, I need somebody! Mind readers Emotional broadcast Facial feedback Rapport radar Loneliness kills Grooming and gossip You disgust me! Nurture your networks Being more social Diversity pays dividends Two buckets Chapter takeaways

18 Mind over Matter A spectacular sham Optimism bias Placebo power Secrets of happiness Beware the news Mind‐wandering: vice or virtue? Attention! Mind management Helicopter ride Optimal prime Chapter takeaways

19 Hold onto Your MarblesOver the hill Putting the brakes on Brain attack Brain‐bolstering activities Building cognitive reserve Alzheimer's disease versus Alzheimer's dementia What exactly is cognitive reserve? Redundancy in the brain Chapter takeaways

20 What's Next? The crystal ball of brain tech What could possibly hold anyone back? The feedback we received and the impact it had Repetition rules Photo albums Believing is seeing?

21 Appendix: Brain Tube Maps for Easy Reference

22 Acknowledgements

23 About the Authors Adrian Webster

24 About the Illustrator

25 Index

26 End User License Agreement

1 Cover

2 Table of Contents

3 Title Page

4 Copyright This edition first published 2021 © 2021 by Jack Lewis and Adrian Webster Registered office John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e‐books or in print‐on‐demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com . For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com . Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data is Available: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 9780857088871 (paperback) ISBN 9780857088895 (PDF) ISBN 9780857088901 (Pub) Cover Design: Wiley Cover Image: © IrkoValenko / Shutterstock