The Plastic Mind

Sharon Begley

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For decades, the conventional wisdom of neuroscience held that the hardware of the brain is fixed - that we are stuck with what we were born with. But recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity reveal that the brain is capable not only of altering its structure but also of generating new neurons, even into old age. The brain can adapt, heal, renew itself after trauma and compensate for disability.

In this groundbreaking book, highly respected science writer Sharon Begley documents how this fundamental paradigm shift is transforming both our understanding of the human mind and our approach to deep-seated emotional, cognitive and behavioural problems.

These breakthroughs show that it is possible to reset our happiness meter, regain the use of limbs disabled by stroke, train the mind to break cycles of depression and OCD and reverse age-related changes in the brain.

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Praise for The Plastic Mind

  • There are two great things about this book. One is that it shows us how nothing about our brains is set in stone. The other is that it is written by Sharon Begley, one of the best science writers around. This is a terrific book.It is very seldom that a science in its infancy is so skilfully unpacked that it reads like a detective novel.Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our SensesBrilliant - Health Writer

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Sharon Begley

Sharon Begley

Sharon Begley is the senior science writer at STAT, the life sciences publication of The Boston Globe. She previously worked at Reuters, Newsweek, The Daily Beast and The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of Can't Just Stop, The Emotional Life of Your Brain (with Richard J. Davidson), The Plastic Mind and The Mind and the Brain (with Jeffrey Schwartz). She has received numerous awards for communicating science to the public.

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