Book Review - The Owner’s Manual for Driving your Adolescent Brain
Little Pickle Press has done it again! Their new book by JoAnn Deak, PhD and Terrence Deak, PhD is a shoe-in to be your pre-teen’s next favorite addition to their MagicBlox favorites list.
In this exciting follow-up to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, you and your family will learn all about the fun world of neurons, hormones, and how your brain acts as the control box for your entire body. Hang on to your hemispheres, and get ready to embark on an exciting adventure as you read The Owner’s Manual for Driving your Adolescent Brain. (No driver’s license required!)
Learning with your child
One of the secret treasures of The Owner’s Manual for Driving your Adolescent Brain is that, unless you’re a neurologist, you’ll learn as much as your kids. When your family sees you getting excited about the wonderful world behind the reasons your brain functions the way that it does, you will inspire your children to want to learn and embrace scientific concepts. You’ll even wow your friends and colleagues at work when you give them tips on how to get smarter and grow new brain cells (“neurogenesis”) or when you say “no” to that extra cocktail at your next party because you want to Protect your brain from the harmful affects of alcohol as you learned on page 48.
Fun for everyone!
And of course, what would learning be without tasty science experiments! Did you know that your tongue (neurological taste system) is only responsive to sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory, but cannot tell the difference between flavors? Yep, your nose (olfactory system) “smells” flavor and makes eating so enjoyable not your tongue. That’s why every time you get a stuffy nose, food doesn’t taste all that good. You may be able to tell that you’re eating something sweet or salty, but it all tastes blasé.
Your kids may not believe you (or even care) when you tell them that without smell, food is tasteless. Although, after they Test their Brain Power and try to pass the blindfolded ice cream taste test on page 22, they may have a different tune. The Owner’s Manual for Driving your Adolescent Brain is full of fun activities that will open your child’s mind to the wonderful (tasty) world of science.
A sobering reality
One of the most common reasons adolescents do not pursue science and technical degrees in college is that they lack the confidence or think that science is boring. It’s not that these careers are the be-all-end-all, it’s just that our children should have the self-esteem to pursue whatever course work their heart desires and not be afraid to stretch themselves because of low self-esteem.
Truth is, knowledge is power. It has been proven that as the variety of information we expose ourselves to is expanded, the more developed we become as a person. Help empower your children through education and tackling subjects that may not be their favorites or may be thought of as challenging.
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