Keep Sharp
Build a Better Brain at Any Age
by Sanjay Gupta
Simon & Schuster
You Like Them
Health, Mind & Body
Pub Date 05 Jan 2021 | Archive Date 31 Jan 2021

Loved this book by my favorite CNN doctor. I recommend this book to all adults who want to keep a sharp mind.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC.

4 star

Delighted to see my favorite CNN doctor address the issue of brain health. He is, after all, a brain surgeon. Especially of value is the first part of the book about the current state of diagnosis of dementias, the ineffectiveness of any current medications (in other words, don't believe everything you see on infomercials, the cure is not in a pill), the inevitable decline in function that begins earlier than we all thought, and why (a tour of the brain). Dr. G has a lovely way of explaining difficult medical concepts so the rest of the world can understand. The second part about the usual diet and exercise and lifestyle information is a little common knowledge with a few golden nuggets for extending brain health, and the third part addresses the critical needs of the family caregiver who has long been a suffering silent soul at risk for all kinds of health issues. He quotes the experts extensively, from their research and personal interviews. I kept wanting to find some hope for us baby boomers, but sadly our children will be saddled with our care if slip into the netherworld of dementia because any advancements in the form of a "cure" are a long way off.

Accessible but comprehensive, this book gives a good overview of the latest on dementia and Alzheimer's research. It also gives specific recommendations for how readers of all ages from 20's and up can improve their own brain health, including a 12-week plan that focuses on exercise, diet, stress management, purpose and connection. The only quibble I had with the book, and it's a small one, is that there is the promise in the introduction of covering tips for the caregiver -- something I was particularly interested in, given my life stage sandwiched between children and an elderly parent. However, it was just a few pages embedded into the last chapter (granted it should be its own book). Regardless, it's a very well-written and important book that I will be recommending to my audience and personal connections as well.

Amazing read! I couldn't put down the Keep Sharp book by Sanjay Gupta once I started reading it! Excellent information backed by research citations. The first section explaining the brain in an easy to understand style set the stage for the next 2 sections where he explains the key factors that impact our brain health and then gives concrete tips on what we can do on a daily basis to keep our brain sharp!! A must read for everyone! I haven't been able to stop recommending it to my family and friends..:)

This is a well written book by a medical expert who has studied the human brain. This book provides excellent tips for “staying sharp” through one’s later years. I recommend this book to all adults!

Books about the brain and neuroscience always interest me, and Sanjay Gupta's Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age qualifies because, while it is written for the lay person, it is a good combination of science and easy to understand examples. Well-documented with studies that explain the way the brain works and what we can do to keep our brains in the best condition possible, the book offers good advice and suggestions to keep our minds sharp.

A few excerpts and comments:

"But it important to know that memory is fundamentally a learning process--the result of constantly interpreting and analyzing incoming information."

"... your memory is not a single system--it's made up of a network of systems, each playing a different role in creating, storing, and recalling."

"The brain remains plastic throughout life and can rewire itself in response to learning. It can also generate new brain cells under the right circumstances."

"...exercise is the only behavioral activity scientifically proven to trigger biological effects that can help the brain." Also, "physical in activity has been calculated to be the most significant risk factor in cognitive decline and the development of dementia."

The author notes that physical exercise has often been sacrificed in schools. Research shows the benefit of physical exercise on learning. (There are tons of articles out there about how physical education/activity increases academic performance.)

How Physical Activity Affects School Performance
Growing Evidence of Physical Activity on Academic Performance
How Does Physical Activity Affect Academic Performance?

There are also plenty of studies that research the affect of physical exercise on other age groups (including my own), but in addition to my own age group, I'm concerned about how taking physical education out of schools has been a mistake that has been detrimental in so many areas of child development.

About brain-training videos, crossword puzzles, and Sudoku which can improve working memory in specific areas, Gupta adds that "...although they can help your brain get better at performing those specific activities, their benefits do not extend to other brain functions like reasoning and problem solving, both of which are key to building cognitive reserve."

The book covers everything from to diet, exercise, learning, and more. The connections Gupta makes about how these behaviors effect the brain provides essential information. It may be common sense in many cases, but the how is important to know.

Building a better brain is important for people of all ages. For children, adults, and the elderly, the book offers scientific and common sense methods to preserve and increase the brain's functions and delay cognitive decline.

Excellent addition to my brain book collection.

NetGalley/Simon & Schuster
Brain/Neuroscience/Aging. Jan., 2020. Print length: 326 pages.

Sanjay Gupta gives a comprehensive view of all the currently known tricks and techniques to keep the brain healthy, with an emphasis on staving off the much feared dementia related illnesses. Gupta gives 5 specific goals for the reader to follow to maintain memory these include, diet, exercise, social inclusion, etc.. While Gupta's book is comprehensive on the methods of keeping good brain health unfortunately society and quarantine have made many of the suggestions difficult, if not impossible for some seniors. This book is great for those who are able and have the time, resources, and know how to maintain the diet that Gupta recommends and that have the ability with today's restrictions to socialize and volunteer their time and energy. I found Gupta's suggestions to be pretty common sense approach to mental and brain health maintenance. It is a good read but somewhat repetitious. It is obvious that their is more about the brain that we do not know than that we do know. Hopefully research, as Gupta indicates, will find the cure for the disease that many fear the most, loss of memory.

This is excellent. It's meant to bring together the best current info on brain health, and it does so in a friendly way including addressing some myths. Some of the suggestions seem obvious and the author is a little verbose occasionally, but that doesn't detract from the book's value. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!