‘In bookstores, the science aisle generally lies well away from the self-help section, with hard reality on one set of shelves and wishful thinking on the other. But Norman Doidge's fascinating synopsis of the current revolution in neuroscience straddles this gap: the age-old distinction between the brain and the mind is crumbling fast as the power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility … Mind-bending, miracle-making, reality-busting stuff with implications for all human beings, not to mention human culture, human learning and human history.’
Dr Abigail Zuger, The New York Times, Science Times
‘Doidge’s book is a triumph, challenging deep-seated institutional biases. It gives hope to those who sorely need it, and perhaps something better — results.’
NY Journal of Books
‘The Brain That Changes Itself is a valuable compilation of work that seeks to prove the unsung adaptability of our most mysterious organ. Readers will want to read entire sections aloud and pass the book on to someone who can benefit from it.’
Washington Post
‘Brilliant … Doidge has identified a tidal shift in basic science and a potential one in medicine. The implications are monumental.’
London Times
‘Doidge tells the story of the scientists whose work has proven that neuroplasticity is, in fact, possible, with examples of patients suffering from strokes, paralysis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, blindness, learning disabilities, and other neurological and psychiatric problems who have been helped.’
Library Journal
‘With detailed case studies reminiscent of Oliver Sacks, combined with extensive interviews with lead researchers, Doidge … slowly turns everything we thought we knew about the brain upside down … Doidge writes interestingly and engagingly about some of the least understood marvels of the brain.’
Publishers Weekly
‘An essential primer for anyone who wants to better understand their own brains and the considerable advances in neuroscience of the past two decades.’
Gordon Farrer, The Age
‘In the intrepid tradition of Oliver Sacks, Norman Doidge embarks on a fantastic voyage through the labyrinth of the human brain.’
Simon Hughes, AFR Magazine
‘Norman Doidge has written a fascinating, highly readable account of the new brain science.’
John Cornwell, Literary Review
‘Norman Doidge’s book is beautifully written and brings life and clarity to a variety of neuropsychiatric problems that affect children and adults. With case histories that read like excellent short stories to illustrate each syndrome … It reads a bit like a science detective story and is fun…and manages to humanise an often baffling area of science and controversy. It is aimed at the well-educated lay reader-you do not need a Ph.D. to benefit from the wisdom imparted here.’
Dr Barbara Milrod, Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell University, New York
‘A rich banquet of brain-mind plasticity, communicated in a brilliantly clear writing style.’
Jaak Panksepp, PhD, Bailey Endowed Chair of Animal Well-Being Science at Washington State University; Head of Affective Neuroscience Research at Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics, Northwestern University; Distinguished Research Professor of Psychobiology, Emeritus, Bowling Green State
‘The most readable and best general treatment of this subject to date.’
Michael M. Merzenich, PhD, Francis Sooy Professor at Keck Center for Integrative Neurosciences University of California, San Francisco
‘We’ve long known that brain changes can affect our psychology and what we think. Norman Doidge has shown that what and how we think can change our brains. He has illuminated the foundations of psychological healing.’
Charles Hanly, PhD. president of International Psychoanalytical Association
‘Doidge provides a history of the research in this growing field, highlighting scientists at the edge of groundbreaking discoveries and telling fascinating stories of people who have benefited … An engaging read for anyone interested in the science behind how our surprisingly mouldable brains are changed by our experiences.’
Psychology Today
‘Doidge skillfully brings challenging neuroscience research to the lay reader through presentations of interesting case studies supported by research evidence … In every chapter Doidge presents new cases that illustrate the tremendous plasticity of the brain, and the reader is continually wowed with just how plastic and adaptable the human brain really is. Special educators, rehabilitation practitioners, psychologists, gerontologists, and neuroscientists will value this book.’
Choice
‘The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge provides a fascinating overview of the emerging science of neuroplasticity — the study of the capacity of the brain to alter and reorganise itself under the influence of learning and experience. Through a rich tapestry of narratives about patients with some of the most intractable neurological and psychological disorders, and scientists with their inspiring, sometimes paradoxical cures, Doidge has accomplished a rare feat. He has written a book that accurately conveys cutting-edge scientific discoveries while simultaneously engaging both scientific and popular audiences. This book is in the same league as other popular and influential neuroscience books such as Antonio Damasio’s Descartes’ Error, Oliver Sacks’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Joseph LeDoux’s The Emotional Brain.’
Douglas Watt and Eric A. Fertuck, Neuro-Psychoanalysis
‘Why isn’t this book on the top of the bestseller list of all time? In my mind the recognition that the brain in plastic and can actually change itself with exercise and understanding is a huge leap in the history or mankind, far greater than landing on the moon. Clear, fascinating, and gripping. Dr. Doidge gives new hope to everyone from the youngest to the oldest among us.’
Jane S. Hall, International Psychoanalysis
‘An eloquently written book about the boundless potential of the human brain. In addition to being a fascinating, informative and emotionally powerful read, it has the potential to enlighten parents about the incredible learning-enhancing opportunities now available to them and their children. Addresses learning disabilities in a unique way and could revolutionise the way educational issues are addressed.’
The Jewish Week
‘The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge shows us that at last neuroscience has caught up with what mystics and meditation have taught for centuries — the brain is infinitely changeable. Forget mechanics: the brain is not a machine, nor is it a computer made of meat. This book is a wonderful and engaging way of re-imagining what kind of creatures we are.’
Jeanette Winterson, The Guardian, ‘Best Books of 2008’
‘A book that everybody should read. When your brain is damaged, another part of the brain rewires itself and takes over the same function, making it possible for you to resume normalcy in your life. It is nothing short of miraculous.’
Yoko Ono, The Week
‘Astonishing. This book will inevitably draw comparisons to the work of Oliver Sacks. Doidge has a prodigious gift for rendering the highly technical highly readable. It’s hard to imagine a more exciting topic–or a better introduction to it.’
Kitchener Waterloo Record
‘Lucid and absolutely fascinating … engaging, educational and riveting. It satisfies, in equal measure, the mind and the heart. Doidge is able to explain current research in neuroscience with clarity and thoroughness. He presents the ordeals of the patients about whom he writes — people born with parts of their brains missing, people with learning disabilities, people recovering from strokes — with grace and vividness. In the best medical narratives — and the works of Doidge … join that fraternity — the narrow bridge between body and soul is traversed with courage and eloquence.’
Chicago Tribune
‘[A]nyone who has read Norman Doidge’s brilliant The Brain That Changes Itself, in which the author makes a convincing case for our brains being far more “plastic” and malleable than previously supposed, will suspect that our predispositions can be changed through experience.’
Andrew Smith, The Sunday Times (UK)
‘A fascinating glimpse into a new field … The Brain That Changes Itself could signal an important medical shift we're in the midst of right now.’
Drew Turney, Sun Herald
‘You really should read this book … this remarkable work will lead us to see ourselves in a new light.’
Mail on Sunday
‘This is a fascinating book which alters the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.’
Suzy Wilson, South East Advertiser
‘Perfect for fans of Oliver Sacks.’
Quill & Quire
‘It takes a rare talent to explain science to the rest of us. Oliver Sacks is a master at this ... And now there is Norman Doidge ... To benefit from a concept, one must first grasp it, and that is what makes The Brain That Changes Itself such a terrific book. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to read it — just a person with a curious mind. Doidge is the best possible guide. He has a fluent and unassuming style, and is able to explain difficult concepts without talking down to his readers ... Doidge [is] a top-notch writer ... Buy this book. Your brain will thank you.’
Globe & Mail
‘Fascinating synopsis of the revolution in neuroscience shows that the age-old distinction between the brain and the mind is crumbling fast as the power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility.’
National Post
‘Doidge has a knack for translating scientific jargon into plain English … This is an enjoyable read, an impressive translation of neuroscience for a lay audience. It will interest anyone who wants to know more about how the brain works.’
Winnipeg Free Press
‘A riveting, essential book. Doidge covers an impressive amount of ground and is an expert guide, a sense of wonder always enriching his skill as an explicator of subject matter that in less able hands could be daunting or even impenetrable. These stories are most emotionally satisfying. Doidge addresses how cultural influences literally ‘shape’ our brain. [And] it becomes clear that our response to the world around us is not only a social or psychological phenomenon, but often a lasting neurological process.’
Montreal Gazette, Dr Liam Durcan, Neurologist & Novelist
‘For years, the conventional wisdom has been that the human brain remains fixed after early childhood, subject only to deterioration. Children with mental limitations or adults suffering from brain injury can never hope to attain brain normality. Not so, says Doidge. He outlines the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Through numerous case studies, he describes stroke victims who have learned to move and speak again, senior citizens who have sharpened their memories, and children who have raised their IQs and overcome learning disabilities, among others. The science, he predicts, will have ramifications for professionals in many fields, but especially for teachers of all types.’
Education Week
‘This book is like discovering that the earth isn’t flat.’
Gretel Killeen, Sun Herald, 'The Books That Changed Me'
‘An owner’s manual for the brain, giving advice on how to maintain intellect and reasoning functions as we grow older, Doidge’s book gives the reader hope for the future. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of triumph against all odds. Extremely engrossing, and always informative.’
Curled Up With a Good Book
‘[A] remarkable book … [A] highly readable exploration of a branch of science that has the potential to change all our lives.’
Hobart Mercury
