Nonfiction

Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age

Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-01-08 05:18:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Sanjay Gupta
  • ISBN：1501166743
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Summary

Keep your brain young， healthy， and sharp with this science-driven guide to protecting your mind from decline by neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr。 Sanjay Gupta。

Throughout our life， we look for ways to keep our minds sharp and effortlessly productive。 Now， globetrotting neurosurgeon Dr。 Sanjay Gupta offers “the book all of us need， young and old” （Walter Isaacson， #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Code Breaker） with insights from top scientists all over the world， whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age。

Keep Sharp debunks common myths about aging and mental decline， explores whether there’s a “best” diet or exercise regimen for the brain， and explains whether it’s healthier to play video games that test memory and processing speed， or to engage in more social interaction。 Discover what we can learn from “super-brained” people who are in their eighties and nineties with no signs of slowing down—and whether there are truly any benefits to drugs， supplements， and vitamins。 Dr。 Gupta also addresses brain disease， particularly Alzheimer’s， answers all your questions about the signs and symptoms， and shows how to ward against it and stay healthy while caring for a partner in cognitive decline。 He likewise provides you with a personalized twelve-week program featuring practical strategies to strengthen your brain every day。

Keep Sharp is the “must-read owner’s manual” （Arianna Huffington） you’ll need to keep your brain young and healthy regardless of your age！

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Reviews

Lizanne Johnson ，

Important， easy to follow advice to keep your brain healthy。 Ha。 It definitely won’t be easy for the average American who enjoys their fast food。

Janet Lowe ，

I found it remarkable how confident the author is in his belief that individuals can have an impact on when and whether they might develop Alzheimer’s。 I hope he’s right。

Rachel ，

🧠🧠🧠

S。 ，

I learned a lot and would love for everyone to have the information contained in this book， but the writing style （especially in the first few chapters） is like an infomercial。 I suspect Dr。 Gupta had a contractual obligation to write a longer book than the content warranted。 Would recommend a shorter Cliff notes version to anyone， though！

Grant Matthew ，

A phenomenal book to get the brain going with easy to-do list of how to improve cognitive health。

John ，

Dr Gupta provides a lot of science based suggestions in this book to keep your brain healthy into old age。 He does so without succumbing to fear tactics or gimmicks and fads。 I feel like I have a better handle on the current state of understanding regarding mental health in aging having read this book。 I found parts of the book to get redundant， but some of that was good for reinforcement。 I initially listened to the audio book version of this book （read by the author himself） but also bought a Dr Gupta provides a lot of science based suggestions in this book to keep your brain healthy into old age。 He does so without succumbing to fear tactics or gimmicks and fads。 I feel like I have a better handle on the current state of understanding regarding mental health in aging having read this book。 I found parts of the book to get redundant， but some of that was good for reinforcement。 I initially listened to the audio book version of this book （read by the author himself） but also bought a print copy for future reference。 。。。more

Diane McKenzie ，

Sanjay Gupta gives clear， concise information about the brain that guides the reader to ponder and consider changes that will help build a better brain to ward off dementia and Alzheimer's etc。 Always wonderful to have reinforcement of what one is doing as well as what else one can do to support the retention of memory and continual learning。 Sanjay Gupta gives clear， concise information about the brain that guides the reader to ponder and consider changes that will help build a better brain to ward off dementia and Alzheimer's etc。 Always wonderful to have reinforcement of what one is doing as well as what else one can do to support the retention of memory and continual learning。 。。。more

Marla Nayer ，

I have now read 3 of Sanjay’s books and enjoyed them all; 2 non-fiction， 1 fiction。 As well as being a CNN correspondent he is also a practicing neurosurgeon， and very interested in the brain。 The brain， as we sometimes realize， but often don’t appreciate， is incredibly complex （more about that in Oliver Sacks’ books）。 This book debunks common myths about aging and cognitive decline， talks about diet and exercise benefits， and the impact of various activities on brain health。 He spends a large s I have now read 3 of Sanjay’s books and enjoyed them all; 2 non-fiction， 1 fiction。 As well as being a CNN correspondent he is also a practicing neurosurgeon， and very interested in the brain。 The brain， as we sometimes realize， but often don’t appreciate， is incredibly complex （more about that in Oliver Sacks’ books）。 This book debunks common myths about aging and cognitive decline， talks about diet and exercise benefits， and the impact of various activities on brain health。 He spends a large section on dementia， particularly Alzheimer’s。 15 brain details: 1。tThe typical brain comprises 2-2。5% of the body’s weight， but uses up 20% of the total energy & oxygen2。tThe brain is 73% water， so it takes only 2% hydration to affect attention， memory， and cognition3。t60% of the dry weight of the brain is fat4。tThe brain isn’t mature until 25ish （as any parent of a teenage knows）5。tEvery minute 570-1000 ml of blood flow through the brain – enough to fill a wine bottle every minute6。tThere are specific neurons that help with forgetting; they are at work at night; forgetting details （in many cases） is important （who cares what you had for breakfast 3 weeks ago）。 This was only discovered in 2019。 This confirms one of the benefits of sleep。 Addendum: 6+ hrs a night is required。 7。tMultitasking is a myth – attempting to do so slows down your thinking8。tExercising decreases the stress hormone cortisol9。tCycling is an excellent exercise; “Cyclists aged 55 – 79 suggest they have the capacity to do everyday tasks very easily and efficiently because all parts of their body are in remarkably good condition。 They also tested high on mental agility， mental health， and quality of life。” 10。tMyth: playing video games turns your mind to mush （off I go…）11。tEating 1 extra fruit a day has the estimated potential to reduce your risk of dying from a cardiovascular event by 8%。 （off to get some more cherries）12。tA 2014 landmark paper demonstrated that artificial sweeteners affect gut bacteria （microbiodome） and increase insulin resistance and diabetes。 （Oy。 I do like flavoured water。）13。tDementia is lower in countries which use a lot of Tumeric in their cooking。 Taking a supplement of this can help with mild memory problems。 （I use it in bread & butter pickles – does that count？）14。tDon’t spend the morning reading emails （what？ Me？？） Socialize more。15。tThere is a course at AlzU。com that laypeople （and doctors） can take to learn more about brain health and ongoing research。 。。。more

Mike Vaughnwilliams ，

This is a well-written， informative book that dispels many things I thought I knew about the brain and introduces people like me to the idea that brain health is inseparable from body and mind health -- the two are intertwined。 In the first section of the book， Gupta provides the latest research about the brain itself。 For example， as recently as the 90’s scientists thought you were born with all the neurons in your brain that you would ever have and these would slowly eke away as you got older， This is a well-written， informative book that dispels many things I thought I knew about the brain and introduces people like me to the idea that brain health is inseparable from body and mind health -- the two are intertwined。 In the first section of the book， Gupta provides the latest research about the brain itself。 For example， as recently as the 90’s scientists thought you were born with all the neurons in your brain that you would ever have and these would slowly eke away as you got older， or， in some cases not slowly， such as due to alcoholism。 A mere ten years later research had shown this notion to be totally false。 The brain not only can grow more neurons， it can actually grow in size well after your 20’s or 30’s。 New cells can develop throughout our lives， even in old age。 They also know that the brain is “plastic”。 That is， it actually changes according to how we use our brains。 With brain imaging， research has identified which areas of the brain are called in when we are using language， music， math， displaying emotions， etc， and musicians brains， for instance， light up much more strongly in those areas known to respond to musical abilities。 Brains actually change structure depending on our areas of interest。 The brain also can adapt to trauma by re-purposing undamaged areas of the brain to take over the functions of damaged areas。 This stuff was very interesting and， I found， hopeful。He spends much of the remainder of the book discussing how the actions we take to nourish our brain -- through exercise， diet， meditation， challenging ourselves through life-long learning， positive family and social connections -- these are things that can directly impact the quality of our thinking and our lives。 It can even help to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease。 His prescription for maintaining good brain health， particularly on exercise and diet， seems a tall order for many of us to follow， but it is good to establish ideals even if we fall short on some areas。 Overall a good read on a timely subject。 。。。more

Sheelie Kittee ，

Dr。 Gupta writes so well， it was an enjoyable read and so informative。 It is amazing how mystified we are of this 'black box' aka the brain， and yet how profound is our brain's health。 There is so much we can do thanks to the wonderous discovery of neuroplasticity。 I think everyone ought to read this book to keep in mind， just as physical and mental， emotional well being is important， we ought to dedicate more effort to our very organ encased in this glorious cerebrospinal fluid。 Dr。 Gupta writes so well， it was an enjoyable read and so informative。 It is amazing how mystified we are of this 'black box' aka the brain， and yet how profound is our brain's health。 There is so much we can do thanks to the wonderous discovery of neuroplasticity。 I think everyone ought to read this book to keep in mind， just as physical and mental， emotional well being is important， we ought to dedicate more effort to our very organ encased in this glorious cerebrospinal fluid。 。。。more

Anthony Piazza ，

Based on the title I was extremely mislead into thinking this was a book for anyone to keep sharp。 There was about 20 pages total out of 286 that was true the other 266 pages were an extremely deep and repetitive dive on Alzheimer’s and dementia。 Don’t judge a book by its cover。 Extremely misleading marketing mr。 Sanjay。 I heard this and bought because of podcast Sanjay had with tony robins and I got more value out of the 45 minute podcast than I did reading the book。What I did like - The one st Based on the title I was extremely mislead into thinking this was a book for anyone to keep sharp。 There was about 20 pages total out of 286 that was true the other 266 pages were an extremely deep and repetitive dive on Alzheimer’s and dementia。 Don’t judge a book by its cover。 Extremely misleading marketing mr。 Sanjay。 I heard this and bought because of podcast Sanjay had with tony robins and I got more value out of the 45 minute podcast than I did reading the book。What I did like - The one star is for the valuable information I got from the 12 week guide around page 210。 I’m implementing my first week of 5 new habits daily。 I am also committing to learning instruments and languages to build some extra roads in mi brain。I just wish the cover more accurately let me knew what I was getting into - not a single mention of dementia or Alzheimer’s even though it was mentioned over 1000 times in the book。 。。。more

Valerie Brett ，

Not that this book is bad per se， but don’t feel like it was worth it because I didn’t really learn anything I didn’t already know （eat well， exercise， meditate， sleep， for your health）。 I did learn that dementia/Alzheimer’s can “start” in your brain decades earlier than symptoms appear。 But otherwise it was all kind of stuff you’d know if you’re into brains and/or health。 Also a lot of the research presented as causative could just be correlation （maybe the research bears out the causation， but Not that this book is bad per se， but don’t feel like it was worth it because I didn’t really learn anything I didn’t already know （eat well， exercise， meditate， sleep， for your health）。 I did learn that dementia/Alzheimer’s can “start” in your brain decades earlier than symptoms appear。 But otherwise it was all kind of stuff you’d know if you’re into brains and/or health。 Also a lot of the research presented as causative could just be correlation （maybe the research bears out the causation， but not sure from how it’s presented here）。 。。。more

Guy ，

Much of the book seemed like plain common sense， albeit common sense I am actively avoiding。 I don't know what will be the kick in the rump that gets me to do the things I know I should do to improve my quality of life and avoid or at least postpone dementia。 I had hoped this book would inspire me but when Gupta started talking about meditation， sprinkling stevia on berries and mingling with tribes in the Amazon it was just too Gwyneth-Paltrowish for me。 I don't doubt he lives with that kind of Much of the book seemed like plain common sense， albeit common sense I am actively avoiding。 I don't know what will be the kick in the rump that gets me to do the things I know I should do to improve my quality of life and avoid or at least postpone dementia。 I had hoped this book would inspire me but when Gupta started talking about meditation， sprinkling stevia on berries and mingling with tribes in the Amazon it was just too Gwyneth-Paltrowish for me。 I don't doubt he lives with that kind of discipline （he is a brain surgeon， after all） but I probably should have looked for a book written for more simple folk。 。。。more

Katie ，

Finished right in the knick of time baaabbbyyy！！！！！ As far as non-fiction medical books go， this was an easy read and very informative。 Really enjoyed the audiobook - Sanjay is an excellent narrator。

Paddy ，

Sanjay Gupta’s book is a very practical playbook for a healthy life。 Gupta discards many of the current fads surrounding healthy living while providing science-based recommendations to maintain cognitive fitness throughout your life。 He points out that cognitive difficulties are the result of a wide range of medical and life style issues from diabetes and obesity to the lack of an active lifestyle and the absence of intellect us stimulation and purpose in work。 He debunks brain-boosting suppleme Sanjay Gupta’s book is a very practical playbook for a healthy life。 Gupta discards many of the current fads surrounding healthy living while providing science-based recommendations to maintain cognitive fitness throughout your life。 He points out that cognitive difficulties are the result of a wide range of medical and life style issues from diabetes and obesity to the lack of an active lifestyle and the absence of intellect us stimulation and purpose in work。 He debunks brain-boosting supplements and games as unsupported by research and offers common sense advice to boost cognitive health。 He shares his own lifestyle and habits as pointers。 While the focus of the book is mainly on the causes and prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s， the book is full of general advice on diet and exercise and other day to day choices we make that have a cumulative impact on brain health。 Everyone will find something of value on the book - from the most active and heathy young adults to seniors struggling with cognitive decline。 Along the way he provides hope - cognitive fitness can be developed and maintained at every stage of life and it’s never too soon or too late to start building healthy habits。 。。。more

Steve ，

A great book to end out the year。 Read in small chunks， there is a lot to learn from this well-thought-out book。 While the focus is aimed at dementia and ALZ， I think everyone can take something from this book。 Highly recommend to anyone wanting to sharpen their brains。

Deepak Rao ，

A very thorough and comprehensive discussion of how the brain's performance may be improved and a science-based way of doing so。 Sometimes the details can feel a little boring and "skip-worthy" so a re-read may be useful to ingrain the principles that the author is trying to instill in the reader。 A very thorough and comprehensive discussion of how the brain's performance may be improved and a science-based way of doing so。 Sometimes the details can feel a little boring and "skip-worthy" so a re-read may be useful to ingrain the principles that the author is trying to instill in the reader。 。。。more

Tamera Mcmahon ，

Proactive advice for living a healthy brain life。

Mandy Robek ，

Lots of helpful tips

Mark Correia ，

The beginning has a lot of basic Wikipedia info， like how much the brain weighs。 It’s nice to know but feels like filler。 Once he gets down to it， the ideas are kind of obvious and yet， maybe many people don’t know because few do them。 If you’re not， then this may give you the inspiration you need to start。

Kalie Ghiloni ，

DNF。 Beginning was great- anatomy and physiology。 The end turned in to tips for people who know nothing about health。 How many times can we say eat right， exercise and maintain relationships？

Kim ，

Listened to those—— there is some interesting new data in this books along with practical advise。 Gupta is easy to listen to and brings the most recent data to the discussion。

Bethany Ellington ，

Spoilers: you are supposed to have a healthy lifestyle。

David Baskes ，

Good， but repetitive。 12 week plan is silly， as no one I know could make all these changes that fast if starting from scratch。 Probably need to hit one at a time & make it a habit before moving to the next one。Book in a nutshell:1。 Exercise every day 2。 Keep learning3。 Sleep at least 7 hours per night4。 Good diet。 Cut out processed food & sugars5。 Frequent connections and positive relationships with friends & family

Sharon ，

Very interesting book and easy to listen to。 I may have to pick up the print book as I’d like to refer back to it。

Robin ，

Informative text on the brain and dementia/cognitive decline。 I took a lot of notes and appreciated the "brainy facts" on pages 36-37。 The text discusses the "12 destructive myths and the 5 pillars" which are now a part of my daily routine: move more， be curious and stimulate my brain （more reading！）， better sleep （less alcohol）， improved self-care routines （physical nourishment including less sugar）， and authentic connection with others （less isolation）。 I highly recommend this book to those in Informative text on the brain and dementia/cognitive decline。 I took a lot of notes and appreciated the "brainy facts" on pages 36-37。 The text discusses the "12 destructive myths and the 5 pillars" which are now a part of my daily routine: move more， be curious and stimulate my brain （more reading！）， better sleep （less alcohol）， improved self-care routines （physical nourishment including less sugar）， and authentic connection with others （less isolation）。 I highly recommend this book to those interested in "super aging" and staying sharp。 。。。more

Barbara James ，

Very useful information about cultivating and preserving brain health across the lifespan。

Isis ，

Dr。 Gupta is someone I find to be very factual and science based， which I personally appreciate。 I've always found the brain the most fascinating part of living being。 I don't have the greatest memory so I knew that this would be a great book for me to read to see if it would help me learn how to exercise my brain to help retain information。 Personally I found that it helped me a lot with all the steps and all the background information on how our brain functions。 Dr。 Gupta does an incredible jo Dr。 Gupta is someone I find to be very factual and science based， which I personally appreciate。 I've always found the brain the most fascinating part of living being。 I don't have the greatest memory so I knew that this would be a great book for me to read to see if it would help me learn how to exercise my brain to help retain information。 Personally I found that it helped me a lot with all the steps and all the background information on how our brain functions。 Dr。 Gupta does an incredible job in providing information about current developments in the neurological sciences。 I was concerned i might have a hard time understanding medical jargon or science information， however， it's well written and easy to read。 This is a great book for anyone interested in brain functions and memory loss。Thank you to Simon & Schuster for my digital galley。 。。。more

Linda Grow ，

Interesting and informative

Carol ，

Very helpful and positive information on brain health。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0