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| Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain | 
 enlarge | Author: John J. Ratey
Creator: Eric Hagerman
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $13.02
You Save: $11.97 (48%)
New (35) Used (18) from $13.02
Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 1415
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0316113506
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.76
EAN: 9780316113502
ASIN: 0316113506
Publication Date: January 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new item. Over 4 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Few left in stock - order soon. Code: H20081114205835T
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Product Description
A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.
In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 Excellent, motivating book... December 1, 2008
Teaches you about brain chemistry and biology, and how it can be positively affected by exercise. You will never think of exercise as something to do merely for physical appearance or even physical health. It can help you focus, be more productive, and beat depression or depression-like symptoms. The author has the science to back up the claims and organizes the book in such a way that it is easy to follow and learn. I'm hoping that it will lead me -- as an intellectual person -- to exercise more upon an intellectual understanding as to the wide-range positive effects it has. I hope to be a poster child for it, and will let you know more about how it works, beyond the intellectual level...
Spark hits the mark! October 22, 2008
SPARK is a must read book! Dr. Ratey does an amazing job of relating case study after case study in such an interesting and easy manner. This is so important for people of all ages to read to understand the implications exercise has on everything from ADHD to Alzheimer's Disease! As a personal trainer and advocate for movement in the classroom, I feel this book hits it right on the mark, without being pushy.
 Exercise requires repetition but not the book. October 6, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The content is interest and important, but he simply repeats himself too much. This is a 250 page book with 75 pages of substance.
Spark October 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great Book - Tells the average Joe six pack how to improve his life, mind and Body through exercise . Use your bodies Natural drugs to feel better- and there are Legal
This book could change your life October 1, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
John Ratey is well known for his groundbreaking work on Attention Deficit Disorder. He coauthored the book, "Driven to Distraction" with Ed Hallowell. His newest book is "Spark- The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain." I found Spark a fascinating read. Ratey cites dozens of studies that span decades and continents. All point to the same conclusion: exercise, and aerobic exercise in particular, boosts the release of important neurotransmitters and enhances cognitive function. For people with ADD or ADHD, this boost can be life changing. Ratey is not prescribing exercise as the "cure" for attention issues, but he does offer specific examples of people who have used exercise to combat the negative effects of stress and attention problems. Many were able to reduce or eliminate ADD medications, though he clearly states that for some people, a combination treatment of both medication and structured exercise may be best.
Ratey talks at length about the success of a special gym program instituted in Naperville, Illinois. The emphasis is on personal fitness. Students in this area have very strong tests scores and a very low rate of childhood obesity. In other places around the country that have implemented a similar program, standardized scores have risen dramatically. These case studies are fascinating.
"Spark" has inspired me to increase my own exercise routine, and also to institute morning recess at home each day. My homeschooled kids are absolutely loving it and we're finding the morning transitions go much more smoothly when we all look forward to getting outside and moving our bodies! We've been running laps on the driveway (five times back and forth to the mailbox is about a mile), doing calisthenics, playing four square, jump rope, and kickball. My three year old has her own method of jumping jacks that is just hilarious to watch. My daughter who has the hyperactive sort of attention deficit enjoys sprinting before school, and appears to have less trouble focusing after she has been active. I think my next investment will be a basketball hoop!
Everyone knows that exercise is good for the body, but it is high time that we recognize how good it is for the mind. For a child who has attention issues, a solid workout each morning may make a real difference. I'd be skeptical of a drug that claimed to, "supercharge your mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen your thinking, lift your mood, boost your memory, and much more" , but these are very real affects that regular exercise can produce. Not all exercise is equally effective in fighting symptoms of ADD. Read this book to find out how to implement a regimen that will work for you or your children.
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