The Tailored Brain: From Ketamine, to Keto, to Companionship, A User's Guide to Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter

by Emily Willingham

Overview

A candid and practical guide to the new frontier of brain customization

Dozens of books promise to improve your brain function with a gimmick. Lifestyle changes, microdosing, electromagnetic stimulation: just one weird trick can lightly alter or dramatically deconstruct your brain.

In truth, there is no one-size-fits-all shortcut to the ideal mind. Instead, the way to understand cognitive enhancement is to think like a tailor: measure how you need your brain to change and then find a plan that suits it.

In The Tailored Brain, Emily Willingham explores the promises and limitations of well-known and emerging methods of brain customization, including prescription drugs, diets, and new research on the power of your “social brain.”

Packed with real-life examples and checklists that allow readers to better understand their cognitive needs, this is the definitive guide to a better brain. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541647022
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	12/14/2021
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,065,159
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Emily Willingham is a journalist and science writer. She is the author of Phallacy: Life Lessons from the Animal Penis and coauthor of The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child’s First Four Years. Willingham is a regular contributor to Scientific American. She lives in Marin County, California.  

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Meet Your Brain: The Planer 7

Chapter 2 Brain Tinkering: Tools and Techniques 35

Chapter 3 Global Cognition I: Why We're Doing It Wrong 59

Chapter 4 Global Cognition II: Game Time? 77

Chapter 5 Social Cognition: Tailoring the Brains 107

Chapter 6 Stress and Anxiety Cognition: Lightening the Load 131

Chapter 7 Attention and Memory Cognition: Gaining Focus 159

Chapter 8 Mood Cognition: Managing Melancholy 183

Chapter 9 Creative Cognition: Unlocking Innovation 211

Chapter 10 A Freaky Future: Far Out but Not Far Away 231

Acknowledgments 251

Notes 253

Selected Bibliography 259

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

11/15/2021

There are plenty of solutions for improved cognitive function out there, but not all of them are effective, contends journalist Willingham (Phallacy) in this searching guide to better brain health. Willingham begins with a look at how the brain used to be understood (it was once viewed as “a repository of the soul”) and homes in on six specific brain functions: global cognition, social cognition, stress and anxiety, attention and memory, mood, and creativity. Various programs and products on the market are evaluated: there are supplements, which are unregulated by the FDA; brain-training exercises, which may increase IQ (though IQ “varies based on context”); and the keto diet, which shows “hints” of improvement in anxiety; among others. In nearly every case, her conclusions are similar: there’s not enough credible data indicating that any of the interventions have a lasting impact, and the studies themselves are poorly designed. Checklists of Willingham’s own suggestions for beneficial actions round out most chapters, though they tend to be cursory, such as breathing exercises and advice to engage in regular exercise. Willingham effectively punches holes in unproven practices, but the lack of a positive direction leaves this work feeling lacking. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"Fascinating and timely."—Salon

“This searching guide to better brain health….effectively punches holes in unproven practices.”
 —Publishers Weekly

“In a field characterized by junk science and false promises, Willingham offers something radical and unique—a book about improving your brain that layers rigorous science upon a moral center of kindness and empathy. The Tailored Brain is for people who want to think better and be good doing it. It’s also hilarious.”—Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes

“We all want to know what neuroscience can teach us about changing our minds to make us better people—for ourselves and our world. But that research often lacks clarity, and the literature of wellness and self-improvement is full of woo and nonsense. Luckily, we have Emily Willingham. She’s an ace, and The Tailored Brain turns a cacophony of information into actionable, life-changing music.”—Adam Rogers, author of Full Spectrum

“Willingham is one of the smartest science journalists working today. In The Tailored Brain, she skillfully identifies evidence-based ways to lift our moods and sharpen our minds and calls out dodgy marketing claims about brain health. The Tailored Brain also explores how storytelling hones our empathy skills, eases mental burdens, and points us toward creative problem-solving. A must-read for anyone interested in brains and cognition.”—Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go

“Willingham invites you to connect your brain with hers, and what an amazing and profitable connection it is! She makes the science of the brain engaging, accessible, and relevant, from stress and anxiety to cognition, emotions, and so much more. With thoughtful, evidence-based action plans for optimizing your own mind-body connection, this is a timely and much-needed book.”
 —Dr. Jen Gunter, author of The Menopause Manifesto

From the Publisher