Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife

Why Can't You Remember Where You Put Your Keys?

or The Title Of The Movie You Saw Last Week?

Anyone Older Than Forty Knows That Forgetfulness Can Be Unnerving, Frustrating, And Sometimes Terrifying. With Compassion And Humor, Acclaimed Journalist Cathryn Jakobson Ramin Explores The Factors That Determine How Well Or Poorly One's Brain Will Age.

she Takes Readers Along On Her Lively Journey—consulting With Experts In The Fields Of Sleep, Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Hormones, Genetics, And Dementia, As Well As Specialists In Nutrition, Cognitive Psychology, And The Burgeoning Field Of Drug-based Cognitive Enhancement. Along The Way, She Turns Up Fresh Scientific Findings, Explores The Dark Regions Of The Human Brain, And Hears The Intimate Confessions Of High-functioning Midlife Adults Who—like So Many Of Us—are Desperate To Understand Exactly What's Going On Upstairs.

publishers Weekly

memory Loss And Other Cognitive Problems Are Increasingly The Bugaboo Of Aging Baby Boomers, As Well As Many Of Their Elders. In Her First Book, Veteran Journalist Ramin Turns Herself Into A Guinea Pig As She Seeks Ways To Restore Her Own Failing Memory And Growing Inability To Concentrate. Looking At A Wide Variety Of Genetic, Biochemical And Environmental Factors That Slow The Connections Among The Brain's 100 Billion Neurons, Especially In The Hippocampus, Ramin Undertakes 10 Interventions, Methods Of Achieving Her Cognitive Enhancement. She Logs The Ups And Downs Of Medications Such As Adderall And Provigil; She Looks At Dietary Supplements And Biofeedback. She Ends With Discussions With Experts, Such As Nobelist Eric Kandel, About What Keeps Some People Mentally Young Into Old Age; The Key Seems To Be Having The Mental Reserves Gained From Challenging One's Mind With New Kinds Of Learning Such As Learning A New Language Or Studying Art That Use Different Parts Of The Brain; The Right Diet And Exercise Also Help. Overall, The Variety Of Perspectives And The Wealth Of Scientific Information Ramin Provides, As Well As Her Warm Personal Style, Will Reward Readers And May Well Help Them Stay Mentally Sharp. (apr. 1)