The title in itself is a shocking revelation of a phenomena that has been of great interest to all humans since creation. Dr. Norman Doidge MD brings his interviews with the major professionals in this field that are proving the “plasticity” of the brain.

The very idea that the brain can actually find pathways around damaged or challenged parts of the brain has only recently been accepted by these professionals after a great deal of research. There is hope for victims of Stroke, Depression, Autism and many related brain challenged disorders.

I must thank Elaine Bevans for loaning this book to me and I must say that it captured my inquisitive attention until I read every page.

I will quote some interesting sections so that my readers may appreciate the depth of information that is available to those who may choose to read this book.

Page 43 “….For people, post-mortem examinations have shown that education increases the number of branches of neurons. An increased number of branches drives the neurons farther apart, leading to an increase in volume and thickness of the brain. The idea that the brain is like a muscle that grows with exercise is not just a metaphor….”

I found this very interesting as my deceased neighbor, retired Professor Harry Jukes, went barefoot as much as he was able. He believed what is being said in this next quotation from page 90 “….they are working on “gross motor control”, a function that declines as we age, leading to loss of balance, the tendency to fall, and difficulties with mobility. Aside from the failure of vestibular processing, this decline is caused by them decrease in sensory feedback from our feet. According to Mezenrich, shoes, worn for decades, limit the sensory feedback from our feet to our brain……..As we age, we want to look down at our feet while walking down stairs or on slightly challenging terrain, because we’re not getting much information from our feet…”

Notation made by EWV March 24 2016 from the book The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norma Doidge MD