The brain that changes itself : stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science / Norman Doidge.

First published by Scribe in 2008.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [323]-408) and index.

A woman perpetually falling : rescued by the man who discovered the plasticity of our senses -- Building herself a better brain : a woman labeled "retarded" discovers how to heal herself -- Redesigning the brain : a scientist changes brains to sharpen perception and memory, increase speed of thought, and heal learning problems -- Acquiring tastes and loves : what neuroplasticity teaches about sexual attraction and love -- Midnight resurrections : stroke victims learn to move and speak again -- Brain lock unlocked : using plasticity to stop worries, obsessions, compulsions, and bad habits -- Pain : the dark side of plasticity -- Imagination : how thinking makes it so -- Turning our ghosts into ancestors : psychoanalysis as a neuroplastic therapy -- Rejuvenation : the discovery of the neuronal stem cell and lessons for preserving our brains -- More than the sum of her parts : a woman shows us how radically plastic the brain can be -- The culturally modified brain -- Plasticity and the idea of progress.

The author takes us onto terrain that might seem fantastic. We learn that our thoughts can switch our genes on and off, altering our brain anatomy. We learn how people of average intelligence can, with brain exercises, improve their cognition and perception, develop muscle strength, or learn to play a musical instrument simply by imagining doing so. Using personal stories from the heart of this neuroplasticity revolution, the author has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.