Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
Book Review: Disappointing and Irritating
Summary: 2 Stars
Whatever your problem is, exercise will very likely solve it. Whatever your dream is -- living longer, more energy, better mood, and so on -- exercise will make it come true. There. Now you've read the book.
Well, you haven't quite read it... You will have missed hundreds of pages of dull and mostly irrelevant discussions of brain anatomy, neurotransmitters, and stress physiology. If you sometimes read about science, mood, stress, and so on, you've seen it all before.
I gave this book two stars instead of one. I considered one. If you are thinking about exercising more, it's probably a good idea. This book might inspire you to get off the sofa and head to the gym. It deserves a little credit for that.
The truth is, exercise might improve your mood, increase your intelligence, improve your educational success, cure your ADHD, or solve your addiction problem... Or, it might not. There's one way to find out, which is to try it. Exercise a lot, and stick with the program long enough to find out. Good luck with it.
Recent research does seem to indicate that exercise can improve or cure depression, in some cases, and maybe help solve other problems, too. Don't get too excited, though. Most of this research consists of small studies, rat studies, test tube studies and poorly controlled studies. The "revolution" in exercise research has not yet occurred.
The authors have never seen an exercise study they didn't like. They are enthusiasts and true believers. Drop a nickel in the slot -- what comes out? Big surprise! Exercise! Are there contrary studies? Do some people fail to benefit from exercise, and, if so, why? Are some methods more effective than exercise? Are some exercise studies so flawed that they should be disregarded? You'll never find out from reading this book.
Spark is a hodgepodge of anecdotes, case studies from the author's clinical experience, summaries of scientific studies, commentary from the author and useless physiology lessons that almost every reader will skim or skip. It has no literary coherence, no theoretical or scientific coherence.
Desperate to avoid obesity and diabetes, wishing to live longer, hoping to be more attractive, many people are exercising regularly. That's probably wise. Most people aren't exercising at all. It's probably better to exercise. That's about all you're going to learn from this book
Book Review: Scientific Proof to back up our anecdotal observations
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for information to help children with Learning Disabilities. This book provides scientific and medical evidence of the benefits of exercise to reduce stress and improve learning abilities as well as to improve self-confidence and reduce anxiety. All information is easy to read and applicable to average people. Every school teacher, phys-ed teacher, parent and adult should read this book. John J. Ratey, MD is THE EXPERT in this field. Now, I will head over to the treadmill to fire up my brain...Book Review: Why putting you and your fitness first is good for everyone - family, job and friends
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an exceptional book on why exercise should be the cornerstone of your life.
The only problem is it may be a little "stiff" for the less scientifically inclined. I have a Masters degree in Engineering Physics and I had to step back in key paragraphs to re-read it. Got it, but it sometimes took patience. On the other hand, it also may be a testament to the depth of this book. It would have been nice if there could have been more tables, charts and figures to help examine the material. Instead of text only to describe biochemical mechanism within the body, there should be accompanying drawings. If there were, then it would have been a 5 out 5.
What's astounding about this book is that he gives the reader all the latest, myth busting research right up to the end of 2007. All his evidence will have you no longer saying to your kids "Did you finish your homework, then you can go out to play" but rather "Did you finish your playing outdoors, then you can do your homework". Suffice it to say we were never built to sit at a desk. We haven't changed much since the days of tracking down prey with combinations of walking, jogging and sprinting to make the kill. Yet, most people burn less than 50% of the calories that our ancestors did. This is compounded by our lack of focus on fitness coupled to a sedimentary work life. And I think that is the premise of the book and may be the root cause of all the afflictions he goes on to talk about: kid's poor scores in school, adult and child obesity, dementia, parkinson disease and depression to name a few. He also gives the latest research insights for fitness with number of days, hours and intensity levels that are best. Unfortuately, he doesn't go into details of the how to run, weightlift etc. That I think is for another book.
Book Review: Exercise, the most important thing your life is missing
Summary: 4 Stars
Spark explains the burgeoning research into how exercise is one of the key ingredients missing in the modern Western lifestyle. The author uses numerous anecdotal, statistical and research based examples to make a compelling case for improving quality of life during any phase by simply moving.
Depressed? Exercise! Injured? Exercise! Obese? Exercise.
Spark is an important book because the idea that you might just be able to replace your Lexapro prescription with an hour of Dance Dance Revolution per day is hugely important. The idea that your brain chemistry and your ability to feel good is largely based on how much you move is hugely important.
I happened to find Spark about a year into a rejuvenation of my own health through exercise so let me add my own anecdotal evidence - exercise can and did allow me to get through depression, panic attacks and has helped me with what is probably a mild case of ADD or ADHD - conditions I once scoffed at as made up.
Spark is a convincing tome. If it cannot get you to stop popping pills and start exercising ever day, nothing will. I did not give Spark five stars because some of the explanations of how brain chemistry works are a little complex for the general reading public.
Book Review: AAAAAA++++
Summary: 5 Stars
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