The Memory Prescription: Dr. Gary Small'S 14-Day Plan To Keep Your Brain And Body Young »

A two-week program to improve your memory significantly -- from the author of The Memory Bible.

In his bestselling book The Memory Bible, Dr. Gary Small showed us how to improve our memory by changing our diet and lifestyle and by incorporating physical and mental exercise. Now, in response to readers' requests, Dr. Small offers The Memory Prescription -- a simple, effective two-week program to improve memory quickly. Based on years of medical research at one of the country's leading memory loss institutions, Dr. Small focuses on "the Big 4": mental activity, healthy brain and body diet, stress reduction, and physical fitness, and he offers a step-by-step regimen that can be customized to each reader's specific needs.

The nation's preeminent memory expert, Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Center on Aging, is at the forefront of the brain fitness movement. Dr. Small leads a major international memory loss research team, which is sponsored by the National Institute of Aging. He speaks around the world on memory loss and has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, and the Today show -- and his articles have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, and USA Today. He lives in Los Angeles.

Publishers Weekly

Director of the UCLA Center on Aging, Small (The Memory Bible) presents his "boot camp for the brain" program, which pulls together the four most well-proven strategies for brain and body health: mental activity, physical conditioning, stress reduction and a "healthy brain diet." Small admits no one has found "the fountain of youth," but claims to be "among the billions awaiting a first sighting." In the meantime, he suggests using this book's memory assessment tests, basic low-fat meal plans and brain-teasing exercises to achieve "quality longevity." He peppers his chapters with a "subjective memory questionnaire," "right brain" and "left brain" exercises and advanced memory drills that suggest assigning visual images to words and names (e.g., "Weinberger: a bottle of wine falling on a burger"). Employing a chatty writing style that occasionally lapses into infomercial-speak ("But wait, there's more!"), Small manages to intersperse authoritative scientific evidence from leading research universities throughout the text. But much of the information here can be found in a variety of other fitness and lifestyle books, such as relaxation and stress reduction techniques, healthy diet and exercise plans, and examples of the power of positive thinking and keeping mentally active. Small pays scant attention to popular (if unproven) memory-boosting rejuvenators like hormone replacement therapy and ginkgo biloba. Small's reporting on memory research may be up to the minute, but overall his book feels padded and unoriginal. Agent, Sandra Dijkstra. (June 9) Forecast: The Memory Bible was a 2002 bestseller, and Small is now a recognizable name. He'll promote his book on the Today show, and will do a radio interview campaign. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.