Bringing order & relevance to the cascade of recent brain findings Dr John Ratey explains the brains most important systems the role they play in determining how we interact with the world & ways in which we can influence their operations for the better. Throughout he illustrates his points with vivid & often surprising examples drawn from his own practice research & everyday life. Ratey answers such compelling questions as: What does it mean to be linguistically ambidextrous? How does a mothers cradling of her child on her left shoulder relate to the development of language skills? Why does listening to music while doing homework improve accuracy? Why do people like spicy foods? He also analyses the ways in which things can go wrong detailing causes & treatments for diseases such as autism Parkinsons & Alzheimers as well as numerous neurological disorders. As Dr. Ratey demonstrates throughout the book the brain is astonishingly flexible able to be retrained & reprogrammed. Like a muscle it responds to use adapting to new demands & conditions allowing as the title of the book suggests the guidance of the user.