The Playful Brain

The Surprising Science of How Puzzles Improve Your Mind

This is your brain on puzzles.

Everyone knows that puzzles can improve your brain function. Now a leading neurosurgeon and a noted puzzle designer team up to reveal the fascinating science behind it. Packed with illuminating insights and dozens of puzzles, this is both a lively book of popular science and an engaging set of exercises in developing a wide array of thinking and memory skills.

© Carolyn Restak
Richard Restak, M.D., is a neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, and clinical professor of neurology at George Washington University’s Medical Center. He is the bestselling author of fifteen acclaimed books about the brain, including Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot and Poe’s Heart and the Mountain Climber. He has also written the companion book to several PBS specials. View titles by Richard Restak

About

This is your brain on puzzles.

Everyone knows that puzzles can improve your brain function. Now a leading neurosurgeon and a noted puzzle designer team up to reveal the fascinating science behind it. Packed with illuminating insights and dozens of puzzles, this is both a lively book of popular science and an engaging set of exercises in developing a wide array of thinking and memory skills.

Author

© Carolyn Restak
Richard Restak, M.D., is a neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, and clinical professor of neurology at George Washington University’s Medical Center. He is the bestselling author of fifteen acclaimed books about the brain, including Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot and Poe’s Heart and the Mountain Climber. He has also written the companion book to several PBS specials. View titles by Richard Restak

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more