Staying Sharp: 9 Keys for a Youthful Brain Through Modern Science and Ageless Wisdom

In this thoughtful guide, psychiatrist Emmons (The Chemistry of Calm) and clinical psychologist Alter offer tips about how to retain your memory and mental agility as you age. The authors say that it’s important to identify how you wish to “engage the aging process” and then develop skills and practices that will enable you to live “with a joyful heart.” They describe nine key “pillars of health” that contribute to a “youthful brain,” including movement, nourishment, and optimism. Emmons and Alter maintain an encouraging tone throughout, beginning with their discussion of managing feelings of being distracted or overwhelmed. This book, they assure readers, presents an opportunity to learn how to retain “brain vitality.” It’s also a study of resilience designed to help readers in an era in which “80 is the new 60.” The authors, who have worked together for over 25 years, dub their approach an intersection of Eastern tradition and Western science. Some readers may be skeptical, but for those open to new ways of thinking and acting, this book will provide a valuable start. (Sept.)