The Aging Brain- Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind - Book Review

Book:  The Aging Brain:  Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind

Author:  Timothy R. Jennings, MD

Publisher:  Baker Books

  282 pages, paperback


A great many of us are concerned about dementia these days.  Dr. Jennings has written a powerful book to help us not only understand more about this problem, but provides possible ways to prevent it from happening to us.

The book is separated into four sections:

1. History and Aging

2. Oxidative Stress and Aging

3. Lifestyle and Aging

4.  Pathological Aging

He goes into heavy detail in each chapter, describing how aging works, and also what we can do to prevent dementia.  It is scholarly but written in layman terms.  It is the type of book you do not just read, you actually study. There is research and studies he shares including the effect of drinking coffee.

Some of this may go over my head at times, but if I am very concerned about it, I will take the time to really study what he has written.  There were some sections I studied more than others.  Throughout our lives, we may be more concerned about some aspects of living than others that may not apply to us. For instance, I am not a smoker, so his excellent, detailed advice is not necessary for me to read. However, I may want this information to share with a friend or relative who is a smoker. In this case, the book is an excellent reference book for good health.

On page 44, the chapter is "Our Genes and Aging"  The subtitle of this is "Decay over Time."  There is a quote just under this by Thomas Jefferson in 1816, which says, "Bodily decay is gloomy in prospect , but of all human contemplation the most abhorrent is body without mind."

We need to understand that we will age.  We will decay, but that we can, through our choices in how we live, keep our minds sharp.

At the end of each chapter, there is an excellent feature for those who want to quickly glance through the main points and still obtain a great deal of education.  These are:

"Learning Points" - This quickly sums up, in a list, what the chapter contained.

"Action Plan - Things to do" - In chapter four, this list includes ideas such as "Be physically active in life: avoid a sedentary lifestyle." Sometimes we simply need a reminder to just keep busy and moving in the current culture we live in. 

You may or may not want to do everything he suggests. Some of the suggestions, like getting a certain kind of vaccine, may not align with your beliefs.  But take what will work for you and leave the rest.

There are some Bible verses in here, which is wonderful.

I did not read the entire book, I skimmed over some science studies that I did not want to read.  It is also a heavy book with much to think about.  If you simply want a quick read, consider just reading his "Learning Points" and "Action Plans" at the end of each chapter.  You can also study any section of any chapter where you want more detailed information.

Overall I think you will find some great information on how to prevent dementia. 


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *