Your Strange Brain

I have been thinking about my brain a great deal over the past year.

I was officially diagnosed with Epilepsy exactly one year ago today, although I had been dealing with symptoms for over ten months. I spent the previous three days in an EMU (Epilepsy Monitoring Unit) with electrodes attached to my head. The electrodes were part of an EEG (Electroencephalogram) which monitored the electrical activity in my brain. I was not allowed to sleep, cameras were constantly monitoring my moves, and every few hours an EEG technician would visit to perform several tests (the only one I remember was the one with the flashing lights). It was not a pleasant experience, but it helped my doctor answer many questions we had about my crazy brain.

A lot has changed for me in the last year. Some good. Some bad. I have learned (or am learning for some things) how to live my new normal. It is not always easy, especially on a hard day when I have had a seizure (I suffer from absences seizures as well as what most people think of as regular seizures). I also have migraines (which is connected to my Epilepsy). Now, I did not intend for this post to be about my strange brain, but about the book You and Your Strange Brain: A Book of Brains, How They Work, and Sometimes Don't written by Clive Gifford and illustrated by Anne Wilson.

 

The infographic design allows the reader to move about the pages reading small chunks of information separated by boxes, lines, illustrations, and/or font. The brightly colored drawings easily grab the reader's attention and draw them into the descriptive text. I especially love the pictures and experiments throughout the book which challenge or trick the brain. At the end of the book is a section titled "Brain Games". These are "think outside the box" riddles, logic problems, and visual puzzles. (I was able to solve 10.5 of the 14 correctly!) There is also a section of additional resources that includes books (with a separate list for older teens), websites, videos, online experiments, and activities; as well as an index. 

Although the target audience for this book is preteens (11-13; grades 6-8), it is a very informative book for older readers. As an adult learning, something new can be daunting, especially when it is a complicated subject, like the brain. For some, I included, it is easiest to begin your learning journey through a children's or young adult book. One should feel no stigma for reading this book. When you need information go to the source, no matter where it may be located in the library! 

I would recommend this title for middle school and public libraries.

You and Your Strange Brain is expected to on sale on May 8, 2021, and is published by Quarto Publishing Group - QEB Publishing.

*To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, Quarto Publishing Group has provided a complimentary electronic copy of You and Your Strange Brain for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

It's Been Awhile...Let's Talk Science

Yes, it has been a while. Why you ask? Well, life happened. I have been dealing with medical issues for the past two years. I am still learning my new normal. For a while, I was not able to read. Now that issue has been resolved, I am returning to sharing my passion. Enough about me, let's get to some really great books.

A Walk Around the Block: Stoplight Secrets, Mischievous Squirrels, Manhold Mysteries & Other Stuff You See Every Day (And Know Nothing About) by Spike Carlsen

Have you ever been asked why manhole covers are round? Have you ever asked yourself why are stop signs red octagons, but railroad crossing signs are yellow circles? To be honest, these two questions never crossed my mind, but for Spike Carlsen, they were merely a few of the questions he had as he took a walk around his neighborhood.

A Walk Around the Block is really a collection of research-based (but easily read) field trips Carlsen takes based on his observations in and around his neighborhood. He is first challenged when he ponders where the water in his bathroom sink comes from, so he finds an expert - a manager at his local City Water Department. A variety of "things" we see, use, and generally take for granted around our home and community are the focus of this non-fiction text. 

When you walk out of your front door, where are you? Is there a small slab of concrete beneath your feet, or are you standing on wooden planks (or maybe HPDE - High-Density Polyethylene lumber - better known as recycled milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles) which have been used to create a porch? I'm sure your porch or entry doesn't sound too exciting, but when reading the first chapter of Carlsen's book, you begin to learn the history and functionality of the area around your front door.

Each part is broken up into categories: Incoming, Outgoing, Surfaces, Nature, and Signs, Lines, and Lights. Under the parts are chapters about the "things" we generally take for granted:  telephone wires, sewers, asphalt, parks, and street names. These are just a few of the interesting topics covered in this 336-page book filled with expert information the author has gathered as he has visited the people and places making up the infrastructure of society.

I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries. The subjects are not ones you might usually read about, but it is not only interesting to learn about the things around you every day, but also about the people behind the scenes who operate and maintains they large facilities and resources we generally take for granted. You will never look at road construction or a front porch the same.

A Walk Around the Block is expected to be on sale on October 20, 2020, and is published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins.

While reading the chapter "Roadkill (and Litter): Squished, Plucked, and Plogged. I learned about Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other by Heather L. Montgomery, written for budding scientists from ages 10 and up.

I never thought I would read an interesting book on poop, but I have to say, this was not only interesting but made me think of excrement in a whole new manner.

Who Gives a Poop is filled with scientific experiments done by the author (a biologist) and an array of other scientists she meets as she researches this book. It is amazing what can be learned from the scat (a term for wild animal droppings) there are specific terms for excrement based on the animal, and they are listed in the back of the book.

The book begins with the discovery of a coyote carcass on the interstate. When the author comes upon a carcass she removes them from the road to prevent other animals from scavenging the body for food. Near the coyote was the last deposit made before their untimely death. The author picks up the turd (making a careful note to say she was wearing latex gloves) and discovers a variety of interesting facts based on what she sees. There are seeds, a small paw, and hair in the sample. This tells her the animal ate fruit and meat.

This is just the beginning of the information which can be learned from the droppings, dingleberries, guano, etc. discovered, described, and experimented upon in this book. When young readers begin to read, I believe their scientific interests will be peaked and they will want to dive into some of the mention of the task at the end of the book.

Who Gives a Poop! is expected to be on sale on September 8, 2020, and is published by Bloomsbury.

**To comply with guidelines set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, HarperOne and Bloomsbury have provided a complimentary electronic copy of A Walk Around the Block and Who Gives a Poop for review purposes. This review is my opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.