Published by Walker Books 2007
Paperback £5.99

"Nicola Morgan has that rare gift of being able to communicate science and make it fun. She brings the biology of the brain to the general reader in a way that will not only educate but entertain."

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen

Department of Developmental Psychopathology

Cambridge University

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What is it?

After the popularity of Blame My Brain (about teenagers and the interesting things going on in their heads), people asked me to write something more general about brains. So I did.

One thing that has always bugged me is how we measure ’cleverness’. It’s always based on how many exams people pass and what grades they get. But actually the people who are most successful in later life are not always the ones who were reckoned to be clever at school. Loads of people feel struggle at school but go on to be incredibly successful in later life. There are many ways of being brilliant which are simply not measured at school.

ANYWAY, Know Your Brain does three things:
1. It expains how the brain works  -  in a simple and fun way

2. It shows you how YOUR brain works, differently from someone
else’s. It lets you see what YOU are clever at and what your learning styles are. There are quizzes and activities for this.

3. It shows you how to make your brain as brilliant as possible  - with food and oxygen and water and happiness and a lot of fun. There are loads of activities, and lots of "brain boosts" to keep your brain in peak condition while you train it.

There is also a recipe for Brain CakeTM: my own special and completely delicious cake, full of things that scientists and diet experts believe are good for brains. I’ve put the recipe below.

You will also learn a lot about my dog. I use her to illustrate things about brains. She has a very simple brain compared with yours, which is why you can read this website and she can’t.

Writing Know Your Brain changed me
I found out a lot of things I hadn’t realised about my own brain and my own learning styles. But also, I changed my eating habits. And that produced some amazing results. You see, when I was writing the food section, I decided that if I was going to be giving you advice I should follow it myself; when I did, three things happened:

1. I stopped being hungry between meals. (VERY strange for me).

2. I stopped feeling sleepy in the afternoon. (Extremely strange for me).

3. I STOPPED WANTING CHOCOLATE, BISCUITS, CAKES, ETC. (Absolutely astonishing news for me)

These three things happened immediately, and have not gone away several months later.

 Would you like me to come and talk to your school? See the page Inviting me to Speak, for details of what I can offer.

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Education Guardian  -  Critics Choice  -  27th Nov 2007

Review by Kate Agnew

"With the subtitle "Feed It, Test It, Stretch It", this book falls clearly into the "does what it says on the tin" category. An edifying guide to the brain, it provides straightforward scientific explanations of mental processes, and practical advice on how to get your brain functioning better. There are reminders of the importance of eating sensibly and getting enough rest and exercise, as well as suggestions on how to prepare effectively for exams including memory tricks and brain-training activities. To adult readers much of the content may seem obvious, but for a teenage audience the material is well presented in a lucidly chatty style that combines good common sense with cheerful joviality.

"Of more interest to those encouraging teenage readers to make the most of their brains will be the clearly laid-out information about different intelligences and learning styles. These sections encourage young readers to consider how their own minds work best, with easy-to-implement recommendations for how to tailor their learning accordingly. The book includes plenty of engaging exercises, puzzles and quizzes, and even a recipe for a healthy "brain cake" rich in omega oils and super foods. Approachable, informative and crammed with good advice, this is a useful resource for both teachers and students."

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Brain CakeTM

The Recipe  -  tried and tested many times! It is my invention so please acknowledge me as the proud inventor when you tell people about it ...

A healthy snack – lower in sugar than normal cakes, with no artificial ingredients, and packed with dried fruit and nuts for long-lasting brain fuel. Linseeds and other nuts and seeds are an excellent source of omega oils, while cranberries and blueberries are also regarded as ’super foods’. Most importantly, it’s delicious!

 

Ingredients

100 g butter at room temperature (or unsaturated cooking fat)

75 g soft brown sugar (or caster sugar)

2 large eggs

200 g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 large/3 small ripe bananas mashed until smooth  -  over-ripe ones are perfect)

2 heaped dessertspoons linseeds

juice of 1 lemon

grated zest of 1 lemon (or a few drops of lemon oil are even better)

dessertspoon milk or water

 

Plus 200 g total of the following (leave out anything you don’t like or are allergic to): dried cranberries, dried blueberries, chopped dried apricots, pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds. Or choose any 200g combination of: any seeds, dried apple/other fruit, raisins, flaked almonds, chopped walnuts/any nuts, chopped very dark chocolate – all nutritious and very good brain energy foods.

 

What to do

1. Grease a 2 lb loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Heat oven to 170 / 160 fan

2. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and lemon with an electric beater.

3. Gently fold banana, linseed & nut /seed/fruit mixture with a metal spoon. Don’t over-mix.

4. Immediately tip the mixture into the prepared tin.

5. Put in the middle of the oven for 50–60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes. The cake is ready when you can put a knife into it and it comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and leave in tin for 10 mins. Turn out and cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

7. (This cake freezes well  -  a great way to use up bananas that no one wants to eat)

 

Recipe reproduced and adapted, with permission from Walker Books Ltd, from Know Your Brain  -  copyright Nicola Morgan 2007. www.walkerbooks.co.uk

 

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