Adequate sleep, exercise essential for those who live by ‘Brain Rules'
Adequate sleep, exercise essential for those who live by ‘Brain Rules'

By Dennie Hall

Published: March 23, 2008

If a noted authority on the human brain had his way, the workplace would be quite different.

People would wear gym clothes; board meetings would be conducted on treadmills; and desks would be equipped with stationary bicycles. What's more, a 3 p.m. nap would be on the agenda.

Those are some of John Medina's suggestions in his provocative new book, "Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School” (Pear Press, $29.95).

Medina, director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, is strong on exercise. He claimes it makes people work more efficiency and makes learning easier.

Come to think of it, I used to get some of my best ideas while mowing my grass. I attributed it to having no interruptions, but it may have been the exercise. Now that my wife and I live in a condo, I don't mow and don't miss it one bit.

Medina says adequate sleep enables people to think well and that stressed brains don't learn the same way. Those are a few more of the 12 rules he discusses. Some of his observations are hardly news. As an example, he notes that male and female brains are different and that we don't pay attention to boring things.

Enhancing the book is a bonus DVD that serves an introduction. The publisher touts the book as containing "fascinating stories” that come from Medina's "infectious sense of humor.”

Medina is opposed to talking on a cellular telephone while driving, wants to destroy the concept of homework and contends there is no such thing as multitasking.

His other books include "The Genetic Inferno,” "The Clock of Ages,” "Depression,” "What You Need to Know About Alzheimer's,” "The Outer Limits of Life” and "Uncovering the Mystery of AIDS.” He lives in Seattle with his wife and two sons.

Despite his impeccable credentials, I'm not going back to mowing grass.

As to the 3 p.m. nap, that sounds good, but I doubt I could do that unless my fellow workers could, too.

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