The Changing Mind

Apr 30, 2025 5:01 AM

Author:Daniel Levitin,Daniel Levitin

The Changing Mind

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

More of us are living into our eighties than ever before - what if the best was yet to come? The bestselling author of The Organized Mind reveals the evolving power of the human brain through the ages.

Recent studies show that our decision-making skills improve as we age, and that our happiness levels peak at age 82.

Dr Daniel Levitin draws on cutting-edge research from neuroscience and psychology to demonstrate the cognitive benefits of getting older. He challenges the beliefs that surround the ageing process, including our assumptions around memory loss and our focus on lifespan instead of 'healthspan'.

Packed with engaging interviews with individuals who have thrived far beyond the conventional age of retirement, this book offers a realistic plan full of practical, cognitive enhancing tricks for everyone to follow during each decade of their life.

The Changing Mind is a radical exploration of what we all can learn from those who age joyously.

Reviews

The secrets of ageing well ... Daniel Levitin is a distinguished American neuroscientist and this is a serious, evidence-based guide to what really works and why

—— Sunday Times

A fact-filled and optimistic guide to ageing well ... Levitin is an invaluable kind of scientist ... The Changing Mind is replete with curious facts ... Optimism is a life-preserver. His book bubbles with it. Levitin makes a strong case for the consolations if not the joys of age

—— John Sutherland , The Times

Optimistic in tone ... Levitin loves to tell stories ... he's a good companion

—— Evening Standard

Comprehensive and fascinating insight into the evolving human brain. This book could change your life

—— Professor Stephen Westaby, author of 'Fragile Lives'

None of us can afford to ignore Daniel Levitin's The Changing Mind ... The good news is that it's not all downhill: according to Levitin our decision-making skills and happiness levels actually increase in later life

—— New Statesman

The idea that your mind has to decline with age is false - and there is plenty we can do to keep it sharp

—— Telegraph

Neuroscientist Levitin delves into the multiple-trace theory of memory, the ageing microbiome, fats and the brain, the impacts of neural implants, and the joys of non-retirement. A clear-eyed, insightful overview of the neurophysiological healthspan

—— Nature

Delivers welcome news about the ageing brain: it is happier, quicker and often much healthier than you may imagine

—— New Scientist

Daniel Levitin's refreshing perspective on ageing will change your opinion on this unique phase of life and challenge the 'slowing down' stereotype. Using a scientific and thoroughly engaging approach, Levitin convinces us that with medical advances alongside positive lifestyle changes described in this book, we can all look forward to older age as a fulfilling and exciting chapter in our lives

—— Dr Rupy Aujla, author of The Doctor’s Kitchen

This is a book that can make things feel a whole lot brighter

—— Big Issue

If you're planning to age, read this book. Wise, sensitive, and insightful, Levitin shares the tools that allow you to optimize the process

—— David Eagleman, author of 'The Brain'

A wise, insightful, and beautifully-written book on how we can navigate the waters of time. Helpful for readers at any age.

—— Daniel Gilbert, author of 'Stumbling on Happiness'

Predictions are perilous, but here's one I can make with certainty: Tomorrow you and I will be older than we are today. That's why you, I, and everyone we know needs this remarkable book. With a scientist's rigour and a storyteller's flair, Daniel Levitin offers a fresh approach to growing older. He debunks the idea that ageing inevitably brings infirmity and unhappiness and instead offers a trove of practical, evidence-based guidance for living longer and better. The Changing Mind is an essential book for the rest of your life.

—— Daniel H. Pink, author of 'When' and 'Drive'

A compelling primer on our amazingly dynamic brains and the steps we can all take to harness that potential

—— Dr Rahul Jandial, author of 'Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon'

An uplifting exploration of the brain, and how it does not age as we often fear

—— Camilla Cavendish, author of 'Extra Time'

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