Mind Exercises and Dementia
Mind puzzles and mental exercises may prevent dementia
A review of five books of mental exercises and mind puzzles from Sterling Publishing. All are good values and offer a range of easy through challenging mental gymnastics.
When it comes to dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and other age related mental decline, regular mental exercise may keep you free. Mind exercises, mind puzzles, and other mental exercises studied by researchers delayed age-related mental decline. Researchers even noted improved mental acuity over members of control groups. Just as we build muscle through physical exercise, we build brainpower through mental exercise.
Sterling Publishing Company
One company specializing in books that will help you maintain and improve your mental acuity is Sterling Publishing. These five recent publications are especially attractive, offering good value on a cost per mental puzzle basis.
365 Exercises for the Mind, Pierre Berloquin
As the title implies, this handy mental exercise book contains a brain teaser for each day of the year. Each puzzle is clearly labeled with one of three levels of difficulty. This handy sized trade paperback provides mind exercises in five areas: Numbers, Words, Logic, Concentration, and Creativity. Priced at $9.95 in the United States, this is a great value.
The Big Book of Mind-Bending Puzzles, by Terry Stickels
Though not huge in size, this trade-paperback book is loaded with well over 600 mind puzzles. This is an official MENSA puzzle book, but don't be intimidated. The mind stimulating puzzles range in difficulty from neophyte to expert, but you won't know which is which until you attempt them. Another great value at $9.95 USD.
The Great Book of Mind Teasers & Mind Puzzlers, by George J. Summers
If you love mystery stories and are one of those who enjoy figuring out "who-dun it" before you reach the final pages, you'll love this book. Summers provides over three dozen mental challenges in a whodunit format. Each whodunit provides hints to help you work through to a solution. At $8.95 USD, this is a good value per hour of entertaining mental exercise.
The Mind Workout book, by Robert Allen
Very attractively packaged, this innovative book contains over 100 mental exercises, divided among five areas: Memory, Problem Solving, Communication, Creativity, and Mind Development. The latter area is especially interesting, as it features meditation, relaxation, and visualization exercises.
Each exercise is color coded with the mental area it addresses, and is labeled to identify the degree of difficulty and the time it is likely to take to solve. Glossy hard cover and spiral bound pages combine to make this a good gift and a good value at $12.95 USD.
Mind-Melting Mazes, by Patrick Merrell
Mazes and only mazes in this colorful book of over forty challenging mind puzzles. Each maze has a unique, humorous theme, with lots of color, variety, and visual appeal. At $5.95 USD, you'll get lots of mental stimulation for your money.
Related Articles:
Prevent Dementia: Keep the Brain Young
Free Mind Exercises and Puzzles
Even more under Mind & Attitude in the index.
Sources: WashingtonPost.com, Dec. 19, 2006 & this writer's review of mentioned books
