Doctors Goldberg and Heilman have both written absorbing accounts of the brain for the interested public as well as scientists that address some of the most intriguing questions in neuroscience, wisdom and creativity. Dr. Goldberg is a Clinical Professor of Neurology at New York University School of Medicine and a valuable and innovative contributor to the theoretical foundations of neuropsychology. Dr. Heilman, a Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Health Psychology at the University of Florida, is recognized for his many contributions to understanding brain mechanisms underlying behavior as well as his legacy as a teacher and mentor for many neuroscientists.

Dr. Goldberg's book, The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger as Your Brain Grows Older, takes the form of a personal tour through a wide range of topics based on the author's research, clinical, and daily experiences. Although the focus is on the aging brain and “wisdom,” the content covers much more. The book begins with an overview of brain organization and explanations for the role of major brain regions in cognition and emotion. Written for the novice in a clear style, some topics are explored in depth, such as up-to-date information on the relatively new, exciting finding that the brain produces new neurons during adulthood. The coverage goes on to discuss fascinating theories about why the brain has two halves rather than one whole and the finding that the two sides of the brain are more different than previously thought.

How the brain stores memories is explained, and the traditional breakdown of memory into component parts is challenged. The devastating effects of dementia and other age-related diseases of the brain are discussed, but the emphasis is more on normal than abnormal brain functions.

The engaging writing style interweaves the stories of major figures in history and the arts. Where else could you find a book about the brain that includes information about Descartes, Goethe, Grandma Moses, Golda Meir, Mao Zedong, and Eduardo Chillida, to name a few?

The author makes the distinction between wisdom, an extreme form of competence, and genius, an extreme form of talent. Wisdom is described as the capacity for pattern recognition in which a person is able to recognize an object, situation, or problem as belonging to a familiar class and, therefore, bring prior personal or cultural experience to bear on how we deal with these objects or problems. As we get older, we are able to bring more experience to bear and our wisdom grows stronger. The mechanism by which the brain recognizes patterns and its relative resistance to age-related decline is described in terms of neural networks in the cortex. A parallel process is described for the relative invulnerability of old learned information to age-related decline.

The book presents an optimistic look at cognitive functions that do not decline, and may even grow stronger, with age. Dr. Goldberg makes a cogent argument for staying mentally active in old age in order to preserve cognitive health. In keeping with his previous book, The Executive Brain, this book is most enjoyable and accessible, yet informative.

Creativity is one of the most desirable traits a person can have, yet understanding what makes one person more creative than another is not all together clear. In Creativity and the Brain, Dr. Heilman proposes brain mechanisms that are likely to be important for creativity. Dr. Heilman is a good person to tackle this topic because he has had a creative career as a neuroscientist.

Because the book is written for an audience that includes non-neuroscientists, the book provides a description of basic brain mechanisms that are important for the theories discussed. Scientific terms are well defined. Distinctions are made between creativity and intelligence or knowledge, although they are described as necessary components of creativity. Specific talents, such as music or art, are distinguished from creativity because they can be skillful without being valued as innovative.

Creativity is described as a combination of divergent and convergent thinking. For example, in science a creative person suggests a novel relationship between two or more facts or events (divergent thinking) and then develops evidence to support the hypothesis (convergent thinking). Dr. Heilman proposes that the brain mechanisms that underlie creativity might involve the simultaneous activation of widely distributed modular networks that store diverse sets of representations, thereby allowing for novel thinking. The frontal lobes appear to play an important role through their regulation of cognitive flexibility, as well as goal-oriented behavior and persistence.

In his discussion about theories of creativity, Heilman shows how hypotheses are generated to test a theory, many of which fall short. When support for a theory occurs, new hypotheses are generated to continue to explore the theory. Among the interesting theories for which support is presented is the discussion of the role of neurotransmitters on cognitive flexibility. Studies, some by the author and his colleagues, have found that innovative thinking is enhanced by reducing the effect of norepinephrine on the brain. Too much norepinephrine produces a level of arousal that appears to constrict thinking.

Both books have features in common. Both describe in basic terms the organization of the brain and relate brain structure to function. Both include references for cited studies. Both discuss a wide array of topics rather than being narrowly focused. Lastly, both use personal experiences to demonstrate points or to engage the reader. A major difference between the books comes from the very different backgrounds of the authors. Dr. Goldberg pays tribute to his mentor Alexandr R. Luria, the great Russian neuropsychologist, and describes his early influence on the field in the 20th century. Dr. Heilman acknowledges the contribution of a number of pioneers in neuroscience but does not include Luria.

For neuropsychologists, some topics in these books will seem simplified. Yet neuropsychologists will find them both scholarly and full of thought-provoking ideas.