SMARTER: THE NEW SCIENCE OF BUILDING BRAIN POWER BY DAN HURLEY

BOOK REVIEWS BY BINOD

BINOD’S RATING: 7/10

Sure, Malcolm Gladwell can sell zillions of books and conferences by claiming that 10,000 hours of training makes all the difference. And Angela Duckworth can preach that the power of passion and perseverance ( aka Grit) is really what separates the best from the rest. 

However, IQ is (and always will be) a factor of utmost importance.

“Certainly, IQ is not everything,” writes Hurley, author of Smarter, “perhaps it’s not even the most important thing, but it’s definitely one of them”

High IQ isn’t everything. Proof? From 1986 to 1989, Marilyn Vos Savant was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the highest recorded IQ in the world for women, at 190. Since then, what has she done? She has been writing Parade magazine’s ‘Ask Marilyn’ advice column. I mean – really?

But can we make ourselves smarter? 

Until the publication of a major study in 2008, psychologists believed that intelligence is fixed at birth. The new study showed that people can increase their “fluid” intelligence through training. 

Is it all hype and rubbish? 

Dan Hurley tries to answer that question and test the “solutions” by first interviewing many intelligence researchers and then trying the most promising strategies himself. The results include some actionable advice and lots of fun stories.

Why is fluid intelligence so important?  It’s our working memory and fluid intelligence that separates Steve Jobs and Bill Gates from the rest of us. Fluid intelligence is our ability to learn new things, think abstractly, detect hidden patterns, put things together, and read between the lines. Crystallized intelligence refers to the accumulation of knowledge, facts, and skills that are acquired throughout life. And unlike crystallized intelligence, fluid intelligence peaks in early adulthood and then gradually declines. Because fluid intelligence depends on working memory capacity which is localized in the prefrontal cortex and this region degenerates faster than other cortical regions in the course of aging. 

And 80% of this book is Hurley trying out programs that he believes will help increase fluid intelligence while adding commentary.

The first half of the book digs into the field of intelligence research. The research is explained clearly and simply. Areas where scientists disagree or are uncertain were clearly distinguished from known facts. And the research is explained as the author shares his experiences talking to researchers. Conversations, first-hand views of research labs, and witty asides keep this potentially dry section moving right along. The second half describes Hurley’s application of what he learned to his own life. He tried the N-back task, the Lumosity cognitive training program, exercising, learning to play an instrument, transcranial electrical stimulation and even nicotine patches. But his results all together were modest. This included adding a lot of things to his daily routine, so it was both hectic and humorous. The author makes it clear his results were unique to him as no conclusions can be drawn from his sample size of one. It did, however, make for a good story.

Thirty years ago, the public was eager for guidance about how to have healthier lives and fitter bodies. Today, we’re urgently seeking advice about how to make our minds operate more efficiently and effectively. We compete in a world of knowledge work, a daily contest in which the best brains win; we’re living longer and hoping to hang on to our faculties until the end. If the N-back can help, there may be no amount of torment and tedium we won’t tolerate.

So, what does the research say on what works and what doesn’t work?

Vitamin C supplements are completely useless.

Fish oil supplements are also useless. 

Coffee works.  

Mindfulness meditation works.

Add something more enjoyable: music lessons. Learning music works. In 2004, Psychologist Glenn Schellenberg, a leader in the field, published “Music lessons enhance IQ,” which has been cited in over 363 papers to date.

Exercising works. Two caveats though. It seems that not all exercise is created equal: a study conducted by Teresa Liu-Ambrose in 2012 found marked differences in the cognitive impacts of different kinds of exercise. At the end of the study, only the resistance group showed improvements on traditional cognitive tests of attention and memory, as well as increased activity in fMRI tests. Also, exercise must be “progressive”–i.e. increasing in intensity. You must stretch your body a little past its limit in order to expand the mind.

Does brain training work?  That IS area covered the most in this book. I was keen to find out about his views as I was introduced to this concept a few years ago in Dubai. But I came away unconvinced. 

Hurley gets bogged down in academic debate. Some scientists say brain training works, but then their studies don't support their view. Others flat out say it works in certain cases. Some say it doesn't work, but then say that it does. The author's personal anecdote provides evidence of both decline and only negligible improvement. After 240 pages, we determine that brain training doesn't work. Maybe. Probably not. Well, for some. Maybe. 

Cognitive training may yet turn out to be the solution to sagging memories and flabby reasoning. But it’s not there yet. 

Did Hurley get smarter? The results are mixed. He resorts to having to say he "feels smarter". But then, this isn't a headline-grabbing manual, it's an investigation into the industry growing up around this new science. Makes you think.

Dan Hurley has compiled the best ways to sharpen your cognition according to the best, latest science.  

Now, whether you prefer to click your way to better cognition, pump your IQ by pumping iron, or serenade your grey cells, that’s really up to you.