Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded) cover art

Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded)

How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

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Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded)

By: John Medina
Narrated by: John Medina
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About this listen

What’s the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy? What does watching TV do to a child’s brain? What’s the best way to handle temper tantrums? Scientists know. In his New York Times best seller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina showed us how our brains really work - and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools. Now, in Brain Rules for Baby, he shares what the latest science says about how to raise smart and happy children from zero to five. This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control. Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops - and what you can do to optimize it. You will view your children - and how to raise them - in a whole new light. You’ll learn: Where nature ends and nurture begins. Why men should do more household chores. What you do when emotions run hot affects how your baby turns out, because babies need to feel safe above all. TV is harmful for children under two. Your child’s ability to relate to others predicts her future math performance. Smart and happy are inseparable. Pursuing your child’s intellectual success at the expense of his happiness achieves neither. Praising effort is better than praising intelligence. The best predictor of academic performance is not IQ. It’s self-control. What you do right now - before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and through the first five years - will affect your children for the rest of their lives. Brain Rules for Baby is an indispensable guide.

©2014 John J. Medina (P)2014 John J. Medina
Biological Sciences Infants & Toddlers Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Science Human Brain Happiness Funny Sexual Health Emotions Pregnancy Child Development Baby Development

Critic Reviews

"Dr. Medina hits the nail on the head with Brain Rules for Baby. We are always looking for ways to make our kids smarter, better, happier. Medina gives such practical, usable advice and tips." (Nina L. Shapiro, MD, UCLA School of Medicine)
"An engaging and fun-to-read translation of the best research on child development and effective parenting. I gave Dr. Medina's book to my own son." (Ginger Maloney, Ph.D, The Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy)
"If you've no room for another brain-development title, weed an old one to make room for this. Covering such topics as pregnancy, relationships, and "moral" babies, the book will educate even the most learned parents. Medina's humorous, conversational style make this an absolute please to read." ( Library Journal)
Most relevant  
I've read his book and 3 times now,and keep going back to revisit a chapter or two.
It really nails the balance between straight scientific information and personal anecdotes. I also, couldn't imagine a better voice to suit that acedemic/comedic balance.
This book helped me feel prepared to make my own decisions about issues like 'cry it out' versus 'attachment parenting', without feeling judged or pressured.

My favourite baby-preparation book

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Practical and well researched book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will refer to it again and again and again in my journey of parenting.

Must listen for all new parents.

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Great audiobook full of simple tools and techniques for raising kids. For me it is about raising your self awareness of your parenting style. Excellent resources available on the website to back up your learning

Must read for parents

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Great overall book. Entertaining to listen and easy to implement his Brain rules.

Take home message: enjoy and love your children.

Highly recommended

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Insightful, funny, complete and practical, this book had everything you need to design and decide what kind of parent you want to be and what to do to achieve it. Fantastic book and perfectly delivered in audio.

a must read

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well written. the difference chapters contain practical advice, especially the last chapter of practical tips. author presents his view points with evidence and aims to be as balance as possible in considering competing schools of thoughts. definitely a must-read book

clarify, reassuring and science

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Finally a book about children that I can trust. No bullshits, no brainwashing, no propaganda. Medina is telling what the science knows, not what he suspects is true.
It is funny and it is so easy to read and understand complicated brain science concepts. Great book for everyone. I wish I read it earlier.

Funny and smart

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I will listen to the book not only once, but several times throughout my kids growth and development, so I keep remaining myself of the right things to do. Well-researched and not biased!

This is one of the best parenting books there is

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My husband and I enjoyed listening to this book before we go to bed and during our travel.

Most of the topics he mentioned in the book makes alot of sense and I can relate to some of the examples given in the book with people I know.

I would highly recommended to any mother!

Very helpful for a first time mother

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Good book. Although this book does not advocate abuse against children it does normalise it, even with the mountains of data against it. I guess the bias against stanley milgram also causes a bias in advocating for the obedient subjects he observed.

good book

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