Media Mix

OVERVIEW: Most books, tapes and programs about boosting your brainpower recommend good nutrition, exercise, stress reduction and keeping your brain active. Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, throws all of these and more into his program for improving daily memory skills. His thesis: Brain aging is a lifelong process, and by improving our memory now, we may be able to fend off future declines.

WHAT WORKS: Small’s book helps us rate our own memory skills and improve them with several exercises. He also delves into the memory-impairing effects of various prescription and illegal drugs, and the potential memory benefits of hormones, anti-inflammatories, anti-Alzheimer’s drugs and vaccines now in the works. The appendix offers up-to-date information about diagnosing, treating and dealing with Alzheimer’s. It reflects Small’s philosophy of early and aggressive action.