Jessica Hamzelou, correspondent
EVER wanted to use scientific know-how to boost your Scrabble score, perfect a magic trick or get the best price for your second-hand stuff on eBay?Brain Trust promises to show you how to do all this and more.
In the book, author Garth Sundem draws on his own interviews with highly respected scientists to deliver short and snappy tips on a huge range of subjects - from using psychology research to boost your chances of success while speed dating to applying an understanding of physics to learn how to throw a knockout punch.
There certainly are some interesting facts among the hotchpotch. For example, there's the study that shows you can lose weight by eating practically whatever you like, as long as it's within an 8-hour window of the day. And I'll definitely be trying out Sundem's tips on how to get my boyfriend to do more housework. Many of the studies in this book will likely be familiar to New Scientist readers, though. And the brevity of each tip means that the science behind the ideas isn't explored in much depth.
I'm not sure how life-changing many suggestions really are, either. For example, Sundem's tip for hanging on to your car is to buy one in an undesirable colour - of all the cars stolen in one Dutch study, he tells us, none were pink.
All in all, the book skims over some interesting topics in science, if you can get past Sundem's grating language. I had to cringe every time he stopped to point out how "awesome", "totally cool" or "pretty frickin' sweet" the science is. Brain Trust may be a little too lightweight for most, but it can provide an interesting - and very enthusiastic - overview for younger readers.
Book information
Brain Trust by Garth Sundem
Three Rivers Press
$14
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