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Praise for Successful Aging ...this book's breadth is impressive. Excellent popular science in the service of fending off aging. --Kirkus Levitin's narrative ease is once again on display as he masterfully lays out the evidence that what we thought of as old age is in fact a unique developmental stage in which extraordinary contributions become possible. These years can include challenges, but they can also reach altogether new heights that neuroscientists are just beginning to see. Successful Aging is key to a new era of opportunity and joy. --Stanley Prusiner, M.D. Nobel Laureate, Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco As always, Dan shows his great facility for pulling together different parts of our field and explaining them in a way that makes them accessible to all. --Brenda Milner, at age 101, professor of neurology, McGill University, professor of psychology, Montreal Neurological Institute, winner of the Kavli Prize in neuroscience, founder of the field of neuropsychology Dan Levitin's latest is an inspiring, hopeful, and useful message--expounding on the best lessons science and art can teach us about how to expand your potential as you age. --Ben Folds, recording artist and New York Times Best Seller author of A Dream About Lightning Bugs In my line of work, good maps are the difference between life and death. Dan's book is an extraordinary map to a place each of us eventually journeys to. In it, he explains and demystifies the aging process in layman's terms. Don't grow old without it. --General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army (Ret.) We are living longer than past humans, and with this comes undeniable challenges to our physical and mental well-being. Building on the psychology of personality types and developmental neuroscience, Daniel Levitin will enthrall you with this fascinating story of how the human brain ages, as he reveals just how rewarding our later years can be. --Joseph LeDoux, professor of Neural Science at NYU and director of the Emotional Brain Institute at the Nathan Kline Institute, author of Anxious, and The Deep History of Ourselves Society for too long has underestimated the value of people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Working in tandem with younger colleagues, the political, economic, and creative power we can contribute together could well trigger solutions to our biggest global problems. Daniel Levitin superbly defines the new longevity in a book that will change the way you think about aging. --Vicente Fox, 55th President of Mexico A tour through a huge scientific literature, full of potentially life-changing nuggets, and laced with compelling personal experiences. The good news is that aging need not be dreaded but can be a time of health and creativity in the decades beyond 70--and Levitin's got the science to back it up. Read this book. At any age. --Michael S. Gazzaniga, director of the Sage Center at UC Santa Barbara, author of The Consciousness Instinct Growing old may be the only event in life that is both desired and feared. Daniel Levitin alleviates the fear with sound advice that can tilt the balance so that we have more healthy years and fewer sick ones. The brilliance of this book is that Levitin not only tells us what to do and what not to do--he gracefully and eloquently shares the science behind how we can change our minds and brains, and how even small changes can reap large benefits. Share this book--especially with anyone you hope to grow old with. --Diane Halpern, past-president of the American Psychological Association, professor, Claremont-McKenna College This evolving narrative builds as new topics are introduced in reaction to the previous topic, like chord changes in a great piece of music. Levitin's not just offering a compelling narrative, but guiding the reader's imagination to a larger view of things--and that feels masterful. --Mike Lankford, author of Becoming Leonardo Predictions are perilous, but here's one I can make with certainty: Tomorrow you and I will be older than we are today. That's why you, I, and everyone we know needs this remarkable book. With a scientist's rigor and a storyteller's flair, Daniel Levitin offers a fresh approach to growing older. He debunks the idea that aging inevitably brings infirmity and unhappiness and instead offers a trove of practical, evidence-based guidance for living longer and better. SUCCESSFUL AGING is an essential book for the rest of your life. --Daniel H. Pink, author of WHEN and DRIVE Successful Aging is an ambitious and much-needed call for a new truth about aging in the 21st century. Daniel Levitin uses what we now about brain science to make a powerful case for positively transforming how we think about aging. This is a fascinating and vital contribution to doing just that. --George Vradenburg, Chairman & Co-Founder, UsAgainstAlzheimer's An eloquent spokesperson for our field. Levitin writes about the brain with an ease and familiarity that is captivating. --the late David Hubel, Nobel Laureate for work in neuroplasticity An excellent perspective on aging and aging well. Dan's ability to combine science with personal insights, and reflections on various experiences of aging, captures the complexity of the subject, while still being easy to read. This fascinating book is especially important for young adults to understand all the aspects that go into healthy aging and to know that they can influence the outcome, starting at any time. --Concetta Tomaino, Executive director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, and Associate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine A wise, insightful, and beautifully written book on how we can navigate the waters of time. Helpful for readers at any age. --Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness Dan is a long-time collaborator with us here at Salk, and in Successful Aging, he offers a compelling new look at the promise and effects of neuroplasticity. He's at his best here, communicating difficult scientific concepts in a way that anyone can understand. This is why his research talks at the Salk Institute are enormously popular, and everyone is abuzz about them for many months afterwards. --Ursula Bellugi, Ph.D., Director, Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Levitin's book is quite extraordinary, literally. I rarely, if ever, have seen such a rigorous treatment of a health subject. --David B. Teplow, Professor of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Editor, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science

Praise for Successful Aging Predictions are perilous, but here's one I can make with certainty: Tomorrow you and I will be older than we are today. That's why you, I, and everyone we know needs this remarkable book. With a scientist's rigor and a storyteller's flair, Daniel Levitin offers a fresh approach to growing older. He debunks the idea that aging inevitably brings infirmity and unhappiness and instead offers a trove of practical, evidence-based guidance for living longer and better. SUCCESSFUL AGING is an essential book for the rest of your life. --Daniel H. Pink, author of When and Drive Daniel Levitin explores a wealth of information on the complex biology of aging and presents it in an engaging and accessible manner. Writing with insight, compassion and gentle humor he shows us the positive side of the aging process and how to make the most of the future that awaits us. Essential reading for baby boomers and those who love them. --Drs. Pamela Harzband & Jerome Groopman, Professors, Harvard Medical School, authors of Your Medical Mind This is the book I need now. This is probably the book YOU need now. Levitin beautifully weaves hard science with more subtle, subjective agents of change-- compassion, friendship, the redemptive power of work--into a refreshing guide for those of us navigating the penultimate stage of life. --Rosanne Cash, Four-time Grammy winning singer and songwriter, author of Composed A wise, insightful, and beautifully written book on how we can navigate the waters of time. Helpful for readers at any age. --Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness If you're planning to age, read this book. Wise, sensitive, and insightful, Levitin shares the tools that allow you to optimize the process. --David Eagleman, Stanford University neuroscientist, New York Times bestselling author of The Brain and Incognito Growing old may be the only event in life that is both desired and feared. Daniel Levitin alleviates the fear with sound advice that can tilt the balance so that we have more healthy years and fewer sick ones. The brilliance of this book is that Levitin not only tells us what to do and what not to do--he gracefully and eloquently shares the science behind how we can change our minds and brains, and how even small changes can reap large benefits. Share this book--especially with anyone you hope to grow old with. --Diane Halpern, past-president of the American Psychological Association, professor, Claremont-McKenna College Here is a how to book for everyone's favorite alternative to death--aging. Bringing together the fields of developmental psychology and personality theory, Dr. Levitin shows us how to reach old age as the best version of ourselves: engaged, wise, and creative, emotionally resilient, cognitively flexible, and happy. SUCCESSFUL AGING is the fountain of youth, although you don't drink it, you read it. --Eric Kaplan, Emmy-winning comedy writer, The Simpsons, David Letterman, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon ...this book's breadth is impressive. Excellent popular science in the service of fending off aging. --Kirkus Levitin's narrative ease is once again on display as he masterfully lays out the evidence that what we thought of as old age is in fact a unique developmental stage in which extraordinary contributions become possible. These years can include challenges, but they can also reach altogether new heights that neuroscientists are just beginning to see. Successful Aging is key to a new era of opportunity and joy. --Stanley Prusiner, M.D. Nobel Laureate, Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco As always, Dan shows his great facility for pulling together different parts of our field and explaining them in a way that makes them accessible to all. --Brenda Milner, at age 101, professor of neurology, McGill University, professor of psychology, Montreal Neurological Institute, winner of the Kavli Prize in neuroscience, founder of the field of neuropsychology Dan Levitin's latest is an inspiring, hopeful, and useful message--expounding on the best lessons science and art can teach us about how to expand your potential as you age. --Ben Folds, recording artist and New York Times Best Seller author of A Dream About Lightning Bugs In my line of work, good maps are the difference between life and death. Dan's book is an extraordinary map to a place each of us eventually journeys to. In it, he explains and demystifies the aging process in layman's terms. Don't grow old without it. --General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army (Ret.) We are living longer than past humans, and with this comes undeniable challenges to our physical and mental well-being. Building on the psychology of personality types and developmental neuroscience, Daniel Levitin will enthrall you with this fascinating story of how the human brain ages, as he reveals just how rewarding our later years can be. --Joseph LeDoux, professor of Neural Science at NYU and director of the Emotional Brain Institute at the Nathan Kline Institute, author of Anxious, and The Deep History of Ourselves Society for too long has underestimated the value of people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Working in tandem with younger colleagues, the political, economic, and creative power we can contribute together could well trigger solutions to our biggest global problems. Daniel Levitin superbly defines the new longevity in a book that will change the way you think about aging. --Vicente Fox, 55th President of Mexico A tour through a huge scientific literature, full of potentially life-changing nuggets, and laced with compelling personal experiences. The good news is that aging need not be dreaded but can be a time of health and creativity in the decades beyond 70--and Levitin's got the science to back it up. Read this book. At any age. --Michael S. Gazzaniga, director of the Sage Center at UC Santa Barbara, author of The Consciousness Instinct This evolving narrative builds as new topics are introduced in reaction to the previous topic, like chord changes in a great piece of music. Levitin's not just offering a compelling narrative, but guiding the reader's imagination to a larger view of things--and that feels masterful. --Mike Lankford, author of Becoming Leonardo Successful Aging is an ambitious and much-needed call for a new truth about aging in the 21st century. Daniel Levitin uses what we now about brain science to make a powerful case for positively transforming how we think about aging. This is a fascinating and vital contribution to doing just that. --George Vradenburg, Chairman & Co-Founder, UsAgainstAlzheimer's An eloquent spokesperson for our field. Levitin writes about the brain with an ease and familiarity that is captivating. --the late David Hubel, Nobel Laureate for work in neuroplasticity An excellent perspective on aging and aging well. Dan's ability to combine science with personal insights, and reflections on various experiences of aging, captures the complexity of the subject, while still being easy to read. This fascinating book is especially important for young adults to understand all the aspects that go into healthy aging and to know that they can influence the outcome, starting at any time. --Concetta Tomaino, Executive director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, and Associate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Dan is a long-time collaborator with us here at Salk, and in Successful Aging, he offers a compelling new look at the promise and effects of neuroplasticity. He's at his best here, communicating difficult scientific concepts in a way that anyone can understand. This is why his research talks at the Salk Institute are enormously popular, and everyone is abuzz about them for many months afterwards. --Ursula Bellugi, Ph.D., Director, Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Levitin's book is quite extraordinary, literally. I rarely, if ever, have seen such a rigorous treatment of a health subject. --David B. Teplow, Professor of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Editor, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science Levitin believes the most important factors in predicting how well we might age are conscientiousness, our childhood experiences, exercise (especially outdoors), and social interactions. His most sage suggestion, nestled at the end of the book, is timeless: Practice gratitude for what you have. --Booklist

Praise for Daniel Levitin and his books Praise for Weaponized Lies Winner of the 2016 Mavis Gallant Prize for Nonfiction One of Hudson Booksellers' Best Business Interest Books of 2016 Named one of 26 Favorite Books of High Achievers by Inc. Daniel Levitin's field guide is a critical-thinking primer for our shrill, data-drenched age. It's an essential tool for really understanding the texts, posts, tweets, magazines, newspapers, podcasts, op-eds, interviews, and speeches that bombard us every day. From the way averages befuddle to the logical fallacies that sneak by us, every page is enlightening. --Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better The world is awash with data, but not always with accurate information. [Weaponized Lies] does a terrific job of illustrating the difference between the two with precision--and delightful good humor. --Charles Wheelan, senior lecturer and Policy Fellow, Rockefeller Center, Dartmouth College, author of Naked Economics [Weaponized Lies] by the neuroscientist Daniel Levitin lays out the many ways in which each of us can be fooled and misled by numbers and logic, as well as the modes of critical thinking we will need to overcome this. --The Wall Street Journal Mr Levitin is the perfect guide. . . . If everyone could adopt the level of healthy statistical skepticism that Mr. Levitin would like, political debate would be in much better shape. --The Economist Valuable tools for anyone willing to evaluate claims and get to the truth of the matter. --Kirkus Reviews An essential guide for finding what's real amid the daily proliferation of texts, tweets, and skewed stats, with smart tips for sharpening critical-thinking skills. --The San Jose Mercury News This useful, entertaining, and highly readable guide is ready to arm everyday citizens with the tools to combat the spread of spurious, and often ridiculous, information. --Library Journal [A] book you may want to have close by at all times. --Success Magazine [Weaponized Lies] serves as a kind of Strunk and White for sloppy thinkers. --The New York Journal of Books Entertaining and filled with helpful hints, [Waponized Lies] is a valuable tool for navigating the daily data onslaught. --The San Jose Mercury News Smart and humorous . . . The tools anyone needs to tell good information from bad are in this definitive guide to critical thinking. --Shelf Awareness Exceptional . . . practical and essential advice. --Big Think An entertaining, user-friendly primer on evaluating data wisely. --The Washington Independent Review of Books Everybody who cross-examines witnesses should read this book. --Justice Patricia Rowbotham, Alberta Court of Appeal, Calgary This is a wonderful book. It covers so many of the insights of science, logic, and statistics that the public needs to know, yet are sadly neglected in the education that most of us receive. --Edward K. Cheng, Tarkington Chair of Teaching Excellence and professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School Hits on the most important issues around statistical literacy, and uses good examples to illustrate its points. I could not put this book down. Reading it has been a pleasure, believe me. I am so impressed with Levitin's writing style, which is clear and simple, unlike much of the murky stuff that is written by statisticians and many others. --Morris Olitsky, former vice president, Market Research and Analysis, Prudential Financial; statistician, USDA Insightful and entertaining--an excellent work. --Gregg Gascon, Biomedical Informatics, the Ohio State University Just as Strunk and White taught us how to communicate better, [Weaponized Lies] is an indispensable guide to thinking better. As Big Data becomes a dominant theme in our culture, we are all obliged to sharpen our critical thinking so as to thwart the forces of obfuscation. Levitin has done a great service here. --Jasper Rine, professor of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, UC Berkeley Not since Huff's classic How to Lie with Statistics has a book so clearly described how numbers can be used to deceive and misdirect. Levitin shows how to critically evaluate claims that charlatans, the media, and politicians would have us believe. --Stan Lazic, team leader in quantitative biology at AstraZeneca A must read! Professor Levitin convinces the reader why critical thinking has become even more crucial in the Information Age. As we are consistently bombarded with information, let's question its veracity and acquire the tools to analyze it. --Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean and professor of finance, Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University No book could be more timely. An important book for everyone to read. Essential to where Western democracies are going. --Janice Stein, founding director, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto Well researched, and provides a valuable guide to assist the public with a methodology for evaluating the truth behind this cacophony of information that constantly inundates. --Patrick Martin, magician [A] valuable primer on critical thinking that convincingly illustrates the prevalence of misinformation in everyday life. --Publishers Weekly Levitin belongs to a bestselling group of experts--Daniel Kahneman, Gerd Gigerenzer, David Spiegelhalter, and a few more--who want to put us right on the pitfalls of dubious statistics and the various forms of bias that skew our decisions. . . . There can hardly be a more important message at this moment in history, and until everyone gets it, all are welcome to keep pumping it out, and Levitin is perhaps primus inter pares. . . . His message is bracing . . . [and] all we have to guard against a new Dark Age. --The Arts Desk Praise for The Organized Mind [An] impressively wide-ranging and thoughtful work . . . The Organized Mind is an organized book, but it also rewards dipping in at any point, for there are fascinating facts and examples throughout. --The Wall Street Journal From how not to lose your keys to how to decide when the risks of surgery are worth it, Levitin focuses on smart ways to process the constant flow of information the brain must deal with. --The Washington Post More than a self-help book . . . Levitin's insights into sleep, time, socializing, and decision-making are profound. --The San Jose Mercury News [An] ingenious combination of neuroscience and self-help. --Kirkus Reviews Dan Levitin has more insights per page than any other neuroscientist I know. The Organized Mind is smart, important, and as always, exquisitely written. --Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University, author of Stumbling on Happiness Combine genuine knowledge and scholarship with plain common sense and what do you get? A book that is really worth reading: Dan Levitin's The Organized Mind. --The Honorable George P. Shultz, 60th US Secretary of State There are surprising parallels between Levitin's work and mine. Today's environment in war, business, and just about everything else has increased in speed and complexity to the point where the essential quality required for success is adaptability. The Organized Mind provides the latest neuroscience on cognitive adaptability and how to apply it so that leaders can excel. It is a tremendous achievement, and a must-read for leaders at every level. --General Stanley McChrystal, US Army (ret.) A brilliant and engaging book about the science of thinking. The Organized Mind provides the tools that we all need to understand and manage the deluge of information that assaults us every day. --Jerome Groopman, MD, and Pamela Hartzband, MD, Harvard Medical School, authors of Your Medical Mind A profound piece of work. Levitin documents the mismatch between our narrow bandwidth hunter-gatherer minds and the multitasking chaos of today's world. He even shows us how to stay sane in environments that are constantly tempting us to stretch ourselves hopelessly thin. --Philip E. Tetlock, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania An erudite synthesis of Levitin's own contributions, recent advances in our understanding of attention and memory, and a deep perspective on the ways the human mind works. --Stanley Prusiner, MD, Nobel Laureate, director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco Daniel Levitin's book follows in the ancient tradition of knowledge as a guide to a better life. Discover the creative power of organized thought, whether you are a writer or a scientist, a disorganized mess, or a super robot seeking new frontiers of effectiveness. --Eric Kaplan, co-executive producer and writer, The Big Bang Theory; writer, The Simpsons and Flight of the Conchords An eloquent spokesperson for our field. Levitin writes about the brain with an ease and familiarity that is captivating. --The late David Hubel, Nobel Laureate in honor of discoveries concerning information processing in the human visual system Fascinating . . . Combing neuroscience and cognitive psychology, The Organized Mind underscores the critical importance of individuals taking charge of their own attentional and memory systems so they can lead optimally productive and satisfying lives. Invaluable insights are offered with regard to organizing our homes, social world, time, decision-making, and business world. --Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, president of the American Psychological Association, and professor and vice chair, Emory University School of Medicine This book is far more than tips on how to think clearly and manage information overload. It is also a tour through some of the most exciting aspects of contemporary neuroscience and cognitive science, with a specific emphasis on implications for everyday life. Anyone who has ever wondered about the mind will find much that is fascinating and useful in these pages. --Stephen Kosslyn, dean, Minerva Schools of Arts and Sciences at the Keck Graduate Institute; former chair, Department of Psychology, Harvard University Running a major PBS television series on tight budgets and turnarounds requires organization and efficiency and sometimes a little magic too. Levitin's behind-the-curtain peek at the brain's inner workings of decision-making provides that extra bit of magic--and would make a fascinating documentary in and of itself! --Pamela Hogan, Emmy award-winning producer for PBS In the age of TMI, we all need better organized minds. With characteristically clear prose and scientific insight, Dan Levitin gives us tips on how to get our mental closets in order. I really enjoyed this book. --Joseph LeDoux, Center for Neural Science, New York University Dan Levitin has done it again. Having explained music and the brain, now he shows us the best, most effective ways to organize the rest of our life by giving us key insights into how the brain works. His style is so appealing, his knowledge so deep and practical, that we learn, from The Organized Mind, not only why we do what we do, but how, potentially, we can run our lives more smoothly, efficiently, and even happily. --Cathy N. Davidson, director, the Futures Initiative, City University of New York Using the latest information on the brain and how it works, Levitin presents a series of ideas on how to organize one's life and business. Essential reading for anyone who aspires to be highly effective. Or even find their keys! --David Eidelman, MD, dean of the McGill University Medical School The Organized Mind reads like a movie--not the dry tome you might expect. It's an exciting tour through the science of productivity and how to best manage your thinking to get things done--and be more creative at the same time. --David Allen, author of Getting Things Done

Author Information

Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, is a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, and bestselling author. He is Founding Dean of Arts & Humanities at the Minerva Schools at KGI in San Francisco, and Professor Emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at McGill University. He is the author of This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind, and A Field Guide to Lies. He divides his time between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

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