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Victoroff, Jeff, MD, Saving Your Brain: the Revolutionary Plan to Boost Brain Power, Improve Memory, and Protect Yourself Against Aging and Alzheimer’s. New York: Bantam Books, 2002; Bantam trade paperback edition, August 2003; US$14.95.

While this book appeals to the mass market’s fear of becoming victims of Alzheimer’s Disease, and emphasizes memory loss as the salient feature of neurological disorder, let the Parkinson’s community be reminded that PWPs (people with Parkinson’s) are three times as likely as the general population to develop Alzheimer’s at some point. Moreover, normal aging and Alzheimer’s have been found to be on the same continuum, so that anyone who wants to age well could find in this volume practical information on protecting the brain.

Indeed, avoiding damage is Dr. Victoroff’s most important theme. Harvard trained and now an associate professor at UCLA’s medical school, Dr. Victoroff presents a thoroughly organized review of just about every precaution and remedy currently advocated, evaluating each one carefully and honestly—which measures might or will work and which ones probably won’t-- for the reader to discuss with a physician. (Of course we know how much time physicians have for these little talks, but readers are at least warned not to prescribe and administer their own treatment.) For this writer, the author’s use of a sort of media “hype” to draw attention and pump up interest seemed at first like a flaw that would make the book difficult going at times, as the buzz words would have to be sorted out from the more reliable content. Further reading showed that Dr. Victoroff’s advice is “news you can use.” He indicates the reliability of each intervention he discusses, and describes the possible results and risks with frequent reference to real examples. With anecdotes from his own experience as examples, his engaging conversational style alone would make the book worth reading, and overrides any reservations about “media hype”

Saving Your Brain would be worth having in a PWP’s library for practical information on steps the patient can take to preserve brain health and thus live more comfortably, as well as for learning how the research process actually works. The eighteen chapter headings include: “Is Your Job Eating Your Brain?”, “Can Sex Hormones Keep You Smart?”, “Can Non-sex Hormones Keep You Smart?” and “Brain Fitness II: Using Your Mind to Build Your Brain”. A 36-page bibliography organized by chapter provides ample further reading on each topic.

The advice given boils down to this: guard your cardiovascular health to protect the brain’s blood supply so it will have enough oxygen; avoid and/or get treated for stress and depression, eat right, exercise, do work you enjoy, stay away from environmental toxins, don’t bash your head, keep learning, and find a doctor you can work with. While this prescription may sound like the same old thing you’ve tried to try before, some of Dr. Victoroff’s reasons for why you ought to follow it may surprise you, and you will have had an enjoyable visit with a good storyteller as you learn why and how you can and should save your brain.