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We want as many people as possible to throw off their Old Brain thinking and regain their Young Brains! It's kind of like a mission.

So, we've decided to give away 20% of our book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' online.

If you've come here having run through the Brain Age Test iPhone app, or if you are a regular reader of this blog, all you have to do is click here to download your free partial e-book.

Tip for easy reading: once file is opened, change from SCROLL to BOOK view (left hand bottom) and place in FULL SCREEN mode (top command bar).

Click now and start on your journey to a youthful mindset.

And don't forget, that the whole book can be ordered online from Amazon here

Do brain-training games work?

So is the jury out?

Read the book 'The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness' by Alvaro Fernandez and you'll learn that brain fitness products "change the trajectory of the life curve so that younger minds improve their peaks and older people do not experience loss in cognitive abilities like mental flexibility and working memory".

The book includes interviews with 18 international scientists - skilled in fields like cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging - who have run experiments to prove that its possible to maintain a healthy brain, and improve its fitness.

Now the other side. Nature magazine published results in April 2010 which says that brain-training games are just an empty promise. What they do is improve performance of the brain-training game itself, but the effects, apparently, do not transfer to other aspects of brain functioning. As lead researcher Adrian Owen says: "You're not going to get better at playing the trumpet by practsing the violin".

So who is right? It's important to say two things:

1. Brain training should be thought of differently than simple mental activity. Brain training is "the structured use of cognitive exercises or technqiues aimed at improving specific brain functions". Nintendo's Brain Age software is more about brain stimulation than training per se and they actually make rather limited claims about the research backing up their product beyond a bland 'use it or lose it'.

2. There are many other science-based companies who have products which have been proven to train cognitive skills. Companies like Posit Science, CogniFit and Scientific Brain Training support the benefits of their products with specific laboratory evidence.

So, before writing off brain training it is important to ask three questions:

- what are the claims being made?
- what scientifically-run studies support the claims?
- is the training relevant to my needs and objectives?

If you are satisfied with the answers, go ahead and train your brain. Becoming sharper and younger is so important these days that its crucial to decide for yourself.

If there is one book you should read this year

We all wish we could stay young forever. But ageing has a way of creeping up on us.

When did life get so serious? Why is it, as we grow older, we don't laugh as much? Why do we stop seeing the opportunities and the excitement and instead start feeling drained, cynical and out-of-touch? And just when did we turn into our parents?

Tim Drake and I spent over two years researching these very issues - and we came to a surprisingly simple insight - ageing really is all in the mind. In our ground-breaking book, 'You Can Be As Young As You Think', we show how you can test your brain's age and then train your brain to think younger, feel younger and be sharper.

You see, through our research, we uncovered the secrets of rejuvenation. These are the 6 Wisdoms of Youth. Each one is a powerful antedote to getting old - yet each one is surprisingly easy to apply through a series of practical tasks. Anyone, whatever their age, can learn these Wisdoms and truly rejuvenate their thinking - and their lives.

Here are some of the benefits you could reap from reading 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' :

- learn how to think with a 'Young Brain' and face life head-on with positivity and enthusiasm

- avoid becoming grumpy & irrelevant

- look younger, feel younger, act younger

- regain or retain everything you loved about being young

- be surrounded by people who make life worth living

- live a more fulfilling, successful and happier life

- aim towards eternal youth by leaving a legacy

In short, our life changing book helps you rediscover your youthful self and live the life you are only dreaming about. What other book promises you that?

And, of course, if you are a life coach, this book is sure to give you new insights into your work with clients.

'You Can Be As Young As You Think' was published by Pearson in May 2009. Place a order through http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Getting old happens young

I imagine that if I interviewed a dozen people in their 50s, most would say that they became aware of ageing when they turned 30. It's about at this age when last night's exercise routine leaves stiff limbs in the morning. It can also be the age when the grey hairs start to show. And, of course, it's that time when new parents start to recognise that their reactions mirror those of their parents.

It's that "OMG! I'm turning into my mum/dad!" moment.

However, social statistics show how much hidden ageing there is, well before our 30s! It may come as a shock but dreams and imagination, for example, can start drying up from 25 onwards.

What is even more shocking is that teenagers are also failing to find a vision for their lives. A University of Minnesota study of 20,000 kids found that 15% think they are going to die early. Far from engaging in risky behaviour because of invincibility, the survey suggests that many teenagers adopt unsafe practices because they decide that there's not a lot at stake. The future is already a no go zone.

For all of us, avoiding bad behaviour and unhealthy practices is partly about having belief in a better future. Avoid the negativity of Old Brain thinking. Rejuvenate using the 6 Wisdoms of Youth.

How much younger would you like to be?

Wouldn't it be great if you could just wave a magic wand and strip years off your life? Like layers on an onion, what would you like to peel off? 5 Years? 10 Years? Or may be more.

I've just dug out some social research statistics on this subject. They are a little old - they date from 2002 - but they give an early guide to how people see rejuvenation.

The first thing to notice is that about a third of people, do not want to change their age at all. These people are happy with where they are in their lives and do not yearn for a younger self. And 5% would like to be somewhat older than they are currently - but virtually all of these are found in the 15-24 year old age band of respondents.

The rest of us - some 60% - want to be younger! But how much younger is the younger you? 5 years younger will do 9% of us. Almost a quarter 24% want to be 10 years younger. But 27% want to roll back a full 20 years!!

Looking at the detail, it is unsurprising, perhaps, to see that the older you are, the more you yearn for a bigger rejuvenation - most people wishing for 20 years more youth were 45+.

Interestingly professional and self-employed people are the occupations wishing for the biggest swish of the rejuvenation wand. Why would this be? My hypothesis is that this is a reflection of how much they have sacrificed for their careers and how poorly they have lived their leisure lives. Are you one of these people? A lost youth spent studying and lost life spent climbing the career ladder may bring great frustration concerning ageing.

The other social groups yearning for youthfulness are the divorced, the separated and the widowed. So here, rolling back the clock is probably about regrets and the desire to have the time to make a fresh start.

So there you have it. The majority of people want to rejuventate - but their motivations for doing so are mixed - getting older is the most powerful reason to wish to be younger. But regrets about a wasted life and the desire to start again are also powerful reasons to rejuvenate.

Blowing open the assumptions about ageing

Are you one of those people who believe that ageing brings new wisdom and a better perspective on life? What if you have it upside down? Could it be that life was simpler when you were younger because you were better at living it?

Lots of social research points to the fact that the young have an approach to life which is more positive and leads to more fulfillment. For example, the young are simply more sociable. As people get older, they withdraw and fall back on a smaller and smaller circle of friends. And going out in crowds becomes terrifying - rather than exciting.

As for the wisdom of age, perhaps FP Jones was on to something when he said:

"Experience is that marvellous thing that enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again".

So perhaps it's time to start challenging some of the common assumptions about ageing. Here are three truisms about the ageing process which go against the average view:

1. Ageing is more about how you think than how you look (so forget about botox and start looking at mindset change)

2. Wisdom is not only something you learn. You were born with a natural wisdom - the Wisdom of Youth (so work hard to regain what you've lost with the passage of time and don't think life is going to get easier, just because you are older)

3. People drift into 'old' thinking (grumpy and negative) as early as their early 20s (avoid become old before your time by rejuvenating your thoughts and acquiring a 'Young Brain').

It's been said that 'ageing' is the obsession of our times. If that's so, better start with the right assumption base.

Job restructuring? Good

Friends came to lunch yesterday. Our conversation must have been a carbon copy of thousands of other lunchtime chats being held at dining tables around the world. Our subject, of course, the recession. More precisely, the fact that the husband had been given an ultimatum recently.

You see, after 20 years in the same company, working at the same site, for the same management, his workplace was closing. All the company's affairs were transfering to another factory, 300kms away. His choice? Stay and be made redundant - or follow and be promoted. So he's following.

But here's the thing. Two months into his new job, he's been revitalised. New management and new responsibilities sees this 52 year old alive with new ideas and plans. I'd already noticed when he walked in the house how much younger he looked - and I told him this. He denied it, of course, saying he felt more tired than usual. That's normal. He's started a new job and is, for the moment, doing a lot of weekly commuting to and from this new site. But he did look younger, somehow fresher and more vigorous!

And, later, he said it himself. According to his own impressions, "I feel ten years younger!"

Now, his wife is out of kilter with this rejuvenation. She's going to have to give up her beloved home and foresake her good job to follow him in the Autumn. The relocalisation fills her with dread. Where will they live? Will they find new friends? Will they lose old friends? Will they be able to rent their existing home for a few years - and find reliable tenants? And so on.

Whilst the husband has already moved on, his wife is still stuck in the past. He is working on his Young Brain. She is limiting herself by her Old Brain.

The good news is, and I told them this, that I have no doubt that once they are both in situ, their lives will both be transformed for the better. Truth is, here they were stagnating and both jobs were tolerated - not enjoyed. Friendships were comfortable, not lively. I've a strong feeling that in 18 months when we go down to visit for the weekend, they will be rejuventated, buzzing with ideas and living life with renewed fascination.

So, if your job is restructuring, if you have to relocate, if you lose your job - even in these straightened times, try to think of it as a formidable chance to turn over a new leaf and start something fresh. Your Young Brain will be nourished and the rewards could be great.

Institutional thinking is Old Brain thinking

We have described Old Brained thinking as negative, grumpy and out-of-touch. Others use different terms to describe the same phenomenon.

I was struck today by how, Thomas Power, founder of Ecademy, defined Old Brained thinking as: Closed, Selective and Controlling. Except he wasn't defining Old Brain thinking as such but Institutional thinking. However, it amounts to the same thing; for Institution read Old Brain.

Thomas Power goes on to describe Network thinking. Networks are Open, Accept Everything, Random and Supportive. This, to me, is also a good proxy for Young Brain thinking.

So, what's this telling us? Big institutions (schools, charities, health services, companies, governments) have Old Brained cultures, almost by definition (for reasons of governance and public interest, for example). However, the world and society more specifically is evolving to a more networked place (see Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and LinkedIn). Since the world is becoming Young Brained, shouldn't you too?

Read our book 'You Can Be As Young As You Think' to find out how. And watch Thomas Power on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4IpLo0rKkE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eecademy%2Ecom%2Faccount%2Ephp%3Fid%3D8&feature=player_embedded

Are you unlucky in life? Do you want to be luckier?

I never keep my iphone in my pocket. Ever. Except yesterday when I slipped it into my trousers on the way to the taxi rank. Result, it fell out on the backseat and is now lost for good. What bad luck!

Yes, bad things happen to everyone - but are some people unluckier than others? Do some individuals attract more than their fair share of life's poo?

Surprisingly, my answer to this question is 'yes'. Some of us are more unlucky. Perhaps I need to explain myself.

I am convinced that we all have lucky and unlucky things happen to us. It's just that some people recognise good luck when it happens to them and make the most of it. For example, these Young Brains will see a $10 bill on the floor, bend down and pick it up. What luck! Incidentally, this once happend to me. I was at the races and a £20 note floated past my nose. I grabbed it out of the air and had a far better lunch than I'd been planning for!

But back to my point. Wouldn't everyone stoop to pick up free money? Astonishingly, no. Old Brains see the $10 and think that it must be a joke; that the note is false, counterfeit, a fake. This fact is only confirmed by the fact that it is still on the floor. If it had been real, someone else would already have picked it up!

Can you see where I'm heading with this? We are all lucky - it's just that some of us refuse lady luck when she extends us her privileges. And if Old Brains turn down the chance for a better lunch, what else are they refusing to benefit from? A job opportunity? A chance to make new friends? A trip to the seaside with the family?

I love the word 'serendipity'. It just sounds nice. But it also is nice. It means, roughly, the preparedness to accept luck when it happens. When you rejuvenate, you become luckier. You become a Young Brain and you suddenly find yourself recognising luck and letting it into your life. Almost immediately, you start to see boundless opportunities, whereas previously, you'd seen nothing - or nothing but fakes, false promises and probable falsehoods.

So, do you want to be luckier? Then shed your Old Brain attitudes. Go on. Bend down and pick up that opportunity which is in front of your very eyes.

Slow suicide: avoid new things at your peril

I've done it myself frequently. Something new comes along and I don't even give it a serious thought. It's different - and that's awkward when it comes to running my life. And so I dismiss it out of hand.

Here's three (shameful) examples.

1. Many, many years ago, I was a consultant for a big blue-chip company in the UK - Boots The Chemist. The challenge was, did we want to join a consortium and place mobile telephone antenna in all 1000 stores? Now, this was 1989 and cell phones were virtually unheard of. So, rather than ask intelligent questions around the idea, I dismissed it out of hand. Why on earth would anyone want to carry a phone around with them when there were hundreds of thousands of telephone cabins across the land? I had, in fact, ignored the potential of what turned out to be one of the key trends of the last 20 years! And all because it was new.

2. Similarly, in 1998, I was working for a company that had just had 'e-mail' installed. This, I should add was just one computer on one floor and turned on just once a day to see if we'd received any e-mails. In other words, we treated it a bit like the postman arriving! The point is, at first, I just couldn't see the need. Faxes were great. Who needed e-mails? Again, I was petrified by the new.

3. Today, I aim to be up with trends - sometimes even ahead of them. However, the other day I did feel resistant to using a 'Velib'. These are the 'almost free, publically available' bikes on almost every street corner in Paris. A great concept - but how to go about renting one? On this particular occasion, I pushed myself to experiment and was soon experiencing the exhilarating joy and freedom of cycling around one of the worlds most beautiful cities.

So, some rather embarassing examples - BUT - I bet you are like me - resistant to change and anything new. But, life has taught me that I miss out on so much if I'm not open to novelty. Indeed, I pass by everything that's fresh, energising and interesting about living when I refuse to embrace the new. This is why rejection of change is like slow suicide. By saying "no" to new things, you say "yes" to atrophy.

Live the Wisdom in three easy steps:

1. When something new comes your way, catch yourself being negative or obstructive: keep a very open mind in those first few critical seconds.

2. With that openness, explore the new idea/concept/product. What's it about? How does it work? Could it catch on? How could it help you and others? Be analytical and imaginative.

3. Still not convinced? Then try it out. Do a test run. Plunge in the deep end and give it a go.

Only when you've gone through 1,2,3 will you truly know whether this one is for you. If it is, then rejoice - you've just turned your back on slow suicide.

Stay young or face discrimination

A few years ago, who'd heard of the term 'ageism'? Sexism, yes; racism, of course. But ageism?

Today we hear the term more and more. In fact, in Britain people claiming discrimination at work because of their age more than tripled from 2006-2007!

So what is happening?

Like it or not, society increasingly demands that we stay young. Signs of ageing can quickly result in our being excluded - with the only recourse being to defend ourselves in the courtroom.

Actress Dame Joan Bakewell claimed that the media is dominated by the young. Meanwhile the business world is particularly unforgiving - especially in Britain.

"In America, there are women with white hair who are heads of banks, heads of corporations. Where are those women [in Britain]?" (Anna Ford, BBC)

We owe it to ourselves to stay Young Brained - and avoid falling victim to those who, rightly or wrongly, will judge our suitability according to ageist criteria.