Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed by Nicola Morgan

About the Book

Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed is a non-fiction book by Nicola Morgan. It was first published in 2005 but has been repackaged and updated by Walker Books. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Synopsis

Contrary to popular (parental) opinion, teenagers are not the lazy, unpleasant louts they occasionally appear to be. During the teenage years the brain is undergoing its most radical and fundamental change since the age of two. Nicola Morgan's carefully researched, accessible and humorous examination of the ups and downs of the teenage brain has chapters dealing with powerful emotions, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks, the difference between genders and the reasons behind addiction or depression. The revised edition of this classic book contains important new research, including information on mirror neurons and their effect on the teenage brain.

What I thought

I’m not usually one for reading non-fiction but this book sounded far too interesting to pass up. Having already been a teenager myself, and probably having my own misconceptions, I wanted to know the deal behind how teenagers think and act.

Nicola Morgan introduces different aspects of the brain with both a scientific and humorous approach. Although she definitely does not claim to be a scientist of any kind, Morgan explains how brains work in general and the different parts/ what bits do what. I can’t say that I have ever really known any of this information before and I really did find it very interesting to learn.

What I love about this book, is that it appeals to both adults and teenagers. Parents can get a bit of insight into how their children think while teenagers themselves can pick up some great advice as well as learning more about why they do certain things. Morgan introduces chapters in a fun and informative way, by giving a different situation or scenario which reveals a different trait of the teenage brain. Then, Morgan goes on to explain the reasons for certain actions and then at the end of each chapter, there are fun little quizzes which make the book a whole lot more fun.

Not only is the content fun but it is also extremely interesting. There are chapters which concentrate on subjects such as sleeping in really late to depression and risk taking. All chapters tackle something which can be seen as ‘typical’ teenage behaviour and things which can sometimes be blamed on hormones or just because someone is a teenager. I really enjoyed finding out more about why some teens sleep in late and why some are more likely to take big risks than others. This book really is a fantastic insight into the mind of a teenager and it made me think differently about teenage actions.

Even if you’re not usually into non-fiction, I think everyone can benefit from reading this book. I’m no longer a teenager nor do I have any myself but I found this book both entertaining and extremely informative.