Customer Reviews

This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health, and Nurturing Spiritual Growth

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I've always been a pretty firm believer that you can judge a book by its cover. And the cover of This Is Your Brain On Joy has a pretty spectacular cover, so my hopes were high as I cracked open the cover.

My theory, as usual, was not incorrect. Dr. Earl Henslin's book examines the concept of joy, not only the emotional aspect, but also the physical, environmental and nutritional factors that contribute to the joy we all seek. It's too easy to beat ourselves up due to the lack of joy in our lives, and write it off as a spiritual deficiency. Dr. Henslin tells us that there are other contributing factors to a lack of joy, and presents us with a plan to reintroduce joy to our lives.

The book starts with some fairly technical language, but once you get past the initial introduction to the regions of the brain, there is an assessment you can take, which will help you see which area you may want to focus on. Then, the following chapters outline the ways that you can improve your brain health through diet, exercise and supplements.

My personal favorite aspect of the book is that it goes farther than the usual things to improve your health. There are music, book and movie recommendations to aid in the process, both for adults and children. The book definitely takes a holistic approach to the rediscovery of joy.

If joy seems to be eluding you, I wholeheartedly rencourage you to pick up this book.

I would highly recommend this book although, to be honest, I was skeptical of what it's message would be. Through experience I have found that some people (often from a traditional Christian perspective) do not understand the complexity of depression and anxiety in relation to how it can actually affect an individuals life. Finding contentment and joy is not always as easy as sending up a prayer or reading your bible. There are measures that need to be taken to treat the problem.

I was very pleased with Dr. Henslin's writing style; as well as, how the book structured. He wrote in an understandable way and that he wants those non-medical people to understand the causes behind these disorders and how we can go about helping ourselves through our diet, how we process different experiences, etc. The "Amen Brain System Checklist" was excellent. It was very insightful and I liked how it tied in with the previous chapters. It helped to pull everything together in the end so that you could apply it to your specific situation.

I was encouraged by the way Dr. Henslin emphasized treatment in a well-rounded way, rather than strictly encouraging medication. I will definitely recommend this book to friends and family to help give them a greater understanding of how to encourage contentment in all things, even when they don't go our way. Overall, a very encouraging and insightful book.

A great read with some incredible insights. The author has quite a literary talent as well beyond what you would expect from a doctor in his field.

The book will definitely inspire you to think twice before judging others and cause you to think deeply about how God may view our brokeness. This is a good thing.

On the downside there are times when the book feel tad like an advertisement for the unique servics offered by Dr. Henslin. The book shines brightest when Dr. Henslin offers real world examples of different brain types and the personalities that go with them as well as some of the treatments offered.

For anyone wanting to gain a better insight into the human brain, especially if you are looking for spiritual insight backed up by clinical studies - I highly recommend this book.