The Stress Test

November 15, 2016

In 1888, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in Twilight of the Idols: "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." Neuroscientist and trained clinical psychologist Robertson (T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Scientist, Ctr. for BrainHealth, Univ. of Texas at Dallas; The Winner Effect) is a young graduate when he first comes across this line in 1974. Throughout his career, this maxim comes back to him while he studies attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, spatial neglect, and biofeedback. As a neuropsychologist, the author becomes interested in lateralization of brain functions. What he aims to determine is how the brain and mind interact and help us rise to life's stressful events and continue on stronger. He devotes half a chapter to anger, an emotion that it is taboo to express but can be key in surviving difficulties. Cognitive reserve, which stems from mental challenge and social interactions and protects the brain against dementia, brings the author closer to solving his Nietzschean puzzle. Robertson concludes positively by maintaining that Nietzsche is right, but also that a person's faith in emotional self-control is essential to resilience. VERDICT No easy read, this book is recommended for knowledgeable psychology and neuropsychology enthusiasts.--Maryse Breton, Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec

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