Roxanne reviews Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
A recent gem in our Mindfulness section is Whole Brain Living by neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. After Dr. Taylor suffered a major stroke which temporarily shut off the left side of her brain, and fighting her way back to almost full brain capacity, she discovered that our brains are better described as having four parts rather than the tried and true two, left brain and right brain.
Like any powerful self-help book, Dr. Taylor starts by explaining her treatise in easy real world practicalities, explaining what each of these four characters act like when going to the beach. Even better, she uses the acronym of B-R-A-I-N to help us center ourselves to deal with life’s challenges.
Moving more in depth, Dr. Taylor tackles almost every issue imaginable, from generational leanings through her four character lens, to how we deal with the death of a loved one.
An added bonus for AA members, Dr. Taylor addresses addiction recovery in relation to these four brain components. She also offers almost astrological-like compatibility advice on couples who may lean to same or opposite ‘characters’. While she actually named her four parts, I felt a little too Sally Field as Sybill doing the same. Still, there’s much to be gleaned from Dr. Taylor’s book in living a more holistic and peaceful life.
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