The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter by Katherine Ellison 279 pages Basic Books April 2005 Hardcover     Those of us who are mothers know that motherhood can turn your brain to mush. But now there is a book that tells us it actually makes us smarter. Who woulda thunk it? Seriously, though, we moms do know that becoming a mother does something for our brains. And Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter and mom of two boys, Katherine Ellison, is here to tell us that motherhood is, in fact, making our brains sharper, stronger and more adaptable. The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter offers some pretty convincing research into how birthin’ a young’un creates a host of mental advantages for moms. From increased perception to stronger motivation to emotional intelligence, the outcome of giving birth seems to be mostly positive, once you get over the initial haze of sleep depravation, that is. Using her interview skills, Ellison talked with scientists and leading brain researchers about the changes that take place in the mommy brain, and she was astonished to find that, as one scientist put it, motherhood is something akin to “a revolution for the brain.” Seems mom’s ability to multi-task comes from a literal reshaping of the brain that takes place because of the new mom’s new demands on her own brain. The repetitive nurturing, ability to do twenty things at once, sensory experiences and hormonal changes, and the emotional demands of a child all combine to create a powerhouse brain filled with new activity and increased efficiency, not to mention a stronger sense of creativity and even competition. Now I know why we moms will go to extreme lengths to get that last Star Wars light saber! The research shows that, from the first flush of pregnancy, the brain is working at improving memory and creating the neural pathways for future multitasking. Throughout pregnancy and childbirth, the brain is working overtime to provide a mother with the abilities she will need to survive the challenges of perpetuating the species. In fact, the mommy brain is evolution working right before our eyes, making sure that life itself gets the best shot out of the gate, so to speak. No wonder mother knows best. She has to, in order to keep humanity going! Ellison’s book is both fascinating and fun to read, and is especially encouraging for those of us moms who insist we lost our minds when we gave birth. We were wrong. We found our minds, and they are stronger and smarter than ever!   web reviews   Marie D. Jones/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)