I was unable to complete Strupp’s book. I did not trust that she would provide me with evidence-based scientific goods and I disliked the chirpy dumbed-down/easily confounding (since they are commonly used for something else entirely) acronyms used—e.g., “AI” for autobiographical intelligence and “DNA” for the brain’s default network activity. I also checked out the video series that accompanies the book and found it too earnest, corny, and a basically off-putting attempt to appeal to frazzled middle-aged middle-class women seeking some way to mitigate the stress of busy, unsatisfying lives. The well-to-do Strupp comes from a business background and it shows. A few years back she apparently experienced a kind of personal spiritual reckoning in which she realized it wasn’t material but cerebral wealth that mattered in one’s life. She subsequently obtained a certificate in Brain Research in Education from the University of Washington at Seattle. From this sprung her brain training program and books.

Based on what I did read, I found this to be a Stephen Covey or Tony Robbins style book with some neuroscience thrown in. I trusted neither the author nor her glitzy overly simplistic packaging. This is not to say Strupp’s book won’t help her target female audience—women who have neither the time nor interest to read relevant neuroscience. For this reader, however, proceeding further in the book would have felt like squandering time for minimal payoff.

I might be getting older, but thanks to this book I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Well-written and very edifying.

Thank you Sonoran Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Better from Within is an incredibly informative, well written book aimed at women between 40 - 60. It provides in depth information on the brain, it’s working and maintaining brain health. This is a book to be read slowly to absorb its wisdom deeply.

I would love for a copy of this book to be available in my region either in paperback or kindle version as this is a book I want to highlight, and return to over time.

I think learning about the brain is fascinating and this book gave me so much new information. I appreciated the exercises, plus you can watch recommended videos for more of an in depth experience. I gave it a 4 because it was more like a college textbook to me than a casual read. But it was still interesting and you can tell the author put a lot of time and research into their book.

This is a very interesting book, very well written and with excellent explanations of complex subjects. I'm no expert on the brain, so I can't verify the facts, but everything appears logical and I've learned a lot from reading this book.