Age Proof Your Brain with Tony Buzan

In the lead up to next month's Australian Tour, Leo D’Angelo Fisher caught up with Tony Buzan.

What is a Mind Map?
A Mind Map® is a graphic thinking tool that mirrors the way the brain thinks. Mind Maps use the full range of cortical skills and can be applied to all aspects of thinking including memory, creativity, learning and general control of the cognitive processes.

You believe it’s important to understand how the human brain works. Why?
Far more important than managing knowledge is managing the manager of knowledge: the Human Brain. In this new age of the intelligence worker, the knowledge of the brain and its functions and how to apply them to personal, family and professional life, is going to be the [biggest] competitive advantage.

Explain the concept behind your new book, Age-Proof Your Brain.
It used to be thought that as the brain became older, all its mental skills declined. We now know the opposite is true: with appropriate training and conditioning, the brain gets better as it gets older. There is a growing, massive pool of workers with vast intelligence banks who will cost companies little and make them a fortune.

How does ‘age-proofing’ the brain deliver benefits?
By improving your speed of thinking, memory and creativity, you are able to improve all areas of your performance, increasing productivity as well as competence and confidence. As the brain gets healthier, so does the body, increasing both the life expectancy and value of each moment within that extended life.

This article appears in the current BRW magazine [Jan 10-Feb 6, 2008]