Sharp: 14 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life with Brain Science

by Therese Huston

Overview

What if your best days weren’t left to chance, but something you could control and activate at will? Most of us want to be a little happier, a little more focused, and a lot less stressed. We want simple approaches that are easy to fold into our everyday lives.
 
In Sharp, you’ll discover dozens of evidence-backed strategies to help you unlock your potential and enhance your performance—whether at work, school, home, or in relationships.
Cognitive scientist Therese Huston unpacks the latest neuroscience research to deliver a gold mine of techniques to help you feel your sharpest including: 

• How a calming deep breathing technique improves decision-making 
• Exactly what kind of exercise helps you think on your feet 
• What brain science says you should look for in a doctor, and 
• How to get focused on your most unfocused days. 

Forget the tired advice of "get more sleep"—Sharp dives into more innovative, actionable tips that can make a difference in your daily routine.  Best of all, many of them take five minutes or less.

Whether you want to make fewer mistakes, support your partner through life’s challenges, or simply learn faster, Sharp gives you the tools to do it all, without having to overhaul your entire lifestyle. It’s time to take charge of your mental and emotional well-being with science.
 
For anyone looking to be a little happier, a lot more productive, and far less stressed, Sharp offers the solutions you’ve been looking for.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887702018
Publisher:	Mayo Clinic Press
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Therese Huston, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist at Seattle University, where she transforms good science into great strategies. She was the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Seattle Universityand is now a consultant for their Center for Faculty Development. She is the author of Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower; How Women Decide; and Teaching What You Don’t Know and has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, TIME, The Guardian, and Harvard Business Review. Therese has led workshops and delivered presentations to Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and universities across the globe. She lives in Seattle with her husband and their dog, who insists on being the real boss of the household.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
 
I. Thrive 9-to-5XX
 
Get Started
Chapter 1: Get Focused
Chapter 2: Get Creative
Chapter 3: Get Motivated
 
Do Your Best Work
Chapter 4: Accomplish More
Chapter 5: Think on Your Feet
Chapter 6: Learn More and Learn It Fast
Chapter 7: Make Fewer Mistakes
 
Be Better to Others
Chapter 8: Relate More
Chapter 9: Be More Fair and Less Biased
 
II. Thrive the Rest of Your Day
 
Master Your Destiny
Chapter 10: Make Better Decisions
Chapter 11: Stay Healthier and Feel Less Pain
 
Relax and Connect
Chapter 12: Take Charge of Chronic Stress
Chapter 13: Manage Intense Moments of Acute Stress
Chapter 14: Support Your Better Half
 
A Parting Word to the Wise
Acknowledgments
Appendix: Quickest Strategies for a Better You
Notes
Index
 

Editorial Reviews

What makes Therese Huston's 'Sharp' truly exceptional is how seamlessly it bridges the gap between complex neuroscience and everyday application. In a world where many struggle not from lack of knowledge but from an inability to access their skills under pressure, Huston provides the missing piece of the puzzle. Her science-backed techniques for calming the mind, improving focus, and enhancing decision-making are precisely what negotiators and anyone facing difficult conversations need most.”
—Kwame Christian, author of Finding Confidence in Conflict and host of the Negotiate Anything podcast

"A fun, fact-filled exploration of the neuroscience of self-improvement, offering suggestions everyone can use.  Huston presents a clear and engaging review of scientific findings, often overturning conventional wisdom, and pointing to simple ways we all can be sharper, healthier, happier and more constructive at work and in all phases of our lives."
—James L. McClelland, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, Computation and Technology

“This user’s guide to your brain is the most practical, down-to-earth, and funny manual on mastering your life I’ve ever read.”
—Eddie Stern, author of Healing Through Breathing, Four Lessons for Lasting Health and Happiness and One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life

“This book should be read by anyone who’s ever wished they could turn a frazzled mind into focused energy.  Sharp distills the latest findings in neuroscience into straightforward, actionable insights for your everyday life.  Imagine if, instead of hoping for a good day, you had the tools to create one. With Sharp, you can.”
—Scott Barry Kaufman, author of Transcend, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, Director of the Center for Human Potential, creator and host of The Psychology Podcast

 “This book stands out from the pack. It provides concrete steps and daily practices, coupled with a depth of knowledge about biology and neuroscience. Dr. Huston’s training as a scientist, teacher, and educator has allowed her to do the hard work to improve your productivity and efficiency. Run, do not walk, to get this book, and read it cover-to-cover.”
—Marlene Behrmann, Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, former Director of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition

 



 

From the Publisher