UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN - Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching and Transformative Learning (2005)
by Daniel S. Janik
230 pp.  6" x 9" Softcover Trade Book
ISBN 978-1-5788629-1-7 

Here, Daniel S. Janik, MD, PhD, argues replacing education and teaching with non-traumatic, curiosity-based, discovery-driven, and mentor-assisted transformational learning. Unlock the Genius Within is an easy read that explains―in conversational manner―the newest ideas on neurobiological and transformational learning beginning with what's wrong with education and ending with a call for reader participation in developing and applying neurobiological learning and transformational learning theory and methodology. Janik draws extensively from his own experiences first as a physician working with psychological recovery from trauma, and then as an educator and linguist in applying neurobiological-based transformational learning in clinics, classrooms, and tutoring. 

Features:
·Descriptions of classical and contemporary research alongside allusions to popular movies and television programs
·Suggested further readings
·Neurobiological learning web resources

Throughout this book, the author incorporates humor, wisdom, and anecdotes to draw readers into traditionally incomprehensible concepts and information that demonstrates transformational learning. It will be of interest to teachers (postsecondary, secondary, and ESL), administrators, counselors, parents, students, and medical researchers.

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Reviews:

5/5 Stars - "This novel learning theory is drawn extensively from...[Janik's] own experience first as a physician working with patients who experienced psychological trauma, and later as an educator and linguist in applying neurobiologically-based transformative learning in clinics, classrooms, and tutoring. In this inspiring book, Janik first discusses what is wrong with education and teaching methodologies in general, and then proceeds to discuss the traumatic roots of traditional teaching--how it ultimately results in loss of interest and creativity. He continues to describe the neurobiological foundations of a new form of nontraumatic learning - transformative learning--a "second learning pathway" (p.114). Janik claims that transformative learning is just as effective and yet free of its liabilities. He argues passionately and convincingly for replacing teaching with non-traumatic, curiosity-based, discovery-driven, mentor-assisted transformative learning to enable students to transform to learners, and teachers to mentors, and as a result of this change, "a new type of learner...[begins] to emerge" - Sutrisna Widjaja

"Readable...informative...applicable to today's students and their unique needs...a tool that will take them beyond trying to actually succeeding...as I read, I was conscious of an overwhelming feeling of 'I wish I had known that'...I can see this book revolutionizing education" - Judith M. Ireton, MEd, Anchorage School District

"Educative, stimulating and fun to read...especially fascinating and helpful to someone like myself...who teaches...and studies it academically" - Yoichiro Hasebe, Takushima Bunri University, Japan

"A welcome addition to current work on...effective learning...a text stripped of...jargon, highlighting the most compelling and important contemporary contributions to neurobiological learning...[and] its derivative, transformational learning" - Sofia Micic, PhD, University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Yugoslavia. 

"a quantum leap ahead...thought-provoking, eye-opening and immensely immersive...personally recommend it to all my...colleagues...and our future student teachers" - Seppo Tella, PhD, University of Helsinki, Finland.

"[A] topic of extreme importance, yet there is no proper coverage of the subject in the open literature...the parts...related to neurobiological learning are especially strong... [and] open many new avenues for research...I will personally use this book in my graduate teaching" - V. Multinovic, PhD, co-editor of Neural Networks