Maximizing Your Brain... A Pathway To Becoming An Intellectual Giant

DEVATOP
BOOK
MAXIMIZING
YOUR
BRAIN POWER
A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT
JOSEPH C. OSUIGWE
What People are saying about Maximizing Your Brain Power....
a practical guide for students, and anyone, who want to sharpen their
intellect.
Chido Onumah, author, Nigeria is Negotiable
It is well captured in this book, the limitless potentials and possibilities of the
brain. Whether one goes forward or backward; whether one ends or drops out;
all depend on the use or lack of this brainpower.
-DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu.
(President, University of Nigeria Alumni Abuja Chapter).
The powerful possibility and impact of tapping into the brain is one of the most
recent researches that has revealed that even the downtrodden has hope to
eventually square up with civilization someday. Truth is that with more than
2billion brain cells available to the average human, color, or poverty no longer
must be used any longer to justify poor achievement in life.
This book therefore becomes most relevant and advocating to all ages especially
the youth to remain alert, sensitized as they use their brains. It further went
ahead to mobilize, engage and engineer the need for transformational thinking
which has enabled the developed world to get to where they are today. The
reality is that A THINKING NATION IS A LEADING NATION.
Coming from a young man who has spent tireless hours penning down his
thoughts to affect his generation, the least you can do is to give this book the
undivided attention it deserves.
Therefore, in believing that this book will make for a good reading, l strongly
recommend it. Enjoy!!
-Onu, Victoria (Asso Prof)
President ,African network on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Maximizing your Brain power is not just another addition to the shelf but rather
a collection of inspirational thought to stimulate the minds of those who desire to
achieve greatness in life.
It is a must read for all homes especially the youths most of whom are in dire need
of proper direction.
-Dr. Nwachukwu Chibuike, U.
(Director, Alvan Consultancy, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education
Owerri, Imo State)
i
MAXIMIZING YOUR BRAIN POWER

Copyright 2013 by
Joseph C. Osuigwe
ISBN: 978 - 978 -938 -494 -5
All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system in any form or by any means, either by electronics, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without prior permission.
Published & Printed by:

MARVELOUS MIKE PRESS LIMITED
7, Abeokuta Street, Off Ogbomosho Street,
By Mr. Biggs, Area 8,
Garki- Abuja,
Nigeria
Tel: 08033183566
E-mail: marvelousmikepress@yahoo.com
ii A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This masterpiece is a reflection of God's wisdom, grace, love and
unlimited deposits in me. I am most grateful to God Almighty who
empowered me to persist till the publication of this many years work.
Every achievement has reference to the help of many known and
unknown individuals who contributed to our lives. Here are just few
who contributed in the success of this work:
To my mother Mrs. Pauline who first edited this work at its early stage.
My appreciation goes to Mrs. Nneoma, Mr. Chido Onumah, Dr. Charles
Ugwuegbulam, Mr. Boniface Chimezie, Dr.(Mrs) Victoria Onu, and
several others who contributed in the editing of this book.
My profound gratitude goes to my mentor Arc. Jarlath Onugebu and to

many role models, teachers, supporters, critics, advisers, friends,
parents (Mr. and Mrs. Lugard Osuigwe) and brother (Vincent
Osuigwe) for investing their time, energy and interest in my vision.
A big thank you to Mr. Marvelous Mike (Director of Marvelous Mike

Press Ltd) for supporting the publication of this book as part of his
contribution to my National youth Service Corps (NYSC) Project; and
to Adebowale Shonde for patiently putting this book into this form. I
appreciate Mrs. Blessing Mutu for her support during my NYSC
project, and to DCP Ojukwu Emmanuel for his encouragement.
A huge thanks and applause to National Youth Service Corps on whose

platform I published this book.
I can't forget to appreciate all the DEVATOP team members for

believing in my vision and Runcie Chidebe for his nice suggestions on
this book.

iii
DEDICATION
DEDICATION
This masterpiece is dedicated to all the students in Tertiary and
Senior Secondary Schools, to business people, to civil servants, to
leaders, to old and young who are utilizing their brain power to the
benefit of mankind.

iv
FOREWARD
FOREWARD
Joseph Osuigwe Chidiebere, is set to make readers engaged with his
debut, Maximizing Your Brain Powera pathway to becoming an
intellectual giant. This book teaches us how to take control of our
thoughts, identify opportunities, and find success, rather than letting
life happen. Osuigwe made his work far more engaging by using
experiences of acknowledged intellectual giants; and his own
experiences from his days as a teacher, where he observed a lot of
challenges common among students, such as lack of mental exercise,
lack of intellectual curiosity and motivation, lack of academic vision,
etc.
The book is broken down into six chapters; each chapter represents a
snapshot of a single plot point, each with infinite interpretation.
Chapter four for example highlights the importance of reading and
how to go about developing a reading skill, whether you are engaged
in a novel, pondering/skimming over a newspaper or just looking at a
sign. Reading skills allow you to interpret and become engaged in the
world around you. Today, students have many opportunities to gather
information. Books are not the only tools students are exposed to, but
using smart phone, reading from electronic tablets or researching on a
computer has opened the floodgates for finding and accessing
information. That's to say, students with reading skill necessary to
access and use information are not first learning to read, but reading
to learn.

v
As a teacher, I made it a hobby early in life to develop a reading culture.
Later in life, I made it an obligation to purchase at least one book from
my salary every month, so as to improve on my intellectual capacity.
I therefore enjoin everybody who cares to develop towards becoming

an intellectual to read this book.
Professor Tijani Isma'il (fnae)
20/12/2013
Provost, FCT College of Education Zuba
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Brainpower is an inexhaustible resource given to everyone born into

this world. It has the capacity to achieve almost anything it conceives.
Little wonder, Toyota, a globally recognized brand in the automobile
industry, has as its slogan Good Thinking, Good Products.
Unfortunately, however, various researches have shown that only a
very few tend to tap up to one-third of their brain potential before they
die.
In the light of this, the author, Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe has

meticulously shown in this book, how to harness the brainpower in
order to accomplish a vision, pursuit or endeavour. He starts by
carefully defining terms and concepts that would help readers have a
clearer understanding of what he tries to portray in this book. He then
goes to show how those who have been defined by society as mentally
or physically disabled can amount to greatness by tapping into this
wealth of resource called the brainpower. He stresses on this by
vi
sharing his personal story as an example to many that find themselves
in a so-called disadvantaged position, intellectually or socially,
within society.
He shares brief stories on some world renowned people who dared to

tap into their brainpower, and have become celebrated as a result of
their various accomplishments. He interestingly explains the
anatomy of the brain, in order to give the reader a practical
understanding of how it functions and how the brainpower can be
maximized. The author also sheds some light on various concepts
ranging from memory, problems associated with the memory among
other interesting, informative and educative concepts.
This book is well-researched and sure to inspire, challenge, motivate,

as well as transform the mind of the reader to realize that nothing is
impossible to achieve, as long as one would dare to embark on a life-
long journey of tapping into the wealth of resources, and power the
brain can offer. THINK BIG, THINK POSSIBILITIES!
Linus Okorie
President, Guardians of the Nation International
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:
You can become an intellectual giant
They were called stupid and misfits. Yet, they eventually became geniuses, to the dismay of
the world. They were written off, but they later became 'the right stuff'. How could a person
who is dumb and abnormal became a genius? Listen to their secrets.
CHAPTER TWO:
Tapping into the power of your brain
The greatest and most complex computer you can think of in the world is your brain. Many
have achieved the impossible by tapping into the incredible power of their brain. How
powerful is your brain? How can you tap into the power of your brain? You need to know
this..
CHAPTER THREE:
Mental: Exercise, Diet and Rest
No one can tap into the tremendous power of his or her brain if he or she does not give his
or her brain its needs. Your brain is very thirsty of something. What are the basic needs of
your brain? How can your brain function beyond your expectation and give you great
results?
CHAPTER FOUR:
The Power of reading
How did Abraham Lincoln who did not attend school become one of the greatest leaders by
becoming a great reader? Can reading take you to the top? Yes. How can reading make a
difference in your mind and life? Let's see it here!
viii
CHAPTER FIVE:
Remembering
How can a man be reading under the rain and he didn't notice it? Why did you forget most
of what you read and remember just few? How can you brain store everything you want?
Just read, you will be surprised to hear what Prof. Remember has to say.
CHAPTER SIX:
Transformative thinking
By thinking aright some people have transformed their lives to greatness while others
deformed theirs. Thinking can build a man or destroy him. Men used thinking to get what
they needed. Where can thinking take you to? Let's see how you can make it by thinking.

ix
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can be achieved. -
Napoleon Hill
BRAIN POWER
When a person realizes the unlimited power of his brain and
utilizes it, the sky will be his starting point. By tapping into the
tremendous power of your brain, you can do exploits. Men who
fully tapped into the power of their brains were always celebrated.
People like Thomas Edison who invented the electric bulb, Henry
Ford who manufactured Ford motors, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates,
Nelson Mandela, Chinua Achebe, Philip Emeagwali among others,
became great in life because they put their brains to use by tapping
its power. Unfortunately, an average person doesn't use up to 20%
of the power of his brain. You can be a record breaker by
maximizing the power of your wonderful brain. The brain can do
more than you think. Our brains need to be stretched with what is
in this book.
NOTE: Make sure that everybody who is related to you gets a copy
of this book to read.
The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man
who'll get me a book I ain't read. Abraham Lincoln
Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe

x
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Intellectual: It involves the ability to think logically and deeply, reason
well and understand difficult things.
Intellectual curiosity: is a great hunger and ability to learn beyond the
basic or common knowledge. It is a desire to invest time and energy into
learning more about a thing.
Genius: is a person who is extremely intelligent, or one who has a special
skill or ability in a particular area.
Intellectual giant: A person who is mentally good at something and has
produced an extraordinary result with his brain. One who is gifted and can
generate great ideas on his own.
Intellectually disabled: is the inability of a person to function well with
his brain. It is a loss of intelligence and ability to perform mental tasks.
Mental capacity: is the ability to read, think deeply, reason, remember
and do any other thing that involves your mind. It also refers to
intellectual capacity.
Mental exercise: is an act of performing tasks with your brain, like

reading, thinking, reasoning, puzzling, memorization etc. it is refers to
mental activity.
Mental exploit: this is the use of your mental power to achieve great
results.
Feat: This is an extraordinary and notable achievement or action.
Mental diet: the food your mind needs to function better which includes
positive knowledge/information from different kinds of books.
Mental rest: a period when your brain is not given a task or when you free
your brain and mind from activities. Sleeping and yoga are part of mental
xi
rest.
Psychologist: one who studies the mind and behaviours and tries to
modify them.
Neurosurgery: is a medical specialty that involves prevention, diagnosis,
treatment and rehabilitation of brain disorders, nervous system, etc.
Visual: an image, picture or something connected with seeing that makes
something easier to understand.
Auditory: something that has to do with hearing.
Kinesthetic: something that has to do with touching, feeling, moving and
practicing of a thing.
Memory test: questions that determine the extent you have learnt or
known and memorize things.
Multiple choice test (question): questions with phrases followed by two
to four options from which you can choose the answer.
Item identification: involves recognizing something among many things
or to find an item from lists of things.
Matching: to combine or connect two related items with a line.
Attention: listening and taking notice of something with your mind so as
to remember it.
Mental imagery: involves imagining or having a picture of what you are
reading or forming a picture of what you intend to remember in your
mind.
Transformative thinking: is a form of thinking that teaches you to
control how you use your mind and it brings positive change, peace, etc.
Meditate: is to think about a particular thing deeply in a calm and
deliberate manner for a long time.
Brainstorming: is to think about a problem and produce an idea way of
xii
solving it by holding a group discussion.

Perspective: is the way you regard or have mental view of something. It is
the way you see things in your mind.
Receptive: is willing to receive, consider or accept new suggestions, ideas,
information etc.
Positivity: is the state of being positive.
Social Revolution: is a fundamental change in the way people live (think,
act, etc). The change can take place in economic, science, technology etc.
Interpersonal: existing or relating between more than one person.
Intra personal: occurring within a person's mind.
Naturalist: is a person who believes that natural laws are the rules that
govern the universe.
Spatial intelligence: is the ability to visualize with the mind's eye, used
for solving problems on space, navigation, etc. it is also the ability to
translate object sensation into a picture. Virtually all blind people have
spatial intelligence because they can recognize a person by touching him.
Linguistic: is the study of human language.
Improvement: is the act of making something or yourself better.
Proportion: is the size or amount of something to another thing.
Degree: is the level or extent to which something happens. It is the level at
which a thing exists.
Chronological age: is an age/number of years a person has lived.
Amplification: is an operation of increasing or making something better.
Accelerate: is to increase in amount or extent or to move to a higher
position.
Mental growth: is the improvement of a mental ability.
Hindbrain: is the lower portion of the brain that controls the functions
xiii
such as breaths, heartbeat rate, blood pressure, etc. It includes cerebellum,

medulla etc.
Midbrain: is the smallest region of the brain that controls the functions
such as visual, eye movement and auditory system.
Forebrain: is the largest region of the brain which controls the function of
voluntary movement, speech, hunger, thoughts, etc.
Cerebrum: is the uppermost part of the brain which consists of right and
left hemisphere known as cerebral hemisphere. It is where imagination,
thought, judgment, etc., take place.
Cerebellum: is the area of the hindbrain that controls the movement and
balance of the body.
Subconscious mind: is part of the brainwork that controls our heartbeat,
breaths and other things we do without thinking.
Conscious mind: is the part of the brainwork that is responsible for logic
and reasoning. It controls all the actions you do intentionally.
Multifaceted: means having many aspects, phases or areas.
Intuitive: is doing something without conscious reasoning or knowing
something without the use of reason.
Rational: based on reality or conscious/logical reasoning. A person who
does things by reasoning logically.
Cerebral cortex: is the outer surface of hemisphere in the brain.
Cerebral hemisphere: is the part of the brain that controls muscle
functions, speech, thought, emotions, reading, writing, learning, etc.
Rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep): is a kind of sleep that involves
fast and random movement of the eyes. It is a stage in sleep when dreams
occur.
Frequency: is the number of times something occurs or repeats. Also, it is
xiv
a number of waves that passes a fixed place at a given amount of time.

Amplitude of wave: is a measurement from the lowest point to the
highest point of the wave. It is used to measure the length of a wave.
Automatic: means done without thinking. A fast action done without
thinking.
Synthesize: is to form something by combining different things. To bring
different things or parts together to form a particular thing.
Accumulate: is to increase gradually in quantity or to gather things little
by little.
Capturing: taking hold or possession of something.
Day dreaming: is the imagining or recalling of various images or
experiences in the past or future and it occurs when you are semi-awake.

xv
CHAPTER ONE
YOU CAN BE
AN INTELLEC-
TUAL GIANT
his chapter carries a fascinating message about how you can improve
T your intelligence and become a known intellectual giant in the world.
It aims at inspiring and motivating you to develop your seed of
intelligence so as to achieve more results in what you do.
By reading this chapter, believing and applying the suggestions in it, you
will do better than you ever imagined. You are more than what you think you
are. Read and experience a change.

1
YOU CAN BECOME AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT
Everybody has the seed of intelligence and genius in him/her that

needs to be developed Joseph Chidiebere O.
Intellectual disability is a fact of scientific discovery, but it must
not be allowed to constitute a handicapping condition that will
hinder or stop one from becoming what God has purposed. No, it
must not stop one from participating actively and contributing
one's quota in life. -Dr.(Mrs) Victoria Onu
L et me start with an inspiring story of a young African who was

labeled Intellectually disabled by local and foreign medical
doctors.
DAMOLA was born with Down syndrome but became a Special

Olympics hero. How did it happen?
This story might sound unreal but it is the true life experience of a
mother who saw an intellectual giant in her son and decided to help
him develop it. As a medical doctor, she enrolled together with her
son both in primary and secondary school level in order to be a
guide for him.
Damola was born to two medical doctors, Dr. and Dr. Mrs. Shehu
Roberts. As he grew up, it was discovered he could not walk, talk
2
nor do many things like his mates. After diagnosis, Damola was
confirmed to be a Down syndrome patient meaning he will remain
intellectually disabled. His mother took him to the United Kingdom
to seek medical solution to the challenge which the doctor's report
said there was no solution. They said (predicted) that he can never
talk nor be able to learn. He was brought back to Nigeria and the
family decided to help him develop some coping strategies that
would enable him learn what he was expected to know, like
dressing, eating, greeting, etc.
His mother willingly enrolled together with him in kindergarten to

make learning easier for him. Damola continued improving
intellectually as a result of continuous engagement in
intellectual/mental activities. In fact, his potential in sports was
discovered and developed. In 2003, he became part of the Special
Olympics movement, a Federal Government initiative.
Although, Damola couldn't talk even at the age of 25, he gradually

developed his talent in swimming which made him compete
favourably with others from around the world. In September 2011,
he travelled to Athens in the company of other athletes for the
World Summer game. He had led the aquatic team to the games and
has done more than 40 laps at the Olympic swimming events.
Damola has been able to attain this height in sports, because he

maximized his potentials. He is now a source of inspiration to many
who desire to break the walls of limitations and disabilities.
3
You possess something that can take you round the

world. You have what it takes to become an intellectual giant,
a hero. But, you must develop it.
It takes intellectual curiosity to be become an
intellectual giant.
The man who was known to possess a very low intelligence

quotient(I.Q), but by maximizing his brain power he did
mental exploits and became a genius that has stood the test of
time. He is Thomas Edison.
Thomas Edison had a very low I.Q and started speaking very late.
He was belittled by his teacher Reverend G.B Engle at the age of 7.
Rev. Engle called the young Edison addled. This outraged the
youngster and he was later withdrawn from the school where he
had been for three months. His mother decided to educate him at
home. He developed hearing problems at an early age. Yet Edison
probably gained a far better education than most children of his
time.
Thomas Edison plunged into great books. Before he was 12, he had
read works by Shakespeare, Edward Gibbin, Dave Hume's history
of England and more. Young Edison had much enthusiasm for
reading.
In his teens, Edison read books on physical sciences and natural

4
philosophy which explained how to perform chemistry experiment

at home. He performed every experiment in that book. He read the
dictionary of science which further spurred his interest. His
mother encouraged and motivated him to read voraciously. Edison
said, My mother was the making of me. She understood me. She let
me follow my passion. Edison learnt that he could get knowledge,
inspiration and wisdom by reading books.
Thomas Edison later directed his interest onto electricity, battery
power, electro-magnetism and especially the telegraph. He made a
lot of researches and experiments to solve the problem of
electricity, telephone, etc. He had his personal library of more than
one thousand books and the most famous laboratory in his time.
He made a wonderful invention on electricity and communication,
precisely electric bulb, telegraph, moving images, and others. He
developed the first commercial electricity in the world. It was
observed that Edison failed more than 999 times before achieving
success in his task. Failure could not discourage Edison's passion
for invention. He was a positive thinker who believed that
everything is possible.
When he died he was recognized and mourned as the man who,
more than any other, had laid the basis for the technological and
social revolution of the modern electric world.
Whatever you believe about yourself works for you.
Some of the phrases most frequently used to describe people are;
1. He is intelligent

5
2. He is not intelligent
3. He is not very intelligent
4. He is very intelligent.
Intelligence is one of the most complex and interesting words
used in offices, companies, schools and the business
communities. Often times one attracts respect from his fellows
according to the degree of his intelligence.
Intelligence is the person's ability to acquire knowledge, apply

knowledge and engage in abstract reasoning. It also includes the
ability to adapt to new environment or to change, to learn from an
experience, to evaluate, perceive, imagine, judge, create, innovate,
etc. Intelligence doesn't reflect only on academics. Being intelligent
is not all about getting high grades or earning an academic degree.
The concept of intelligence is multifaceted. It can also reflect in
business, leadership, service, sports and others. Decision making
and problem solving skills are part of intelligence. Some
philosophers believed that intelligence involves what to do when
you don't know what to do.
To amplify the above explanation, I would like you to know that

intelligence include:
Ability to solve problems.
Ability to improve the quality of your life.
Ability to turn from failure to success.
Ability to generate radical/positive ideas, thoughts, etc.
Ability to bring a positive change.
6
Ability to innovate or create things.

Ability to control your thoughts and emotions.
According to Harwad Gardner, Intelligence can be expanded into

eight (8) forms: linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical, spatial,
kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. But all
these forms are encapsulated in the above definition and
explanation of intelligence.
Unfortunately, many people have accepted and believed that they

are not intelligent just because they have severally heard people or
their teachers, lecturers, friends or parents tell them this: you are
not intelligent at different points in their lives or may be due to
their failure to carry out a mental task successfully.
In fact, intelligence is a gift from God. Absolutely, God deposited the

seed of intelligence in every person during creation, but in different
proportions/degrees. It is part of our potentials. So, you're
intelligent. I have discovered that the problem is that many
people's intelligence is not well developed or amplified. Therefore,
intelligence needs to be developed and enhanced. Intelligence is
something that needs to be constantly improved. It is said that the
largest room in the world is the room for improvement. No one has to
stop at his present level of intelligence; there should be a desire to
improve your intelligence or increase your intelligence quotient.
You have what it takes to improve your intelligence, but you need to
do what it takes to improve it.
7
INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ)

IQ is the score you get from a test designed to measure a person's
mental skills/intelligence. It is a ratio of tested mental age to
chronological age, multiplied by 100. i.e:
Mental age (M.A) 100
Chronological age (C.A) 1
M.A is the level/age at which you operate mentally that is based
on certain test performance.
C.A is your actual/present age. It is your current age.
IQ Scales:
IQ < 100 (from 99 and below) = below average intelligence (such
people can be referred to as slow learners,)
IQ =100 to 109 = average intelligence
IQ > 110(from 110 and above) = above average intelligence
(people with this kind of IQ are faster learners, very intelligent,
genius, etc.)
Let's consider the following examples to get the point clearer:
S/N NAME Present Mental age (M.A) or Performance, IQ Score

age (C.A) i.e The way a person
M.A*100
learns/understands, reasons, etc.
C.A
(this M.A is usually determined by
a mental test)
1 Ebere John 18years He learns and performs as though hes 22/18*100
22years. i.e. he operates mentally beyond
=122
his present age. (Ebere learns/reasons
faster than his age)

8
2. Bola James 25 years Bola learns/performs as though hes 22years 25/22*100

old. His learning/understanding capacity is
=88
low (below his age). He can as well be
referred to as a slow learner.
3 Amina Juliet 23 years She learns/performs within her age boundary 23/23*100
(23years).
=100
From the above table, it is important to note that Ebere, Bola and
Amina are intelligent. The difference is that Ebere is more intelligent
than others while Amina is more intelligent than Bola.
You can compare yourself with the above tabular analysis. Whether
your intelligence is below average, average or above average; you
don't have to remain at that level. Widen up your intelligence.
If you are a below average person, you can improve your intelligence
or increase your intelligence quotient by engaging in constant
mental activities/exercise like studying harder, thinking positively,
reasoning better etc. It is possible for you to improve and increase
your intelligence to an average level and probably little bit higher
than average. It demands your effort, determination and dedication.
When others read a book twice to assimilate the content, you need to
read the same book thrice or more.
Those who are very intelligent don't need to relax at that level. They
also need to improve their intelligence through higher mental
activities.

9
KEY NOTE: Fast learners retain information more than slow learners
because they learn more in the same learning period. We all learn at
different paces. John Stuart Mill, the great English philosopher, logician and
economist was a very fast learner and highly above average. He began to
study Greek at 3 years, read Plato's books at 7 years, studied Latin,
geometry, and algebra at 8 years. At 12 years he was studying philosophy.
Most of the great scientists and geniuses we hear about were sometimes in
their lives known as slow learners and below average people. They
persistently developed and improved their intelligence and rose to above
average.
They gave themselves to studying and other mental exercises which made
them intellectual giants. Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Carson,
etc., are a few examples. You can be among the intellectual giants today. Do
something now.

10
DEVELOPING YOUR INTELLIGENCE

Whether you are below average, average or above average, you
need to develop your intelligence and give room to more
intellectual/mental growth.
HEAR THIS:
THE BOY WHO READ TWO BOOKS EVERY WEEK
One of the world's greatest neurosurgeons, Benjamin Carson was a
below average person. He was called a dull student by his teachers
and mates. He frequently came last in the class and was an object of
caricature in his school. His intelligence quotient was very low. He
lost hope of academic success.
His uneducated mother, who believed in improvement, mandated

him to read and submit the summaries of two books every week.
Ben began to devour more than 8 books every month. Surprisingly,
his intelligence began to develop gradually. After some months of
constant studying, he started improving dramatically in his
academic performance. By applying the steps of intelligence
booster he accelerated to an above average student.
Later, Benjamin started challenging the most intelligent students

in his class and was answering almost all the questions on every
new topic, to his teacher's dismay. His teacher became his friend
and discovered that the young star was studying ahead of his
classmates. He always did researches on different topics before
they were taught in his class. So, most topics that his teacher
11
introduced in the class were not new to him. Benjamin became a

hero in his junior and senior high school days.
In his autobiography titled: Gifted Hands, he narrated how his

academic success was a function of his hard work and God's
intervention. Ben was a very passionate and voracious reader. He
maintained this great habit of constant studying in his university
days at Yale University and John Hopkins medical college.
Dr. Ben Carson is known around the world for breakthrough in

neurosurgery that has brought hope where no hope existed. He is a
widely respected role model in the world. Jesse Jackson said: Ben
is a model to all the youths of today. He has received over 40
honorary doctorate degrees. In June 19, 2008, Carson received the
presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.
You may not know how intelligent you are until you make a
conscious effort to develop it
JOSEPH CHIDIEBERE.O. (A SLOW LEARNER)

I was a slow learner and below average since my primary school
days. Sometimes during my secondary school and first year in
university I wondered whether I had the same brain as others.
I wasn't comfortable with my mental age. I tried to cope

academically in my secondary school. In the first semester of my
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first year in university, my course mate observed my academic

weakness and made mockery of me. He said, Joe, why are you in
this school; do you really know what you came to study? I never
accepted his view of me.
I knew it was possible for me to develop my intelligence and

improve my academic performance. All it required was a belief in
myself, determination and studying. I made a decision to sleep less
and study more. As a slow learner, I knew the best way to make
good result was to study thrice what the fast learners would study
once. I invested most of my hours studying and researching.
The first semester result of my year one was encouraging and a

surprise to my friend. During my second semester, I started
preparing to hold a tutorial for incoming first year students the
year after. It was fun and amazing when as a second year student, I
did free tutorial for year one students on Statistics (Sta 111 and Sta
112), in both first and second semesters. One day, the boy that
mocked me asked my friend, What has happened to Joseph?, how
come he makes better grades and even holds tutorial for year one
students? He later discovered that there was what I did that he
didn't do, and that's 'sleeping less and studying more'.
However, in my third year, I started developing much

interest in psychology and making findings about brain/memory
and intelligence. In fact, I became more passionate about studying
psychology. I made higher grades in psychology. Much of my
13
attention was directed to studying psychology even in my final year.

Because I didn't give full time to mathematics, my GPA really went
down, but funny enough I wasn't mindful of that since my heart has
clung to psychology.
I imagined myself using the concept of psychology to empower

students academically. I sacrificed much time to studying
psychology-related topics in libraries.
One thing was sure to me: that's, I had developed my intelligence

and will keep improving it till my old age. Those who viewed me as
an unintelligent fellow later confirmed that I had the seed of
intelligence in me.
The quality of your brain exercise/activities will determine

the level of your intellectual improvement and abilities.
Seven Facts about Intelligence:

1. People who have low degree of intelligence (below
average people) will remain at the same state until they
make a persistent effort to develop/improve their
intelligence by studying harder. A very intelligent person
will remain static when he stops engaging in mental
exercises/activities. (Or when he stops studying, etc.)
2. The more you do mental exercises/activities, the more
your intelligence is developed and improved.
3. Lack of mental exercises has negative effects on your
14
intelligence.
4. To know more than others you have to study more than
others. (This was the secrets of Ben Carson, Thomas
Edison, Elbert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Philip Emeagwali,
etc.)
5. Those who think they are very intelligent and don't care
to improve are usually over taken by the less intelligent
people who have persistently improved their intelligence
through much studies and other mental exercises.
6. Your thoughts and belief about your intelligence have
effects on it.
7. There is no limit to how intelligent you can be.
INTELLIGENCE BOOSTERS
There are things one can do to improve his/her intelligence.
Below are some of them:
1. Study hard
2. Deep thinking and meditation: think over things, thinking
before acting, think to know the How and the Why of any
topic.
3. Good reasoning
4. Learn from your past experiences and that of others.
5. Practice: you can't learn to think without practicing it.
6. Generate ideas (good idea is part of intelligence).
7. Feed your brain: eat foods (like, fish, egg, water/fluids,
fruits, etc.) that help your brain function.
Other ways of improving and amplifying your intelligence are in

subsequent chapters.
15
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If you encounter a man or rare intellect, we

should ask him the books he reads
- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
When you know better, you do better. Maya Angelou
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.

--Albert Einstein
Unusual learners are usually called stupid in school, but they later
become intellectual giants.

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DECISION
What steps have you decided to take in order to improve your

intelligence?.............................................................................................................
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CHAPTER TWO
TAP THE POWER

OF YOUR
BRAIN
ithin the pages of this chapter, you shall discover the great
W power of your brain and how you can tap into it.
This chapter will open your eyes to the mysteries of your great brain. Your
brain is more wonderful than you think. When you know more about the
wonders of your brain, then you can use it better than usual. You can achieve
a lot with your brain. Read these texts and learn how to utilize the power of
what you carry in your skull.

18
TAPPING THE POWER OF YOUR BRAIN

You know you've got to exercise your brain just like your muscles
Will Rogers.
I t has been observed that the average human being does not use
up to 20% of his brain power. The human brain is composed of
more than 100 billion nerve cells, which interact in various ways.
Each brain cell contributes to behaviour and presumably to mental
activity. It is a complex structure.
The brain is divided into many structures: hindbrain, midbrain and

forebrain. The forebrain has to do with emotions, memory and
thoughts. Cerebrum is part of the forebrain that carries out
thinking, planning, perception and memory. The memory cannot
do without the brain. A large part of the brain is involved in
processing the memories.
The brain uses 1/5 of the body oxygen and requires enough energy.
Its weight is 3 pounds or 1.58kg The brain is an amazing
information processor, capable of handling more complexity and at
greater speeds than you were taught to use in school. There is a
tremendous learning power in the human brain.
19
Your brain is so powerful and can store very large amount of

information to an unspecified limit; and you have never made use
of up to 15 percent of it. About 85.5 percent of your brain power
and capacity has not been used.
Your brain goes through physical and chemical changes when it

stores new information as the result of learning.
The right and left brain

Psychologists and neuroscientists believe that the brain has two
hemispheres; viz
1. Right brain hemisphere: this deals with visual activities
and plays a role in putting things together and recognizing
them. It processes information all at once and
simultaneously. Right brain people are deep thinkers. They
think in pictures and are less structured in their living
patterns. According to psychologists, they can be good in
social sciences and arts. They are very intuitive and focus on
visuals and feelings.
2. Left brain hemisphere: this involves a process of step by

step and logical patterns. It is the more analytic part of the brain. It
takes information collected by the right brain hemisphere and
applies language to it. The left brained person follows rules. He
analyses information and processes it sequentially. Left brained
people are strong in mathematics and sciences and can answer
questions quickly.
20
A middle-brain person
The middle-brain person adapts to both sides (right and left) of the
brain. One can also develop himself on any side of the brain.
Virtually everybody is whole brained (manifests on both sides of

the brain). Sometimes one side of the brain predominates or
manifests more than others. In one condition or state, people use
their right brain, while in another other state, they use their left
brain. People are called right or left brained based on the side of the
brain that is predominant in them. You can use both sides of your
brain. Don't be a one sided brain person.
Upper and lower brain

The upper brain (which is related to conscious mind) carries both
left and right brain functions. It is rational, intellectual, and has
cerebral cortex. It is the rational thinking brain.
The lower brain (which is related to subconscious mind) is called

the intuitive and the emotional brain. It connects the upper brain
and the cerebellum to the spinal cord. It handles such activities as
body temperature, blood pressure, chemical balances, digestion,
etc.
The understanding of how your brain works will help you to

utilize its power well

21
BRAIN WAVE
The brain is as fast and powerful as an electric current.
--Joseph Chidiebere
Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the

form of brain waves.
Your brain is electrochemical and can generate more than

9watts of electrical power.
There are four most common types of brain wave:

1. Beta state: beta waves take place when the brain is aroused
and actively engaged in mental activities. It is the fastest of the
brain waves. Beta state is when your mind is strongly engaged; you
are actively engaged in conversation, debating, teaching, talk-show
etc. it occurs when you think of many things at once. It is also when
you experience stress, tension, depression, self-doubt or emotional
outbursts. Beta waves occur when you are thinking, speaking and
reading books. It is a brain state of logical thought, analysis and
action. Your beta state has low amplitude with a frequency of not
more than 40cycles a second (40cps).
2. Alpha state: This represents the non-arousal state of the

brain. A person who is at rest or who takes time to reflect and
meditate is usually in an alpha state. Alpha state is always a period
of meditation. Meditation includes thinking deeply and paying an
intense attention to a particular thing for a long time. Any
22
information you always meditate on will soon possess you. You

need to spend at least 30 minutes on meditation every day. It helps
you remember easier, learn faster, create more and understand at a
higher level. It is the whole brain or peak learning state because you
are tapping into both sides of your brain. There is a high tendency of
transferring information to long term memory.
WHY YOU NEED TO BE IN ALPHA STATE:

1. Alpha state is the source of intuition, creativity and
inspiration.
2. Alpha state can occur when your mind is free from the
worries and frustrations of the physical world.
3. Gentle music that softens your mind may unknowingly slip
you into alpha state when relaxing.
4. Your memory bank functions better when in alpha state.
5. Ideas and inspirations flow when you are in alpha state.
6. Alpha state helps to improve your brain/memory.
7. Alpha state has high amplitude and a frequency of 8-14
cycles per seconds.
8. Alpha state includes the time you wake up from sleep to
reflect.(It is a powerful time)
9. Sandy Forster said in her book, How to be wildly wealthy fast,

You are naturally in that state at least twice a day without
even trying to enter it.
Your need to intentionally enter alpha state many times every
day. Alpha state will be of great help to you, but this is not
23
usually taught is schools. This alpha state will help to empower

your memory and brain dramatically.
I want you to always make use of your alpha state from now.
Share your experiences with your friends.
HOW TO ENTER INTO ALPHA STATE
1. Relax your body and be quiet
2. Relax your mind (free it from worries).
3. Slow your breathing or you can close your eyes.
4. Concentrate on what you read or what you intend to think,
and meditate and feel it. (Reflect on the information)
Practice this often to master it.
NOTE: Make sure you allow only positive information into your
mind. Don't give room to negative thoughts for your own good.
It is profitable to use your alpha state for God and to honour
him. God always speaks to us when we are in such a state. You
can receive rhema and inspirations from God in this state.
Alpha state is needed for your early morning quiet time or
personal study and prayer.
Most writers get their ideas and inspirations through the alpha
state. I received most of my inspirational information/ideas
when I was in alpha state. I suggest that you use this alpha state
regularly. I am certain that with the help of this alpha state you
will experience positive changes in your memory/brain
functions. It will open doors of creativity to you. It is beneficial
to business people, civil servants, politicians and every other
24
person.
3. Theta state: Theta wave takes place when you are in deep
meditation. A person who is day dreaming is often in a theta
state. It occurs when you are in REM sleep. (Rapid-Eye-
Movement Sleep)
Theta state can be when you are still asleep and very relaxed.
It is a state when tasks become so automatic that you are
mentally disengaged from them. It can be when you are in the
shower or doing some automatic tasks.
That wave has a greater amplitude and slower frequency of 4-
8cps.
4. Delta state: This is when you are in a very deep sleep. When
we turn off the lights and close our eyes, our brain waves will
descend from beta, to alpha, theta and finally to delta. It is a
sleeping state and indicates a dreamless sleep.
Delta wave has the greatest amplitude and slowest frequency of
1.5-3.9 cps. The frequencies never go down to zero because that
would mean a brain dead-state.
When the delta brain waves increase into the frequency of theta
brain waves, active dreaming takes place.
THE MEMORY
The average man does not use above ten percent of his intended capacity
for memory. He wastes the ninety percent by violating the laws of
remembering. Prof. Carl Seashore.
25
Memory is the capacity to retain and recall information. The

process of receiving information and then recalling it from the
memory is a complex mental operation. It is useful to
understand the workings of this wonderful instrument, the
memory, in order to make full use of its potentials.
Your memory is unlimited. No amount of information can fill

your memory. It has not been heard that a person's memory got
filled up. Your memory cannot be full, no matter the amount of
information you store in it. It is not measured in bits, bytes,
megabytes or gigabytes. It is more powerful than a computer
memory.
The more you store information in your memory the more your
brain creates spaces for other information. It operates as GIGO
(Garbage in Garbage out). The brain has the largest space in
your body, by reason of the memory.
Memory is a function that involves the full participation of your
whole human body or senses. Your feelings and sensations are
important for your memory. When your senses are at alert it
helps you to engrave information in your memory.
Our memory processes information in three stages: (Encoding,

Storing and Retrieving)
Encoding is the conversion of information into a form that can be
stored and retrieved or brain language. It is the feeding of
26
information into the memory system. It involves the process of

reading, analyzing and understanding.
Storage is the process of retaining information after it has been

properly encoded. It is the maintenance of information over time. It
means to consolidate information. Storing information demands
your interest, attention, concentration, emotions, etc.
Retrieval is the recalling of information stored in the memory. It is

the remembering of what you have stored. It means to recover, get
back or to bring out information from the store.
STORES OF THE MEMORY

Sensory Memory
Sensory memory receives large amount of environmental
information through the senses and can only retain them for less
than a minute until they can be processed further. When the
information in this store is given attention, it will be transferred to
the next store.
Short Term Memory

The Short term memory holds a limited amount of information for
a brief period of time unless a conscious effort is made to keep it
there longer. It is a working memory. Short term memory holds the
information of what you are reading now. It also holds information
that has been retrieved from LTM for use.

27
Long Term Memory (LTM)

The LTM retains information permanently. It has unlimited
capacity for storage of new information.
This memory can store unlimited items of information. Learning
and memory are related because memory has to do with how the
outcomes of learning are retained or forgotten.
Note: The more you know about your memory the better you'll
understand how you can improve it.
The parts of long term memory are:
1. Procedural Memory: This is a memory of how to do
something, especially physical task like brushing of teeth,
typing, writing etc. This is also referred to as automatic
memory.
Most of the things you learned, repeated and retained in
primary schools are now automatic recall. (You remember
them easily and faster).
Do: (1) Count 1, 2, 3 .20
(2) Recite A, B, C, D Z
(3) Recite 2 multiplication table.
(4) Write down 1 3 letter words.
Questions:
(1) Did you find it difficult/hard to remember
them?
(2) Did you think before answering them?
Note: Making use of the information you studied regularly

28
and daily will make it automatic during recall. Therefore, try

to make most of the things you studied and learnt to be
automatic memory.
2. Semantic Memory: This is a memory of general
knowledge of facts that you know. The knowledge of how to
solve 1 + 2, 1 * 2 is a semantic memory. It includes reciting
the states of your country, problem solving rules and
learning strategies.
3. Episodic Memory: This is the memory of your personal
experiences/events. It is a memory of when and where
something happened. For example:
1 W h e r e d i d yo u b uy t h i s b o o k yo u a r e
reading now?
2 Where did you attend primary school?
Semantic and Episodic memory can be referred to as
declarative memory or conscious memory.
Emotional memory contains the emotional information such as
experiences that make you happy or sad or any other feeling.
A brain has no single common memory, Instead each part of
the brain has several types of memory agencies that work on
somewhat different ways to suite particular purpose (from
The Society of Mind by Marvin Minsky).
FACTS ON MEMORY PROBLEMS

FACT 1 AMNESIA
This is the ability to learn anything new, and is manifested in an
inability to remember every day events. The learning skills,
29
cognitive skills, and spatial awareness are not impaired. It results

from damage or blood vessel disease such as ALZHEIMERS, head
injuries, neurosurgical operations or heat failure.
FACT 2 RETROGRADE AMNESIA

This takes the form of an inability to remember events occurring
before the illness. This is accompanied by a retrograde amnesia
which makes the problem worse by hindering the consolidation of
old memories.
In most cases, the store of memories is not lost, but they are
inaccessible because they can't be retrieved.
FACT 3: TOTAL AMNESIA

This combines the inability to learn anything new with the
impossibility of accessing knowledge predating the outbreak of the
illness.
FACT 4: HYPERMNESIA
This refers to a prodigious capacity for remembering facts in one
field.
FACT 5: PARAMNESIA
This refers to illusions generated by the memory.
Examples:
(1) Dj vu -> the feeling that you've previously
30
seen/experience something that is happening now.

(2) Dj vu-> the feeling that you've lived through this
before. Or conversely, a sense of being in a strange
environment.
FACT 6: ECMNESIA
This means to experience something or imagine something of the
past as though they are happening in the present. It is a
characteristic of Alzheimer disease.
FACT 7: ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

This affects the central nervous system. It is characterized by a
progressive decline of mental activity. It is a disease of the memory
and the first symptom is an inability to memorize new information.
Many neurons disappear in specific areas of the brain, starting with
hippocampus and the loss is accompanied by a reduction in the
supply of Acetylcholine, a neuron transmitter involved in the
process of memorizing.
Note: This usually happens to old people. That you find information
difficult to memorize doesn't mean that you have this disease.
FACT 8: ATHEROCLEROSIS
This affects the blood vessels supplying the brain with blood. This
makes cholesterol to block the arteries. The blockage can lead to
sudden reduction in the blood supply to the brain and the risk is an
Ischaemia stroke. This can also lead to inability to walk and speak.

31
FACT 9: PARKINSON'S DISEASE

This results from the loss of neuron in an area of the brain known as
the substantia migra, which controls major movement, etc. This
leads to shaking muscles, rigidity and slowing down of intellectual
and motor activity. Information and events are retained, but they
are apparently recalled very slowly and with great difficulty.
FACT 10: APHASIA

This refers to loss of expressive speech. It was originally called
aphemia.

32
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The brain is the house of the memory.
Memory is the diary that we carry about with us.

Oscar Wilde
Every man's memory is his private literature.

Aldous Huxley

33
DECISION
What steps have you decided to take in order
to tap the power of your brain?.......................................................................
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34
CHAPTER THREE
MENTAL:
EXERCISE,
DIET & REST
ith this chapter and the next (Chapter Four), you will discover
W the three most important things that will make your brain a
super machine. It is written to expose you to the exercises that
your brain/memory desperately needs to function greatly.
It contains unusual expository information and instructions that will

certainly position you on a pedestal for great achievement. By reading and
applying the information contained in these texts, you will do more exploits
with your brain.

35
MENTAL: EXERCISE, DIET AND REST

With mental exercise, you will stimulate the incredible power that
God gave you at birth. Joseph Chidiebere O.
Make your brain work. It will sweat, but make it work. It will
improve; it will develop, until you become the envy of those
around you.
Readers'Digest
D oing mental exploits depends on your mental exercise. Will

Roger said, You know, you've got to exercise your brain just
like your muscle.Health scientists have confirmed that the three
major things that our body needs to function properly are:
Exercise, Diet and Rest. It has been scientifically proven that people
who do exercise and take diet and rest regularly have more chances
of living a healthy life. You need to give your brain what it needs just
like you give your body. Your brain needs exercise, diet and rest to
perform well.
Mental exercise
Intellectual giants are people who have made mental exploits in
different sectors of our WORLD. People like Philip Emeagwali,
Wright brothers, Chinua Achebe, Bill Gates, Ben Carson and others.
36
One thing that is most common among them is that they

continuously engaged in mental exercises. No one can do a mental
exploit without engaging in mental exercise. Mental exploit is
directly dependent on your mental exercise.
Mental exercise is any activity that helps to develop and improve
your mind and brain.
It is the training of the mind and brain to improve their function.

Well, you know that physical exercise helps one to keep a healthy
body. It helps the circulatory system and prevents certain heart
diseases. A positive mental exercise will help your mind fight
against negative thoughts and deadly ideas. It will lead to mental
growth and maturity. A positive mental exercise will transform
your mind or improve your mentality. Your mind is the centre of
your mental activities.
Mental exercise involves the following activities:

1. Reading/Studying.
2. Thinking/Meditation.
3. Imagination and Creativity.
4. Writing.
5. Listening.
Make a direct or indirect observation of great men of our time; you
will notice most of these exercises in their daily activities. Until you
exercise your brain, you can never do exploits in the world. The
above listed exercises can be seen as a hobby to every intellectual
giant, which you should be among.
37
Mental exercise is the key to mental development and brain

maintenance.
The level of your mental exploit is directly proportional to
the quality and quantity of your mental exercise.
Productive mental exercise energizes your brain.
Mental diets
You are aware that your body needs diets to function healthily. In
the same way, your brain needs diets for its functions.
Diet is the sum of the food you consume for growth and to improve
your health. If you don't eat, your growth and body function will be
negatively affected. Your body needs food to provide it with the
nutrients (Protein, Carbohydrate, Vitamin, Fats, Minerals and
Water) to function and work well. This is exactly how it is with your
brain or mind. (Your brain needs diets)
The mental nutrients are valuable information and knowledge,

while the diets/foods are books and other sources of information.
Feed your mind just as you feed your body. It is important to know
that when you give your mind toxic information its development
will be negatively affected. Feed your mind with positive
information. Your mind needs positive and transforming
information.
Ronald Reagan said, Information is the oxygen of the modern day.

Positive information is an important nutrient that will empower
38
your mind. Good books equip the mind, others corrupt the mind.
Mark Twain remarked, The man who does not read good books
has no advantage over a man who can't read them.
Mental Dieting: This means the deliberate selection of books, what

you listen to, what you think, etc., that will enhance your mental
development. Sir Christopher Wren advised, Choose an author as
you choose your friends. You become effective by being selective.
Mental dieting is necessary because the books you read reflect who
you are and what you will become. Lyndon Johnson said, A good
book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
The ideas and spirit of a writer dwell in his book. When you read a
book you manifest the ideas and spirit of the writer. Ralph Waldo
Emerson says, A man is known by the books he reads. You need to
avoid: books that will not add value to your life, books that will
instigate negative thoughts in your mind, books that will
disassociate you from reality, etc.
Mental rest
Mental rest takes place when your body is at rest. After long hours
of mental exercise, we need to rest in order to build mental energy.
Sleep and relaxation are the major forms of rest. This involves
entering into a Delta or Theta brain state. (According to Brain wave,
in chapter two)

39
Other tips for improving your Brain Function

Most times our brains get tired. The brain works like a
separate/unique being. You need to give your brain what it needs
and avoid what it hates.
To improve your brain function:

1. Clear your mind: You need to relax and empty your mind of
all the stuffs that are not necessary. When the unnecessary
stuffs dominate your memory, the necessary things may
find it hard to dwell in. So wipe off unimportant, irrelevant
and unnecessary stuffs that dominate your mind.
2. Feed your brain: There are certain foods that help your
brain, which include: fish, protein, (including egg yolk,
meat, etc) wheat, soya beans, milk, banana, yeast, onions,
Avocado, Walnut, Lemon, Cacao, etc.
3. Drink enough fluids: Dehydration is not good for your
brain. It affects your memory. Always drink enough water,
even when you are studying. Your brain requires enough
water for optimal functioning.
4. Exercise: Physical exercise has been shown to improve
brain function. Your brain requires one-fifth of body oxygen.
The blood carries oxygen, protein, etc to the brain faster
during exercise.
5. Reduce Stress: When you are stressed, your body releases
cortisole which at high level interferes with the part of the
brain that handles recent memories. This usually blocks
memory. Avoid stress.
40
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
An idle brain is the devil's workshop

English proverb
The mind is the seat of your destiny Dr. David Oyedepo
What the brain will produce can be enhanced or limited by the

mind, it depends on how well you use your mind
Joseph Chidiebere O.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body

By sticking in the spiritual diet, you can partake on God's wisdom,
creativity, ability, inspirations, etc.
Robert Tilton

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DECISION
What are the things you want to do to enhance your mind and
brain functions?
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42
CHAPTER FOUR
POWER
OF
READING
his chapter will certainly ignite the passion to read more in you. It
T will expose you to how reading can take you farther than you think.
It is aimed at exposing you to practical concepts of reading and
making you a great reader. The information in this chapter will leave a
remarkable appetite to read more than you do.

43
POWER OF READING
Some books are to be tasted, others swallowed while some few to
be chewed and digested. Francis Bacon
It is well to read everything of something and something of
everything. Lord Henry. P. Brougham
The habit of reading is the only enjoyment, in which there is no
alloy, it lasts when all other pleasures fade. Anthony Trollope
A braham Lincoln desired to read books, and he had to walk 50

miles from his home to borrow the books he desired. He
always woke at midnight reading, and sometimes read by the light
of the wood fire. He was a voracious reader.
Anthony Robbins, the author of Awaken the Giant right from his
secondary school was highly addicted to reading. He read
hundreds of books on personal and spiritual development. Before
th
his 46 birthday, he had highly improved his mind. He became
famous, taught professors on success mentality and business men
on wealth creation. He has insight on human beings more than
many renowned psychologists.
Reading is an obligation to every living person. If you don't read,
you will start rusting mentally. You ought to be like Adam Smith and
Aristotle who preferred reading to any other activities. Mortimer
44
Adler declared, Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.
You need to acquire the habit of reading. Many young people have
replaced the habit of reading with watching movies, online chatting
etc., The habit of reading is really deteriorating among young
people which is negatively affecting their level of mental exploits.
I would like you to know some concepts about reading and learning
for proper understanding of this chapter:
Active and Passive reading

Active reading involves reading with keen interest, making mental
picture of what's happening, asking yourself questions; and
stimulating yourself to read more. In active reading your sensory
organs are involved in the material. It is like chewing and digesting
meat.
Passive reading involves reading with little or no interest; or not

having a lot of involvement in the material. You read without
concentration and comprehension of the text.
Types of Reading
1. Scanning type of Reading: This is a technique you often use
when looking for words, phrases, etc., in a dictionary,
telephone book, encyclopedia and other reference
materials. In most cases, you know what you are looking for,
so you're concentrating on finding the answer. Scanning
45
involves moving your eyes quickly through the pages

seeking words or phrases.
2. Skimming type of Reading: This is a technique used to

quickly identify the main ideas of written information.
People often skim when they have lots of materials to read
in a limited amount of time. Researchers use this type of
reading for their work. There are many strategies of
skimming which include: reading the first and last
paragraph; reading the first sentence of each paragraph;
reading the title, subtitle, or sub-heading.
3. Word by word type of Reading: This method is very slow

and time consuming. It demands a high level of
concentration. When the book is hard to understand or the
texts are unfamiliar, it will require a slow, careful and
analytical reading (word by word reading).
4. Light type of Reading: This type of reading is simply for

pleasure. It does not generally require detailed
concentration. In fact, in Light reading, you can skim or skip
the boring and irrelevant passages.
5. Reading to Study: This is a method of reading with the aim

of understanding or comprehending the material in some
depth. It is an active form of reading and requires certain
study stills for it to be effective.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR LEARNING STYLE

Some people remember best the materials they have seen, some the
materials they have heard, while others remember most of the things
they have experienced. Joseph Chidiebere.O
It has been observed that everybody learns differently. We all have

personal learning styles. Your preferred learning style is the way in
which you learn best. In fact all individuals are most effective when
they are taught in the personal learning style. So, you need to
embrace the learning style(s) that fits you. (Know the best way you
learn).
Your learning style is your representative system. Everyone has a

favourable and natural representative system. It is used to access
stored knowledge. Some people remember most what they see,
hear or feel; and that is their personal representative system
(learning style) that is predominant in them.
There are 3 (three) most common learning styles that

psychologists have identified in people. They are auditory, visual
and kinesthetic learning styles.
Study each of these learning styles analytically and identify your
preferred learning style.
1. Visual Learning Style

One time seeing is worth one thousand hearing. Chinese Proverb.

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Visual learners are those who generally learn things in terms of

pictures. They often prefer to see things written down in a handout,
textbooks or by display/demonstration, etc.
They learn best when the information is represented in pictures.

They find maps, graphs, charts and other visual learning
guide/tools to be extremely effective. Visual learners could create
the picture of any information in their mind for easy retrieval.
A visual learner:
1. Is good at spelling but forgets names.
2. Needs quiet study time.
3. Has to think a while before understanding a lecture.
4. Can do better by taking notes, lists of things and observing
written words.
5. Can do better if he pictures what he reads or using imagery
memory.
2. Auditory Learning Style

Auditory learners are predominantly sanguine.
Auditory learners are those who learn best by listening. They

typically like to learn through lectures, discussions and reading
loud. This category of learners always read aloud to hear
themselves. They also like to talk about what they read for them to
gain better understanding and store the information.
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest U.S presidents was known as

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an auditory leaner. According to one of his colleagues, Abraham

will always read aloud to himself so that he could hear and
understand what he was reading.
Some of the characteristics of an auditory learner are:

1. He likes to read to himself aloud.
2. He is not afraid to speak in class
3. He likes oral report, exams, quiz, etc.
4. He is good at explaining.
5. He is good at grammar and foreign languages.
6. He is good in study groups.
7. He can't keep quiet for a long period.
3. Kinesthetic Learning Style.

Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I
understand. Chinese proverb.
Kinesthetic learners are those who learn best through feelings,

touching and experiencing what they are trying to learn. They like
to physically manipulate something in order to learn about it. This
set of learners remembers best by writing, experimenting or
handling what they are trying to learn.
A kinesthetic learner:
- Likes science laboratories.
- Takes break when studying
- Likes taking down notes during lectures.
- Likes to put what he learns into practice.
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Kinesthetic learners can understand and remember best what they

read by jotting down key points, phrases, etc., from the book.
It is useful to assess what is the predominant learning style which
you use best and adapt to it. But, I advise you not to settle on one
learning style, try to adopt different styles of learning.
STUDY SKILLS
1. Reading with a purpose
The first thing to do is to know why you are reading a book in the
first place. You need to know where your reading is going. You need
to know what you are looking for. You need specific goals each time
you read. Would the book provide what you need? What will it add
to you?
2. Overview
Check the content first. View the book before you start reading it.
View what you have in mind or what you are looking for. It is
necessary to read the introduction of the book before reading the
main content.
3. Read Actively
It is not advisable to read without focusing emotionally and
mentally on the information. I believe that when you read, you need
to ask yourself questions such as:
What does this mean?
What is the main idea?
What is the application of this?
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How does this relate to me and my environment (including

people around you)?
Why is this so?
Active reading involves being interactive with the book. You need to
jot down points on your notebook. You can as well make a summary
note on what you have read.
4. Review what you have read

Reviewing helps you to re-emphasize and recall the main
ideas of the book. Before reviewing, you can re-read the
text.
5. Reflect on the points you jotted down on your
notebook.
BECOMING A GREAT READER

It has been proven that a large number of individuals with great impact
in history, science and general progress were also great readers.
Chidi Okpalaku
A great reader is one who reads a lot. Great readers are book
addicts.
They are voracious readers
They read beyond what is taught in school
They read what others may not read
Some of the great readers whose achievements have

inspired millions of people are:
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CHINUA ACHEBE
Chinua Achebe, one of the greatest African literary giants was an
avid reader. During his young age, his teacher described him as the
student with the best handwriting and studying skills. He belonged
to a group of six exceedingly studious students. So intense was their
studying habits that the headmaster banned the reading of books
from five to six O'clock in the evening. This was because his group
always read beyond the stipulated period.
While in secondary school, Achebe started to explore the school

library. There he read books on slavery and numerous classic
novels that showed him another dimension of reality. It was his
quest for knowledge on histories and other areas of humanity that
gave rise to his literary work. His most popular and well read book
titled Thing Fall Apart has been translated into more than 40
languages of the world. He maintained his studious habit even after
he became physically challenged.
WOLE SOYINKA
Wole Soyinka, the first African noble laureate is a man whose
reading culture and writing style have continued to inspire many
younger people of this generation. During an interview by John
Agetua in 1974, Soyinka said that he had read widely in the world's
literature: European, Asiatic, American, etc. His passion for reading
and writing has made him to be among the world intellectual
giants. He has made a great contribution to African literature.

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Soyinka is a life-long learner who has a great influence on the lives

of many people in definite ways.
MARGARET THATCHER
Margaret was a great reader and the first woman prime minister of
Great Britain. She defeated Edward Heath to become the first
woman leader of the conservative party for three successive terms.
She grew up in an agricultural village. Margaret worked two to

three hours on her home work each night, and her grades in school
were great. She was an avid reader of biographies and books about
history and politics. Though she studied chemistry at Oxford
University, but she still had interest to read numerous books on
arts.
GREAT READERS ARE NOT LIMITED BY PHYSICAL CHALLENGES

Helen Keller, the blind visionary woman with great passion for
reading, was born a normal child. She was diagnosed with acute
congestion of the stomach and brain, and suffered from other
diseases that left her blind. Though blind, but that didn't put an end
to her passion for reading. Her parents hired a private teacher to
teach her more on how to read, write and speak.
The reading culture, writing style and public speeches of Keller

attracted many educators from different nations. She wrote a
number of books and essays that have inspired many people. She
earned honours in English and German, and did courses in Latin,
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Greek and Roman history.
Helen was a highly recognized and honoured blind woman because

she didn't allow her blindness to prevent her from becoming a
great reader.
Thomas Jefferson said: I can't live without reading. Great readers

are those who feel that they can't live successfully without reading.
They are book lovers/book-worms. Book lovers never go to bed
alone and they see reading as a daily activity.
Adam Smith said, I achieved greatness because I studied while
others were sleeping and prepared while others were playing.
To be a great reader you must sleep-less and study more. You

need to engage in continuous and quality self-education.
POWER OF SELF-EDUCATION
Self-education is a process of engaging in constant learning of a
particular or different topics or subject matter by reading,
researching, reasoning, thinking, etc., which leads to self-
development and improvement. It is the bedrock of intellectual
development. It is a kind of education that involves self-imposed
mental activities.
Self-education involves studying beyond school education. It

makes you exceptional from your fellows. It is a great tool for
becoming an intellectual giant. Anybody who desires to become an
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intellectual giant shouldn't limit his education to school system,

but rather perpetually engage in quality self-education.
In self-education, you have to document your discoveries, ideas,

information, knowledge, etc., and put them into
practice/application. I believe that self-education is not complete
until you have applied or practiced the knowledge you acquired.
You need to put what you know into action. The world needs to see
the result of your knowledge.
Note: self-education shouldn't prevent you from seeking help or

assistance from others.
Benjamin Franklin was a typical example of people who became

intellectual giants by engaging in self-education. He had only two
years of formal education and became an apprentice in a printing
shop. It was there he taught himself how to read and write. This
man was intellectually curious and an avid reader.
Benjamin had interest in studying both arts and sciences. He was a

prolific writer, a printer, inventor and statesman. His book titled,
Poor Richard's Almanack became the most read book in the
American colonies. He established the first public library in North
America, co-founded a hospital and an academy that became the
University of Pennsylvania. During his lifetime, he learned French,
Spanish, Italian, German and Latin.

55
His inventions include: Franklin stove, lightning rods, bifocals and a

musical instrument. Benjamin introduced positive and negative
electricity to the world.
Tips to becoming a great reader

1. Passion: Passion is a strong wish and desire to read books.
You need to develop a love and burning desire to read good
books. Whatever you want to have or do in life starts with
desire. Naturally, no one would like to do or have what
he/she doesn't desire. Try to have a burning desire or
passion to read. Develop a strong love for reading. Passion
will make you uncomfortable when you have not read.
2. Action [Read! Read!! Read!!!]. Passion is never complete

without an appropriate action. Action makes the whole
difference in a person's decision. You have to complement
your passion with an action. If you have the passion to read,
then put it into action now. Take that book and start reading
it now and don't wait for tomorrow. Today is the best day to
read. What you postpone to read today may not be read
tomorrow. You have no reason not to read.
If you have a reason why you will not read today, try to give
yourself a reason why you must read today.
3. Buy Books: Erasmus said: When I get little money, I buy

books and if any is left I buy food and clothes. What do you
use your money for?
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Do you have a personal library?
By way of suggestion, every individual should have a

personal library. If you don't have a library you have to think
of having one from now on. Invest your money on books. A
home without a library is like a community without a
hospital and this is dangerous to the mind. Library is the
hospital of the mind. The use of library is the surest way to
prevent you from repeating other people's mistakes.
When I enter a person's house, the first thing I like to

observe is his library. Rim Rohn remarked, Everything you
have for better future and success has already been written.
And guess what? All you have to do is go to the library. And,
Cicero recommended, To add a library to a house is to give
that house a soul. Nevell advised, Give thy mind to books
and libraries and you will derive wisdom. I have observed
that a house with a great library will be a tourist centre for
lovers of books.
Great readers are book buyers. You need to invest your

money on knowledge by buying books and attending
seminars.
4. Be Time Conscious: Invest your time on reading. Reduce

the hours you waste on movie viewing, frivolous activities, etc.
Substitute the time you waste on movie with reading. Great readers
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are not film/movie addict.
If all the hours you spent watching movies were put to reading, you
would have been better than you are now.
The more you watch movies the less you read books and the more
you read books, the less you watch movies.
5. Associate with Great Readers: Charlie Jones said: You're

the same today as you'll be in five years except for the people you
meet and the books you read. Keep company with people who will
inspire and motivate you to read more.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
There are worse crimes than burning books, one of

them is not reading them. Joseph Brodsky
I was born with a reading list of books that I will never finish. No
one can finish reading unless death knocks at his door
Wise students study when they can; others study when they must.
-Joseph Chidiebere O.

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DECISION
W h a t a r e yo u r d e c i s i o n s f r o m t h i s
chapter?
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................

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CHAPTER FIVE
REMEMBERING
ound up within these pages are secrets to remembering and
B improving your memory. The information in this chapter is

essential key to enhancing your memory and ability to store and
recall large amount of materials. Read and practice the steps in it.

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REMEMBERING
It is one thing to store information and another is to remember

what you stored. Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe
Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember. Seneca.
T
rd
he 3 stage of memory processes known as
retrieval/recalling or remembering is a major problem that
everybody experiences. It is a serious issue facing everybody,
especially students.
I would like you to understand the concept of remembering and

types of memory tests before outlining the steps to remembering
what you read. Remembering depends on the type of performance
required and the memory test.
Memory tests include: Multiple choice questions, essay questions,

true or false question, item identification, matching, etc.
RECOGNITION: This means to identify previously encountered

information. (To identify what you have read, seen or heard
before). It means to be aware of, to be familiar with, and to
distinguish a set of information presented to you. The information
is given to you and all you have to do is say/choose the correct one,
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or perhaps to match a current stimulus with what you have stored

in your memory. Such objective question only requires you to
identify the information you have encountered before which is
currently present. Recognition tests include multiple choice, true-
false, matching, etc. Recognition tests can be quite difficult or tricky
especially when false information that resembles the correct
information is presented.
RECALL: this means to retrieve and reproduce from memory

previously encountered information. It means to call to mind, to
bring to mind or to recollect. Essay and 'fill-in the blank' are tests of
recall, because it requires you to retrieve from memory
information that is not currently present.
Most students believe that it is harder to recall than to recognize,

which means that essay test is the hardest.
NOTE: some students have more ability in recalling information than in

recognition. Some have poor recall and high recognition. Those with high
recognition ability always do well in multiple choice/objective
examination like JAMB, etc. There are some who have high ability in both
recognition and recall tests; they always do well in both essay and other
types of tests.
Sometimes, recognition helps you to recall. Both recall and recognition
tests involve explicit memory, because it has to do with conscious
recollection of information.

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No two people will ever store the same piece of information in the
same way. Readers Digest.
Remembering involves many processes/steps which include the

following:
1 ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION

We frequently complain about having a poor memory but it is often
our failure to pay sufficient attention that is the cause. Paying
attention half-heartedly is not really paying attention. Paying
attention means mobilizing all your senses to seize or take mental
possession of information. Firstly, all your senses must be at alert
and then you must make a conscious decision to remember. You
must exercise your whole faculty of attention. You must give your
whole interest to what you are reading /listening to. I believe that
interest precedes attention. You cannot pay attention to what you
don't have interest in.
When information arouses your personal interest, the doors of

your memory will be open to record it. Your brain becomes more
receptive and willing to store information when you give full
attention and concentration to that information.
Concentration is the intense form of attention. Concentration

creates an impression which stimulates your memory. When you
actively concentrate on what you are reading, you will be detached
from your environment or anything around you. Someone said, If I
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am really concentrating, the sky could fall on my head and I

wouldn't notice it. I have observed that concentration makes you
withdrawn from side attractions.
Andrew Carnegie in his book on Public speaking said, in 1912,

during the Moose convention in Chicago, crowds surged through
the street below crying, waving banners, shouting and playing
music of bands. But Roosevelt sat in a rocking chair in his room,
oblivious to it all, reading his books. He had his full attention and
concentration on what he was reading.
One day, he found a dry spot under a huge tree in the camp and
decided to read under it. He was so immersed in the book, that he
was oblivious to the rain, and the noise and activity of the camp.
This was extreme concentration.
Dear, you need to concentrate on what you are studying to the

extent that you will not feel distracted in the midst of side
attractions.
Your brain and memory react very well during concentration.

Give your heart, mind, spirit, eye, body, feeling, emotions, etc., to
what you are studying. Concentration span can vary from person
to person. Some people have low attention/concentration span
while others have high span. It all depends on biological conditions,
the time of day, and your mental and physical well being. There are
people who can concentrate for long-periods in a noisy
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environment, whereas others need quiet places before they can

concentrate to study. But you can learn and practice how to
concentrate in almost any condition.
Concentration span can be enhanced by practice. You need to learn

active concentration because this will improve your ability to
remember. Focus on what you are reading or listening to, to the
extent that you will not notice any other thing. I know this can be
hard, but just practice it. Fix your eyes, mind, spirit and senses on
what you intend to remember.
Dear, try to understand this concept of attention and concentration

before studying other steps of remembering. I know that
attention/concentration is the first thing that affects our ability to
remember what we have read.
Attention distractors
Attention dIstractors or obstacles include the circumstances which
do not always make it easy for you to maintain high degree of
attentiveness. They include: Fatigue, stress, effects of certain
medication, a poor lifestyle, illness, loss of concentration and
absence of curiosity.
When you are pressed for time, nervous or anxious, your

memory may fail you.
The emotions you generate during a state of stress adversely affect
your ability to pay attention and concentrate. It also affects your
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ability to organize ideas. Check very well, anytime you are running
out of time or pressed for time, you hardly concentrate and your
brain will not be much receptive to what you are reading unlike
when you are in the right mood.
Nervous tension can cause memory block.
Anxiety which goes along with stress and also disrupts the memory
circuits.
Any lowering of morale has an effect on the memory
The presence of deadline can interfere with your ability to
concentrate and hence your performance, especially it can have
physiological side effects like sweat, panic, worry, palpitations, etc.
(Any activity involving a time-limit can be a source of stress to
procrastinators). Setting time limit is not bad, but don't allow it to
bring stress to you. TIME limit or deadline is meant to combat
laziness and procrastination. So don't postpone the time you're
supposed to study.
Procrastinators usually battle when the time limit or deadline is
approaching and this generates much stress. Procrastination can
have negative effects on memory/brain. Avoid procrastination
now. Read your books at the right time.
The French Reader's Digest suggested nine (9) attention helpers

and I want you to take note of them. Use them to improve your
attentive ability. They are:
1. Interest: this is what gets your attention going on set.
Anything that doesn't interest you or doesn't arouse any
emotion, usually fails to grab your attention.
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2. Personality: character traits like open-mindedness and an

optimistic attitude constitute the best conditions. Absent
mindedness is a disadvantage.
3. Enjoyment: this increases the level of attention.
4. Motivation: the reward of succeeding or developing your
potential automatically makes you attentive.
5. Vigilance: a state of calm, detached alertness favors
sustained attention over a long period.
6. Curiosity: this stimulates the attention. The more curious
you are about information or topic, the more your attention
is stimulated. So always attach curiosity to what you are
reading or listening to.
7. Concentration: this enables you to focus your attention on
what you read/listen to without being easily distracted. I
have earlier said that concentration varies in individuals.
We all differ as far as the intensity and duration of our
concentration is concerned. But, practicing it regularly will
help you improve on the intensity of your concentration.
To Concentrate Make Sure That Your Mind Contains Only

What You Are Reading At That Time. Make Your Whole
Body To Feel The Impulse Of What You Are Reading. Don't
Allow Your Mind To Wander, But Allow What You Are
Reading To Take Hold Or Possess Your Mind, Thoughts, Eyes,
Senses And Whole Body.
8. Emotions: this gets your attention going. It makes your
attention more intense.
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9. Environmental factors: when environment is favourable

without auditory or visual disturbance your attention
improves and can be focused without risk of distraction.
2 REFLECTION.
Edmund Burke said, Reading without reflecting is like eating
without digesting. To reflect means to think carefully and deeply
about what you are reading. Reflecting over what you are reading
helps to transfer the information to the permanent memory.
Think and reason logically over the information. Logic is
about order, so you need to have an orderly way of thinking and
reasoning. Logical thinking helps you to give the information a
structure. It gives your memory an order. (Your Memory Needs
Order). Think! Think!! Think!!!
3 REPETITION/REHEARSAL
This leads to internalization and retention of the information and
increases the retrieval speed. It is a continuous mastery of
information beyond the point of mere recall. Repetition on its own
is not sufficient for learning. When repetition is done alone
(without other strategies of learning and remembering) with the
aim of just passing a test, it becomes cramming, an unproductive
and un-endurable value.
The review or practice of information for the purpose of

improving subsequent retention is known as Rehearsal. Rehearsal
is better when it is done beyond repetition. Most times students
69
rehearse to maintain the information in their memory, but that isn't

enough. I see it as a maintenance rehearsal. One can enhance a
maintenance rehearsal by over-rehearsing perhaps at intervals.
However, there is another dimension of rehearsal that can profit

you more than the maintenance rehearsal. It is called Elaborative
Rehearsal. This includes the association of new information with
the ones you know and analysis of the information in order to make
it memorable. Elaborative rehearsal involves much thinking and
reasoning than the maintenance rehearsal. This is done by giving
much thought to various parts of the information you want to
remember, for more understanding. You need to process the
meaning of the information. Dig deep into that information and
view it from different angles.
You can memorize a large amount of information if you will repeat

and rehearse it. Rehearsal is what enables musicians to sing for
many hours off hand. Rehearse the information you want to
remember at intervals. Rehearse it daily, weekly, monthly and
yearly. Refresh the information you have in your long term memory
at any time you can, by rehearsal. Note that personal recitation is
part of repetition/rehearsal. So, reciting the information to
yourself is part of the stuff.
Constant repetition and rehearsal conveys the information from

STM to LTM

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4 ASSOCIATION
This means to relate what you want to remember with what you
already know or perhaps with your environment. (Environment
can be people around you, events, stories, living and non-living
things). Try to link, relate and compare what you are reading with
other things you know. Create similarity between what you are
reading with the information you already know. In the brain, all
new information is naturally related to information already in
place in the memory. To remember such information you need to
first recall the cue (the CUE is what reminds you of the information.
A cue is like a reminder). When you think of or remember anything
that is related to the information you have stored, it will connect
you to the information you want to remember.
Association is the mental process of connecting two things so
that remembering can be easy.
With association, information leads to another information
and to another.......
5 VISUALIZATION (MENTAL IMAGERY)

Visualization involves forming a picture of what you are reading in
the mirror of your mind. It is having a mental image of information.
Modern psychologists confirm that imagination contributes to the
formation of mental images that feed your memory. So, you need to
exercise the ability to create mental images regularly. Draw the
image or form the picture of the information in your mind. Picture
the information with the object it stands for.

71
The Chinese proverb said, One time seeing is worth one thousand
hearing. People remember most of what they see than what they
hear. Visualization is a very powerful way of effective learning.
The richer your mental images, the more solid the memorization
process will be.
When you imagine, you draw on memory.
6 OVER-LEARN
This means learning something even after you think you knew it.
Over-learning helps to consolidate and solidify the information in
your long term memory. Don't stop learning something merely
because you know it, but embrace the chance to re-learn what you
know.
Over-learning is one of the ways that leads to automatic
remembering. It helps to form an automatic memory in your brain.
7 ORGANIZE.
This means to arrange, to categorize and to give the information an
order. It involves re-grouping of the information. Example: how will
you memorize 0815963267? One of the ways to arrange this
numbers in order to remember them easily is: 08-15-96- 32-67.
When you have a lot of facts or information to store, try to group or

categorize them.
Mnemonics: this is another wonderful way of organizing

information. Examples of mnemonics are: MR NIGER D for
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characteristics of living things, BODMAS for mathematics, etc.
Chunk can help you to organize large amount of information.

Chunking is a good technique of mnemonics. It is the process by
which the brain organizes incoming information into chunks
according to its functions and nature.Example: France, Ghana,
Nigeria, England, Cameroon, Italy, Egypt, etc.
Groupings or chunking
Europe Africa
France Nigeria
England Ghana
Italy Egypt
Cameroon
The categorization of these countries will also help in
remembering or recalling them.
8 USE THE INFORMATION.

Making use of the information you have learned is the best way of
consolidating it in your permanent memory. Using the information
makes it automatic to remember. Every stored information has a
root in your brain. When you talk, teach, discuss or use the
information, its root will grow stronger in your brain. The more you
make use of information, the stronger the roots grow in your brain,
just like 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C. which have strong roots in your brain.

73
NOTE: To prove to you what I mean, let me start by giving you

simple exercises to do.
1.) Recite A, B, C, DZ
2.) Recite 123
3.) Recite all the countries in Africa and in the world.
Why did you recite ABC and 123 correctly?
Why did you remember the alphabets and numbers
automatically (or without thinking)?
The reason is that you have been making use of ABCD and
123, right from the days you learnt them in your nursery
school. Because you have been using the information, it has
become automatic in your brain and you don't need to think
to remember them.
Communicate The Information

Passing on information to others perhaps in your own
words is a good way to ensure that you remember it.
Discussing what you have read with people helps you to
retain the information.
Points to Note: The information carried by your senses is

recognized and continuously processed by specialized areas of the
brain.
. The information that comes from outside your body to your
brain is known as Exteroceptive information.
. The information coming from inside your body, like pain,

74
pleasure, etc., is known as Interoceptive information.
. Your brain receives more than 50% of its information from

the sense of sight.
. Memorization involves active learning, critical thinking or

deep thinking. It consists of receiving information, keeping it
intact and being able to recall it at will, not by struggling.
. It is hard to remember something you have not seen or heard

clearly
.
. If a name escapes you, don't get worked up. Just look for clues.
Additional Degree Attention (ADA) means directing your

attention for longer than usual on memorizing the
information you want to remember in order to retain it more
effectively. This can be better done by writing down and
speaking what you want to remember.
. Cramming involves an attempt to absorb copious amount of

information in a short period prior to an exam or test. It is a
technique that only lasts for the short-term. Cramming is
mainly used to pass an exam. It doesn't guarantee
understanding. It produces short term knowledge while
memorization produces long term knowledge. This is why
students can remember a chunk of knowledge large enough
75
to get through a test/exam. They forget the knowledge few

days after the test. Cramming is not a good or an effective
learning method.
The tendency to remember the beginning of written

information/texts is known as Primary Effect.
The tendency to remember the end of written

information/texts is known as Recency Effect.
The tendency to remember the first and last of written

information more than its middle is known as Serial Position
Effect.
WHY WE FORGET.
The existence of forgetting has never been proved. We only know that
some things don't come to mind when we want them.
Fredrick Nietzsche.
Forgetting occurs when the available retrieval cues fail to activate

available or inaccessible information.
We study our heads off for an exam only to find to our dismay the
information isn't all there when we need it.
We watch the evening news, and half an hour later can't relate the
least story.
76
Why do you remember old information and forget new

information?
Why is it that you can't remember some of the information you
learnt in primary school and the ones you learnt last week?
Unfortunately, there can be no complete answer to the above

questions.
Forgetting process appears to be more complicated than the way

we see it.
There are about four major reasons why people forget. They are
called theories of forgetting.
1. Decay Theory of Forgetting

This theory states that when we read and don't make use of the
information stored in our memory for a long time, it tends to
disappear. Information in long-term memory eventually
disappears if it is not recalled or reactivated (called-up) now and
then.
The names of people (school mates, etc.) and other things you
knew earlier in life, but have not been using will
disintegrate/disappear with the passage of time.
The information you don't make use of for a long time may
disappear or be hard to remember.
77
Now, tell me:

(1) Can you still remember all the things you learnt in
primary school?
(2) Can you still recite the states and the capitals of your
country without thinking so deeply to remember them?
(3) Can you still recite all the poems you knew in nursery and
primary school?
When I took my university aptitude test, I was surprised to see that
about 40 percent (40%) of the questions were primary school
work. Fortunately for me, I taught primary school pupils till a week
before my test, so I was able to tackle the questions. But, most of my
fellow candidates found it difficult to confront those primary
school questions. Surely, this was because they had stopped
making use of primary information for a long time.
2. Interference Theory of Forgetting

Forgetting occurs as a result of interference between new and old
information.
Interference occurs when information gets mixed-up or pushed
aside by other information, thus affecting remembering (retrieval)
of such desired information. Interference is of two types:
(i) Proactive Interference:

This occurs when the old information hinders your memory of the
new information. In this case, you recall the old information
instead of the new or specific information you are seeking.
78
When you enter an examination hall, do you often find yourself

remembering (recalling) the information you studied long ago, but
could not remember the information you studied recently?
That's pro-active interference.
(ii) Retroactive Interference

This occurs when the information learned recently hinders you
from recalling the information learned previously.
When you the enter examination hall, do you often find yourself
recalling the information you learned recently, but couldn't
remember what you learned long-ago? That is retroactive
interference.
Note: Interference does not mean that the information you want to
recall are not in long-term memory. You can eventually remember
that information after the examination. Interference can be
reduced by repetition and over learning.
3 Retrieval Theory of Forgetting

This states that information may not be recalled because
the proper retrieval cues are not available. If the proper cues are
provided, the missing information can be located. If you are looking
for a book in the library, the book you are looking for is in the
library, but the retrieval cues (perhaps the signs directing you to
the proper shelf) have been removed. It is only when you find the
cues or sign to the shelf that you can get the book. This can be
79
likened to what happens in your memory. Cues are very important

to remembering.
4 Motivated Theory of Forgetting

This states that we are likely to forget memories associated with
unpleasant events. This forgetting is usually deliberate or
intentional. For example, when you put off information that does
not make sense to you or one that makes you feel bad, it is referred
to as motivated forgetting.
Note: Recent memories can as well evaporate like morning dew.
Tip of the tongue state (TOT)

This is an experience in which you feel certain that you know
something (name, word, etc) that cannot be retrieved, despite a
certainty that it is available in your memory. I guess you have often
experienced this before. It can be said that the information is on the
Tip of the Tongue (TOT).
Often times, I felt so sure that I knew a word and could even give a
hint of it, but I still could not remember the complete word, even
after struggling to do so. Investigation shows that TOTs is a
universal experience that occurs may be once in a week.
Sometimes we can later recall the forgotten information, stumbling

upon a thought or perception that triggers the memory.
Note: To overcome most of this causes of forgetting, you have to
practice the steps of remembering as listed in this chapter.
80
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
No two people will ever store the same piece of

information in the same way [Reader's
Digest]
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

-Confucius

81
DECISION
What have you decided to do to easily remember
information?
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................

82

83
CHAPTER SIX
TRANSFORM-
ATIVE
THINKING
y applying the principles in this chapter, you will achieve a lot
B with your thinking. The wonderful information in these pages will

transform your thinking, thereby renewing your mind. It will help
you to do more mental exploits. Read and discover the power of
transformative thinking.

84
TRANSFORMATIVE THINKING
Intelligence is something we are born with; thinking is a skill that
must be learned. Edward de Bono.
If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never give
room to a negative thought. Joseph Chidiebere.. Osuigwe
T hinking is a mental exercise that involves the manipulation of

information in the form of mental images and concepts.
Transformative thinking is geared towards positive change and it
takes place in the mind. It produces a transformed thought. It is
certain that you can only be transformed when your thoughts and
minds are renewed. Your thoughts are the product of your mental
activities while you are the product of your thought.
Becoming an intellectual giant starts from your thinking.

Thinking precedes achievement. You need to place high value on
transformative thinking. John Maxwell says, The greater your
thinking, the greater your potentials. Success doesn't come by
accident, it starts with thinking right. Thinking is a major way of
generating ideas. Ideas are foundations for everything we build,
every advance we make. Thinking helps to improve your brain
85
power. Your brain needs more thinking to function better. Thinking

stretches your brain's feat.
To become a thinker, do more thinking.
Thinking is multifaceted. It is in much form. There is no one kind of
thinking.
Let's look at some forms of thinking below:
1. Directed Thinking: This kind is goal oriented and rational.
It requires a clear, well defined goal or direction. It is a
thinking that has path to a specified goal. Those who engage
in directed thinking already know the area they want to
think about. So, they just give their thinking a direction. It is
more of problem solving.
2. Undirected Thinking: This is a wandering thought. A type

that has no direction, goal or aim. Daydreaming, fantasizing,
etc., are parts of undirected thinking. Undirected thinking is
like being a sheep without a shepherd. It is not a solution
driven thinking.
You need to give your thought a right direction. If you don't
direct your thoughts, it will direct you to the pit.
3. Productive Thinking: This kind of thinking requires insight

and creativity. The thinker must see a new way of organizing
something, a new way of structuring the elements of
thought and perception. It focuses on forming new things. It
involves deep thinking.

86
4. Reproductive Thinking: This is the application of trial and

error approach to solve a problem. It involves following or
applying a series of known steps to bring out a result. It is
not a deep thinking type, because all you need is to recollect
or remember steps to the solution.
5. Convergent Thinking: This is the kind of thinking in which

all lines of thought come together on one correct solution to
a problem. The thinker brings varying thoughts and ideas
together to form one correct idea to a solution.
This kind generates only one solution.
6. Divergent Thinking: This is the kind in which lines of

thought split in search of a variety of solutions to a problem.
This aimed at generating multiple solutions to a problem. It
is a splitting of ideas to form different solutions.
7. Creative Thinking: This is the ability to explore ideas,

options and experiences so as to produce or create
something new. It is a right brain activity. It is in line with
productive thinking. Creative thinkers always aimed at
bringing out new ways of doing things or something better
off.
8. Strategic Thinking: This is the ability to think about ways

to implement plans that give you direction for today and
increase your potentials for tomorrow. Strategic thinkers
87
love to execute plans. They think of ways to carry out

organizational plans or activities.
9. Possibility Thinking: The ability to unleash your

enthusiasm and hope to find solutions for impossible
situations. Possibility thinkers always engage in a mission
impossible. They don't run away from hard situations. They
have a strong belief system that always made them see
possibilities in the midst of impossibilities. Possibility
thinkers don't give up easily or even at all. Thomas Edison,
Abraham Lincoln, among others, were possibility thinkers.
10. Shared Thinking: This is the ability to include the heads of

others to help you think and achieve compounding results.
It is said, Two good heads are better than one. Shared
thinking can be likened to brainstorming and is more
beneficial to organizations.
11.Reflective Thinking: This is the ability to revisit the past
experiences, failures and events to gain a perspective and
think with more understanding, or know how to decide for a
better tomorrow.
12. Critical Thinking: This is the ability to think with the aim of
finding out a fact, mistake, error, etc so as to eliminate them.
Proof readers and editors are good in critical thinking.
Critical thinking can be bad if the purpose is to condemn and
not to correct. If you are a critical thinker, you have to be
88
careful not to condemn people's work, but rather try to

correct them.
BECOMING A GREAT THINKER

1. Find a suitable place to think:
Thinking has greatly helped me to write this book. My room
is very conducive for thinking, especially in the early hours
of the morning. Also, the library was another place I used for
thinking.
Any place that is free from distraction and interruption can

be good for my thinking. John Maxwell says I can make
almost any place a good thinking place as long as I don't
have to do it with interruption. So, get a place that is
suitable for thinking.
You need to separate yourself from the crowd and friends, and
enter a quiet place to think. You can have a Thinking Room.
2. Set Aside Time for Thinking

Time for thinking may not be the same for everyone. It has to
do with individual differences. The time that suits Mr. A,
may not suit Mr. B. But, generally early morning hours is
best for thinking. Each time I wake up around 3am, 4am or
5am as the case may be, when my brain is in its alpha state
that is the time I enjoy my thinking. At such early hours, my
mind and brain are free, calm and without stress.

89
Any minute or hour you set aside for thinking right thoughts
is always a productive time.
3. Discover and hook on to what works best for you

We are all peculiar and this has made us unique in nature,
approach and manner. What motivates you may not
motivate another person. Or what stimulates you may not
stimulate your fellow. From a personal point of view, I would
say that we all have different stimulating and motivational
finger-prints or make-up.
You need to discover what makes you 'tick'. Discover the
nature or atmosphere that always stimulates and motivates you to
think, and then hold on to it. I am always motivated to think each
time I listen to inspirational music or read books.
I have observed that, Listening to music is like thinking with a
sound
Picking up pen and writing sheet to write can trigger me to think.

Some people are triggered to think each time they sit with
computer, close their eyes or see trees, rivers etc.
4. Capture your Ideas

Good ideas are generated during positive thinking. The ideas
become stronger when they are being captured by the thinker.
There are hundreds of ideas that flow through your mind as you
think every day, if you don't make a conscious effort to catch or
retain the important ones, you stand the chance of losing them. The
90
best way of catching those ideas is by writing them down. Those

ideas of yours that seem insignificant to you are capable of bringing
greatness if properly used. I always write down ideas and transfer
them to my Book of Ideas.
During my third year in the university; after one of my lectures, I

went to the canteen for lunch. As I was eating my meal, a few
powerful thoughts and ideas popped-up in my mind. Immediately, I
stopped eating and took my writing materials to write them down.
Those who saw me were amazed at what had come over me. In fact,
I wasn't mindful of what people would say, because the ideas were
more important at that time than the food. To me, food is always
available but ideas may be available today and unavailable
tomorrow. I am so meticulous with positive ideas that I don't want
to lose them. I prefer to discover good ideas than to recover lost
ideas.
You ought to capture your ideas by any good means possible. Don't
go to bed without a thinking-paper near you. It pays to capture
ideas. If I had not been capturing and synthesizing my ideas for the
past four years, this book wouldn't have been written. This book is
the outcome of my years of accumulated ideas, experiences and
researches.

91
Thinking Aright
Thinking, alone, won't guarantee success. You need to think about
the right things. What do you always think about? Do you always
think about bad, negative and immoral things? You are what you
always think.
What you think either builds or defiles you.
It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by
what comes from your heart.
It is what comes from inside your mind that defiles you. For from
within, out of a person's heart, comes evil thoughts, sexual
immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit,
lustful desires, envy, slender, pride and foolishness. All these vile
things come from within; they are what defile you.
Pessimism is part of negative thinking.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously
sabotage every opportunity to succeed. If you are afraid of meeting
new people or having close relationships, you will do everything to
avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are
lonely and nobody loves you.
Your dominant thought determine what you will do or what you

would be. Tell me your dominant thoughts and I will tell you what
you are capable of doing. You become evil by thinking evil.
What you will be in life starts from what you always think every day.

92
Negative thinking is not good for you. It is detrimental to your

mental health. It has negative effects on your brain power and
creativity.
Negative thinkers are agents of human destruction
Negative thinking is a major avenue to human destruction and
deformation. Those who engage in negative thinking have a high
tendency for harming humanity. Osama Bin Laden, Adolf Hitler and
others became agents of human destruction through their negative
thoughts. Their creativity is misdirected to the wrong path of
harming lives, instead of making impact.
Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive

thinking. It seems that with most people positive thinking requires
some efforts whereas negative thinking comes easily and
uninvited. The more you give in to negative thoughts, the stronger
they become in your mind and affect your actions. It is just a waste
of vital energy.
Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
- By Lao Tse
Monitor your company and what you hear. Monitor what you read:
the books you read can either build or destroy your mind. Good
93
books feed the soul and equip the mind; others destroy and corrupt
the mind. Any book that cannot add value to your life, is capable of
harming your mind. Such books include: sexually motivated or
erotic books, magical story books, pornographic pictures and
books that instigate violence in you. The writers of these books
have no good intention for their readers.
Each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, reject the
thought and think a positive one. Decide that from today, from this
very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and
starting on the way towards positive thinking.
Transform your thinking

Focus on positive thinking: Direct your thoughts towards
positivity. Be receptive to positive ideas. Think on those
things which will add value to you and be of help to
humanity. Please God with your thought.
Spend time with God and good thinkers: Meditating on the

word of God will enhance your thinking and renew your
mind.
Also sharpen your thinking by rubbing mind with great

thinkers. One hour you discuss with a wise man is more than
one year you spend with fools. Keep company with good
thinkers They will inspire you to think better.
.......You possess what it takes to become an intellectual giant.......
94
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
You are what you are and where you are because of
what's gone into your mind. You can change
what you are and where you are by changing
what goes into your mind. - Zig Ziglar.
The more you task you brain, the greater the ideas you generate,
and the greater the results you command. Dr. David Oyedepo
Positive and negative thoughts are directions. Which direction do

you choose? The difference between can and cannot are only three
letters, three letters that determine your life's direction.
The mind is the decisive factor in your life, but who decides for the
mind?
Positive thoughts are not enough. There have to be positive feelings

and positive actions.
When you have control over your thoughts, you have control over
your life.

95
DECISION
What have you decided to do to be aa great thinker?
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................
.................................................................

96
Reference:
Aronie, Nancy. (1998) Writing from the Heart. New York: Davidson.
Carnegie, Dale. (1957) Public Speaking. Surrey: The world's work.
Carson and Murhpy. (1992) Think Big. Michigan: Zonder Van,
Ciccarelli, Saundra and Meyer, Glenn. (2006) Psychology. New
Jersey: Pearson Prentice
Davidson, Jim. (1979) How to plan your life. Pelican Publishing Co.
Forster, Sandy. (2006) How to be wildly wealthy fast. Australia:
Religious Broadcasting Inc.
Hill, McGraw. (1973) Encyclopedia of World Biography. New York:
Hill Bod Company.
Honor Books. (2003) You can be a world changer. Benin city:
Matthew (16:33) Christian publication,
Kosslyn, Stephen and Rosenberg, Robin. (2004) Psychology. 2nd
Edition. New York: Pearson Prentice.
Kumuyi, William. (2002) The making of a successful youth. Yaba
Lagos: Life press.
Maxwell, John. (2003) Thinking for a Change. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson,
Maxwell, John. (2007) Talent in never enough. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
Morney, Jonathan and Cole, David. (2000) Learning outside the
lines. New York: Simon & Schuster,

97
Morris, Charles and Maisto, Albert. (2004) Understanding

Psychology. 3rd Edition, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice.
Murdock, Mike. (1997) The Assignment. Benin City: word of
faith.
Onyechere, Uju. (2004) How to fire your Boss. Ikeja: Benson and
Edwards.
Oyedepo, David. (2005) Ruling Your World. Lagos: Dominion
Publishing House.
Samuel, Ikechukwu. (2011) Working Miracles with your memory.
Port Harcourt: Creative technology publication.
Shepherd, Sandy. (2005) 101 ways to improve your memory,
Reader's digest. London: Nelson Thorns.
Skariah, Matthew. (1988) Talk less and Pray more. New Mexico:
World prayer Band.
Tellogy, Ronald. (1995) Cognitive Psychology. London: Sage
Publication,.
Warren, Rick. (2002) The purpose driven-life. Geneva: Oasis
International.

98
LET'S HEAR YOU:

Now that you have read Maximizing Your Brain Power
please send your comments to-
maximizingbrainpower@gmail.com.
TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR:

Write to unclejoseph2013@gmail.com
Or call; +2348183780522, +2348155408524

99
DATA
Name:
Sex: ..
Marital Status:
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State of Origin: .
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Mobile Contact:
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Course: .
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100
marvelousmikepress@yahoo.com 08033183566
About the AUTHOR About the BOOK
J M oseph
Osuig
w
Chidiebere
e
aximizing your Brain Power
is an inspirational and
practical masterpiece that
empowers the readers to do extra-
is the initiator
ordinary things with their wonderful
o f
brain. It will boost their mental
Developmen
performance; and ignite their passion
t a n d
Transformation Project (DEVATOP) to engage in consistent mental
in Abuja, Nigeria; a project that has activities and self education.
impacted thousands of young people The book has fundamental keys to self-
in Nigeria. He has collaborated with improvement. It contains the secrets
United Nations Office of Drugs and and achievements of some world
Crimes (UNODC) to execute his acknowledged intellectual giants like
National Youth Service Personal Benjamin Carson, Chinua Achebe,
Community Development Project
Wole Soyinka, Thomas Edison,
which includes Student's
Benjamin Franklin, and Helen Keller. It
Empowerment.
has what it takes to improve readers'
His passion became obvious in
mental capabilities regardless of their
University of Nigeria Nsukka (Alvan
Campus) in 2009, while in 200 level academic background.
(Second year) he organized and This is a treasure to everyone who
facilitated series of Academic desires to go beyond their present
Empowerment Workshops for 100 performance. It is for Students (Senior
level (First year) students. Secondary and tertiary students),
He is an educationist, academic and leaders, Civil servants, and business
personal transformation facilitator, a people. Amos Bronson said, That is
prolific writer, a smart and hard a good book which is opened with
working fellow with proven
expectation and closed with profit.
leadership qualities.
This book has a lot of profits to
Joseph believes that young people
those who will read it with
are the major focal points for National
development. expectation.
marvelousmikepress@yahoo.com
08033183566

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DEVATOP

MAXIMIZING YOUR BRAIN POWER

ISBN: 978 - 978 -938 -494 -5

Published & Printed by:

ii A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

My profound gratitude goes to my mentor Arc. Jarlath Onugebu and to

A big thank you to Mr. Marvelous Mike (Director of Marvelous Mike

A huge thanks and applause to National Youth Service Corps on whose

I can't forget to appreciate all the DEVATOP team members for

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

I therefore enjoin everybody who cares to develop towards becoming

Brainpower is an inexhaustible resource given to everyone born into

In the light of this, the author, Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe has

He shares brief stories on some world renowned people who dared to

This book is well-researched and sure to inspire, challenge, motivate,

who is dumb and abnormal became a genius? Listen to their secrets.

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe

Mental exercise: is an act of performing tasks with your brain, like

solving it by holding a group discussion.

such as breaths, heartbeat rate, blood pressure, etc. It includes cerebellum,

a number of waves that passes a fixed place at a given amount of time.

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

YOU CAN BECOME AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

Everybody has the seed of intelligence and genius in him/her that

L et me start with an inspiring story of a young African who was

DAMOLA was born with Down syndrome but became a Special

His mother willingly enrolled together with him in kindergarten to

Although, Damola couldn't talk even at the age of 25, he gradually

Damola has been able to attain this height in sports, because he

You possess something that can take you round the

The man who was known to possess a very low intelligence

In his teens, Edison read books on physical sciences and natural

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

philosophy which explained how to perform chemistry experiment

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

Intelligence is the person's ability to acquire knowledge, apply

To amplify the above explanation, I would like you to know that

Ability to innovate or create things.

According to Harwad Gardner, Intelligence can be expanded into

Unfortunately, many people have accepted and believed that they

In fact, intelligence is a gift from God. Absolutely, God deposited the

INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ)

S/N NAME Present Mental age (M.A) or Performance, IQ Score

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

2. Bola James 25 years Bola learns/performs as though hes 22years 25/22*100

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

A PATHWAY TO BECOMING AN INTELLECTUAL GIANT

DEVELOPING YOUR INTELLIGENCE

His uneducated mother, who believed in improvement, mandated

Later, Benjamin started challenging the most intelligent students

introduced in the class were not new to him. Benjamin became a

In his autobiography titled: Gifted Hands, he narrated how his

Dr. Ben Carson is known around the world for breakthrough in

JOSEPH CHIDIEBERE.O. (A SLOW LEARNER)

I wasn't comfortable with my mental age. I tried to cope

first year in university, my course mate observed my academic

I knew it was possible for me to develop my intelligence and

The first semester result of my year one was encouraging and a

However, in my third year, I started developing much