Is this book for you?

If any of these sounds like you, yes.

“I forget names more than I used to and I’d like to do something about it.”
“I want to know what actually helps memory and what’s just hype.”
“Someone I love is changing, and I don’t know what’s normal and what isn’t.”

An older woman concentrates on painting a ceramic tile at a table.

Why we’re writing this book

Every week brings a new headline about memory: a food that helps, a game that helps, a supplement that helps. Most of them contradict last week’s headline. It’s hard to know what to believe, and easy to spend money on things that don’t do much.

So we went to the research and graded it. Large trials such as FINGER looked at what happens when older adults combine everyday habits: eating well, moving more, keeping the mind busy, and looking after blood pressure and heart health. The Lancet Commission on dementia has spent years working out which risk factors people can actually do something about, including hearing loss. This book explains what that work found, in plain English, and is just as clear about what it didn’t find.

Knowing what’s normal is half the peace of mind.

What’s inside

The book is being written now. These are the planned chapters.

What normal age-related change looks like, and what isn’t normal
The everyday habits research links with a healthier brain: movement, sleep, social contact, and learning new things
Why hearing matters to thinking, and what to do if your hearing has slipped
The MIND diet, explained without a meal plan or giving up food you enjoy
Supplements and herbal remedies, graded honestly against the evidence
Old sayings put to the test, starting with “fish is brain food”
Sorting real evidence from brain-training hype
Practical memory aids that don’t feel like homework
When and how to raise concerns with your doctor

What you’ll walk away with

A realistic view of what supports a sharp mind

Plus a short list of things you can start this week.

A clear way to tell the difference

Between ordinary forgetfulness and changes worth a doctor’s visit.

Fewer wasted dollars

Because you’ll know which products the evidence supports and which it doesn’t.

Notify me when Book 5 is ready

Sources we’re working from

This book is being written now, so its numbered Fact References chapter isn’t final yet. These are among the sources we’re building from, checked the same way as every figure in the series: against a credible, named source you can look up yourself.

Selected sources

Kivipelto M, et al. (2015). A 2-year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 385(9984), 2255–2263. thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60461-5/fulltext
Livingston G, et al. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet, 404(10446), 237–272. thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/fulltext
Morris MC, et al. (2015). MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 11(9), 1015–1022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4581900

Read our Corrections Policy

Coming in three formats

Every Stay Safe book comes in three formats, and each one is planned to include a companion checklist. Prices below are planned launch prices. Nothing is on sale for this book yet.

Coming soon

eBook

$9.99

EPUB, PDF, and Kindle. Make the text as large as you like.
Coming soon

Audiobook

$14.99

MP3 and M4B. Listen on a walk or while you cook.
Coming soon

Paperback

$19.99

Printed and delivered. Easy to mark up and pass along.

Taxes and any shipping are shown at checkout before you pay. Prices may change before launch.

Cover of Stay Safe Stay Sharp, Book 5 of the Stay Safe Series.

Coming soon

Be the first to know when Book 5 is ready

Stay Safe Stay Sharp is being written now. Leave your email and we’ll send one message the day it’s released, in every format.

What you get

One email the day Stay Safe Stay Sharp is ready
Occasional Stay Safe Series news, and nothing else
No cost, and nothing to buy

Notify Me When Book 5 Is Ready

We’ll send one email when this book is ready, plus occasional series news. No spam. Unsubscribe any time. See our Privacy Policy.

While you wait

Books 1 and 2 are available today, and the free checklist takes one sitting.

Book 1 Available now

Stay Safe in Any Emergency

Stay Safe in Any Emergency shows you how to make sure help can reach you fast, wherever you are.
Start with Book 1
Take the free checklist

The one-page Fall-Risk Checklist is a good first look at your home, for you or for someone you love.
Get the Free Checklist

See the full series guide

Questions people ask

When will Stay Safe Stay Sharp launch?

It’s being written now. Join the list above and you’ll get one email the day it’s ready.

Is this book only about dementia?

No. Most of it is about everyday memory and attention, and the habits research links with keeping them working well. It also explains, calmly, what changes are worth a doctor’s visit.

Does it tell me which supplements to take?

It grades the common ones against the evidence and tells you plainly what the research does and doesn’t support. What you buy is your decision. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before adding a supplement, especially if you take other medicines.

Will it help me tell normal aging from something more serious?

It shows you what ordinary age-related change looks like and lists the kinds of changes doctors want to hear about. It can’t diagnose anything. Only a doctor can do that.

Do I need to be worried about my memory to benefit?

No. Most readers are curious, not worried. The habits in the book are for anyone who wants to keep their mind active.

This book shares general safety information. It isn’t medical, legal, or financial advice. For advice about your own situation, talk with a qualified professional.