SKU: 40952141479

Brain Changer: A Mother's Guide to Cognitive Science

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Brain Changer: A Mother's Guide to Cognitive ScienceAfter completing her degree in cognitive science at UC Berkeley, Janine Kovac became pregnant with she thought was her second child. Instead, it was twins. Not just any twins, but high risk, mono chorionic mono amniotic twins, a condition that occurs in one out of 45,000 twin pregnancies. Survival outcomes hover at the 50 50 mark. Mono chorionic mono amniotic twins share a placenta and an amniotic sac and there's nothing to separate the umbilical

After completing her degree in cognitive science at UC Berkeley, Janine Kovac became pregnant with she thought was her second child. Instead, it was twins. Not just any twins, but high-risk, mono-chorionic/mono-amniotic twins, a condition that occurs in one out of 45,000 twin pregnancies. Survival outcomes hover at the 50/50 mark. Mono-chorionic/mono-amniotic twins share a placenta and an amniotic sac and there's nothing to separate the umbilical cords. Nothing to keep one baby's cord from strangling his brother.

After carefully outlining the risks and the protocols the doctor, "There is nothing you can do to prevent the babies from dying. Don't let it stress you out. You can't do anything about it." Then he sent her home.

There was anger, denial, panic and lots of Googling.

But there was something else, too. A thesis she'd just written titled "A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Parenting." As the parent of a toddler girl, she was trying to make sense of the parenting books she'd read. If all these people were experts, why they didn't all agree?

Janine took a novel approach to answer her questions--she analyzed the metaphors that parenting experts used to describe morality, emotional development, and human nature. This analysis became the topic of her thesis, which received the Robert J. Glushko prize for "Distinguished Undergraduate Research in Cognitive Science."

Talking to doctors about her risky pregnancy was very similar to reading conflicting opinions from parenting experts. One doctor thought she should be on 24/7 bedrest. Another saw no problem with light exercise. One doctor advised, "Try not to think about it." Another reminded her, "You have to be prepared at every ultrasound to have a dead baby."

Her high-risk pregnancy was just the beginning of her challenges as the mother of twins. She went into labor before she hit the six-month mark and her babies were born weighing just over a pound and a half apiece. The boys spent the next three months in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where they had IVs, breathing tubes, feeding tubes, x-rays, blood transfusions, and surgery to fix their heart murmurs.

An undergraduate in cognitive science learns the basics of neural networks: when some neurons are activated, other networks must be inhibited. It's called mutual inhibition. It's the reason a person can't feel fear and joy at the same time. Fear activates the fight-or-flight resources while joy makes one want to stop and smell the roses. Cognitive science students, at least the ones at UC Berkeley, learn something else, too. They learn that words and concepts are directly connected to neural networks. In other words, fear-related thought and messaging is directly connected to a network. Joy-related messaging is directly connected to a different network. If you could activate the joy-network through words, then you'd simultaneously inhibit the fear network. The doctor's advice, "Try not to think about it" was actually not that ridiculous. And according to her thesis, Janine already knew how to do it.

These essays explore some of the techniques that helped her cope as a mom: the practical application of putting on her oxygen mask, expressing gratitude, managing flow, and cultivating a growth mindset--but with a twist of cutting-edge cognitive science.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Noelle & Noelle Publishing
Published: 10/30/2016
ISBN: 9780692782224
Pages: 70
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.17d
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SKU: 40952141479

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B. Stubby
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 3
A familiar story, just with…..less.
Format: Kindle
So, as other reviewers make clear, this is very similar to Pack Darling and The Beta. It’s much closer aligned with The Beta, in plot and maybe more like Pack Darling with characters. That being said, I don’t hate this…..but it wasn’t great either. It’s both books mentioned but just….less. Less angst, less emotion, less feeling. The plot feels very half fleshed out, and the “bad guy” feels underwhelming. I didn’t really feel any real emotions from and of the male leads, except maybe Oliver. The others fell sorta flat for me. And Mika makes herself out to be this big bad ass straight outta training and then we never see it from here again with the one fitting room incident as the exception. SPOILER: The whole, “Oh, I’m actually probably an Omega, but I don’t wanna be but I do actually wanna be but no one can ever know my secret that I do nothing to hide “ thing fell so flat. She never commutes to believing she was secretly an omega, but also mentions her “secret” a lot. It just felt so manufactured. I’m intrigued enough to read part 2 and see how the author closes everything out, but this is not one I’ll recommend or ever come back to.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
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Ashley Morgan
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
ABSOLUTELY A MUST for Omegaverse Girls!!!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Jillian West and her books!!! I’m so happy I already bought book two and now I have to buy the others for the Assurance Security series!! Not gonna lie Val kind of annoyed me at the beginning but she grew on me!! Her men are chef’s kisses!!! Holt annoys me some but I can let it slide. I already bought part two so I’m going to be reading that in between work phone calls!!!! DON’T TELL MY BOSS 😂😂😂😂
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Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025
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Carmen Alicea
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
Baby bumps and bodyguards
Format: Kindle
Dark, emotional, and unexpectedly tender, Not Ready is an omegaverse romance that delivers found family feels, fierce protectiveness, and a very pregnant heroine who refuses to break. Vale’s on the run from a stalker, but lands in the arms of three private security alphas, cue the swoony tension, fake marriage twist, and slow-burn heat. It’s a little gritty, a little soft, and a whole lot addictive. If you love protective alphas, high stakes, and heroines with quiet strength, this one’s a must-read.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2025
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Shianne Whipple
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Strong Omegaverse Comfort and a Attention Grabbing Plot
Format: Kindle
Jillian West never misses when it comes to Omegaverse, and Not Ready is no exception. This story was the perfect blend of cozy comfort and emotional depth while still delivering a strong plot. Vale is such a powerful heroine, she is strong, capable, and determined but I love that she still allows her pack to love and take care of her. It’s that balance of independence and vulnerability that makes her so relatable. The relationship dynamics were amazing: Bishop is steadfast and completely head over heels, Mercy is skeptical but protective in his own way, and Holt is the hesitant one whose slow fall is so satisfying to watch unfold. The romance hits that sweet spot between insta-love and cautious build, keeping me hooked the entire way through. And that ending. Oh my god, the cliffhanger! I need the next book in this duet immediately.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2025
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NLB
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Interesting
Format: Kindle
So I will say I enjoyed the story, for sure had its moments where it dragged but it was a great story. I really liked that omegas picked their alphas/make the pack. Normally the Alphas make it and the omega fits in with them which is great but I enjoyed this new version where all the power basically went to the omega. It was a nice change of pace. I can admit some of the weird bedroom stuff with her being pregnant was odd, it’s really not hard to do stuff when pregnant (I know I’ve had two and it’s normal and even encouraged at the end especially if you want the baby out). But I like the story as a whole and will read the second, I do hope the next one isn’t dragged bc it stopped being action or tense after she met her alphas and I don’t think it was brought up or properly done when they tried to do it. More sweet after she left.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2024

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