For years, women have been told that having a baby means checking your brain at the delivery room door. But exciting new research into motherhood and the mind is contradicting the myth of "the mommy brain," and revealing that quite the opposite is true: having babies can make you smarter. When journalist Katherine Ellison found herself the mother of two boys, she was busier than she'd ever been before. But to her surprise, she also felt more energized and efficient, more socially engaged and mentally alert. Spurred by her own experience, she began interviewing scientists and mothers all over the world. What she discovered was astonishing. A mother's work-the repetitive nurturing acts, the relentless multitasking and emotional demands-combined with powerful hormonal stimulation and a flood of sensory experience, can literally reshape the brain, making it a more complex organ. Ellison found that the mental advantages motherhood confers break down into five categories: perception, efficiency, resilience, motivation, and emotional intelligence. The evidence for this is everywhere: from the busy woman who handles phone calls, emails, diaper, and deadlines all at once, to the executive whose negotiating skills skyrocket, to the friend who becomes more aware of others' unspoken needs (not to mention her own). Motherhood is, as one scientist told Ellison, "a revolution for the brain." Smart moms are the walking proof of what science is just beginning to discover. - Publisher. For years, women have been told that having a baby means checking your brain at the delivery room door. But exciting new research into motherhood and the mind is contradicting the myth of "the mommy brain," and revealing that quite the opposite is true: having babies can make you smarter. When journalist Katherine Ellison found herself the mother of two boys, she was busier than she'd ever been before. But to her surprise, she also felt more energized and efficient, more socially engaged and mentally alert. Spurred by her own experience, she began interviewing scientists and mothers all over the world. What she discovered was astonishing. A mother's work-the repetitive nurturing acts, the relentless multitasking and emotional demands-combined with powerful hormonal stimulation and a flood of sensory experience, can literally reshape the brain, making it a more complex organ. Ellison found that the mental advantages motherhood confers break down into five categories: perception, efficiency, resilience, motivation, and emotional intelligence. The evidence for this is everywhere: from the busy woman who handles phone calls, emails, diaper, and deadlines all at once, to the executive whose negotiating skills skyrocket, to the friend who becomes more aware of others' unspoken needs (not to mention her own). Motherhood is, as one scientist told Ellison, "a revolution for the brair." Smart moms are the walking proof of what science is just beginning to discover. - Dust jacket.