Getting ready to win some friends and influence some people!
Brain Power’s book club had an enlightening time reading Dale Carnegie’s classic self-help book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” (1936). A classic in the genre, Carnegie’s book was the American guidebook to social relations for generations of successful (and would-be-successful) professionals.

We discussed the positives and negatives of Carnegie’s approach to human relations, including the ethics of “winning” (not making!) friends and “influencing” (or maybe manipulating?) people.

Brain Power was excited to have Dave Silverberg join our Public Speaking students to share his poetic passion and knowledge! Dave Silverberg is the founder and artistic director of Toronto Poetry Project. He has performed poetry across Canada, including at a TEDx Talk event in Toronto, Vancouver Poetry Slam, and Saskatoon’s top poetry slam, “Tonight It’s Poetry.” He writes for BBC, Washington Post, Vice Magazine, NOW Magazine and other publications. Dave also leads workshops across Ontario on how to perform spoken-word pieces. His Toronto...

Dr. Ruslan Dorfman gives us a fascinating perspective on genetic engineering and “Flowers for Algernon” Brain Power’s Book Club had a fascinating discussion about Daniel Keyes’s “Flowers for Algernon” with our special guest, Dr. Ruslan Dorfman, CEO and co-founder of GeneYouIn (located in Toronto’s Mars Centre Discovery District). Dr. Dorfamn brought his experience as a genetic testing expert specializing in the pharmacogenetics of rare diseases to our discussion of Keyes’s imaginary portrait of a man who is given an experimental treatment to dramatically...

Every year Brain Power offers students the opportunity to see a live Shakespeare performance! This year the play of choice was “As You Like It,” and students went to see a National Theatre Live broadcast at the Silver City in Richmond Hill. This classic comedy tells the story of young Rosalind, who disguises herself as a man and flees the persecutions of her uncle’s court, along with her cousin Celia, to find safety and (unexpectedly!) love in the forest of Arden. Students...

Brain Power’s book club had an exciting adventure reading Frank Herbert’s epic science-fiction classic, “Dune” (1965). When the Atreides family accepts the stewardship of the desert planet of Dune, they find themselves at the centre of the machinations of great powers eager to claim the planet’ exclusive and enormously valuable supply of “spice.” At our book club meeting we used the novel as a springboard to discuss the intersections of science fiction, imagination, and futurism.

Every year Brain Power offers students the opportunity to see a live Shakespeare performance! This year the play of choice was “As You Like It,” and students went to see a National Theatre Live broadcast at the Silver City in Richmond Hill. This classic comedy tells the story of young Rosalind, who disguises herself as a man and flees the persecutions of her uncle’s court, along with her cousin Celia, to find safety and (unexpectedly!) love in the forest of Arden. Students...