Whole Brain Training · Beta reading

Help shape the first four books before they're published

Thank you for agreeing to read early drafts of my Whole Brain Training series. Your honest reactions will make these books clearer and more useful for everyone who reads them after you. – Charles Helvie II

How beta reading works

  1. Read the agreement below and tick the boxes that suit you.
  2. Read one book (or part of one). They're short: about an hour or two each. Try a few of the exercises if you can.
  3. Fill in the feedback form at the bottom of this page. You can send feedback several times, one book or chapter at a time.
  4. Copy your feedback and email it to the address shown with the form. The page doesn't send anything by itself.

A rough timetable: about two to three weeks per book, but any feedback at any time helps. If you only read one chapter, tell me about that chapter.

Beta reader agreement

Please read this short agreement. You'll confirm it in the feedback form, so I have your answers in writing with every message you send.

  1. These are drafts. Please don't share, copy, upload or publish the books or any part of them. You're welcome to tell people you're a beta reader.
  2. How I'll use your feedback. I may use your comments, corrections and suggestions to revise the books. You don't need to do anything else, and you won't be named unless you choose to be.
  3. Quotes only with your permission. I'll never print a quote from you (in the book, on Amazon, on a website or in an ad) unless you tick the permission box. Even then, I'll send you the exact wording and how you'll be named before anything is printed, and you can change it or say no.
  4. Thanks in the book. If you'd like, I'll list your name in the acknowledgments. You choose how you appear, or not at all.
  5. No payment, no obligation. Beta reading is unpaid. When each book is published, I'll offer you a free copy as a thank-you. You're never required to write a review. If you choose to review a book on Amazon, please say you received a free copy, as Amazon asks.
  6. How these books were made. I developed these books with Claude, an AI assistant made by Anthropic. I supplied the ideas, the original manuscripts and the decisions; Claude drafted and revised much of the text and drew the illustrations. Your human reactions are exactly what the books need.
  7. Your health comes first. The exercises include breathing, focus and imagery practices. Skip anything that doesn't feel right, stop if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable, and read the safety notes at the front of each book. These books aren't medical or psychological advice.
  8. Your details. I'll use your name and email only to talk with you about these books. I won't share them or add you to a mailing list without asking.
  9. You can stop at any time. Just tell me. You can also ask me to remove your permission to quote, as long as the book hasn't already been printed with it.

The four books

Start with Volume 0 if you can: every other book opens with its short routine. Then read in order, or go straight to the book that interests you most. The free audio tracks mentioned in the books aren't ready yet; please read and try the exercises without them.

Volume 0

The Priming Engine

Breath, quiet and focus: the short routine that opens every session in the series.

  • Biological priming and slow breathing
  • The vacucept: resting in the gap between thoughts
  • Cortical latching: a cue for a focused state
Book 1

The Visual & Multi-Sensory Mind

Building a clearer, steadier mind's eye.

  • Colour and the visual anchor
  • 3D solids and mental rotation
  • Curved surfaces, shading and full scenes
  • Sound and touch
Book 2

The Conceptual Mind

Joining pictures to words, numbers and logic.

  • Mapping words onto shapes and space
  • Visual arithmetic
  • Logic as shapes
  • Two channels working together
Book 3

Whole-Brain Synthesis & Creative Emergence

Imagination and judgment, working together.

  • Generating ideas, then judging them
  • Bridges between distant fields
  • Pivoting away from fixed assumptions

Prefer to read on a Kindle, phone app or e-reader? Ask by email and I'll send you an EPUB file.

Your feedback

Answer as much or as little as you like. Your answers are saved in this browser as you type, so you can come back later. Nothing leaves this page until you copy it and email it.

About you
Which part did you read?
Your reactions
How clear was it? 1 = very confusing, 5 = very clear
How useful was it to you? 1 = not at all, 5 = very
Your agreement and permissions