Friday, May 27, 2011

Moonwalking with Einstein: The art and science of remembering everything, by Joshua Foer

The concept of the “memory palace” dates back to the ancient Greeks and many of the techniques used by the “mental athletes” that Joshua Foer discusses in his book are based on the memory palace and other very old systems. After covering the U.S. Memory Championship in 2005 as a journalist, Foer challenged himself to learn more about this sport and to train himself to compete. In addition to discussing the training he underwent to become the U. S. champion by 2006, Foer introduces the reader to a bizarre and fascinating cast of characters involved in memory feats today; to individuals who have unique memories due to brain events and accidents; and to “savants” such as Kim Peek, inspiration for the film Rain Man. In the end he concludes, “But after having learned how to memorize poetry and numbers, cards and biographies, I’m convinced that remembering more is only the most obvious benefit of the many months I spent training my memory. What I had really trained my brain to do, as much as to memorize, was to be more mindful, and to pay attention to the world around me. Remembering can only happen if you decide to take notice….Our ability to find humor in the world, to make connections between previously unconnected notions, to create new ideas, to share in a common culture. All these essentially human acts depend on memory.” A fascinating book with the added result that one finds oneself using at least a little bit of the “memory palace” while at Schnucks to recall that third elusive item on one’s mental shopping list. 271 pp.

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