Memory Books

Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brain's Maximum Potential

Daniel G. Md Amen

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Editorial Review:

It all starts with your brain: how you think, how you feel, how you interact with others, and how well you succeed in realizing your goals and dreams. When your brain works right, so do you. When it’s out of balance, you feel frustrated, or worse. Yet amid all the advice that bombards us daily about how to keep the rest of our body strong and healthy, we hear very little about how to keep the most complex and magnificent organ of all—the human brain—in top working order.

Based on the most up-to-date research, as well as on Dr. Daniel Amen’s more than twenty years of treating patients at the Amen Clinics, where he and his associates pioneered the use of brain imaging in clinical practice, Magnificent Mind at Any Age does exactly that. Dr. Amen shows how many of the traditional approaches to overcoming the mind-centered challenges that hold us back—try harder, work longer, find the sheer willpower—either do not work or may make our problems worse. The true key to satisfaction and success at any age is a healthy brain. By optimizing our brain function we can all develop these qualities of a magnificent mind enjoyed by the world’s most successful and happiest people:

• Increased memory and concentration
• The ability to maintain warm and satisfying relationships
• Undiminished sexual desire and performance
• Goal-oriented perseverance
• Better impulse control and mastery over potential addictions
• Free-flowing creativity and the ability to relax and enjoy life’s pleasures

To achieve this, as Dr. Amen explains here in clearly accessible language, we have a range of options available, including proper diet, natural supplements and vitamins, exercise, positive thinking habits, and, if needed, medication. In addition to revealing how we can all take advantage of such strategies to enjoy the benefits of a balanced and healthy brain at every stage of our lives, Dr. Amen also pinpoints specific ways to tailor behavior, nutrition, and lifestyle to deal effectively with common mental challenges such as memory problems, anxiety and depression, attention deficit disorder, and insomnia.

Whether you’re in the midst of a demanding career or are looking forward to an active and richly rewarding retirement, Magnificent Mind at Any Age can give you the edge you need to live every day to your fullest potential.

Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News from the Front Lines of Memory Research

Sue Halpern

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> By Topic -> Memory
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Neuropsychology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An essential behind-the-scenes foray into the world of cutting-edge memory research that unveils findings about memory loss only now available to general readers.


When Sue Halpern decided to emulate the first modern scientist of memory, Hermann Ebbinghaus, who experimented on himself, she had no idea that after a day of radioactive testing, her brain would become so “hot” that leaving through the front door of the lab would trigger the alarm. This was not the first time while researching Can’t Remember What I Forgot, part of which appeared in The New Yorker, that Halpern had her head examined, nor would it be the last.

Halpern spent years in the company of the neuroscientists, pharmacologists, psychologists, nutritionists, and inventors who are hunting for the genes and molecules, the drugs and foods, the machines, the prosthetics, the behaviors and therapies that will stave off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and keep our minds–and memories–intact. Like many of us who have had a relative or friend succumb to memory loss, who are getting older, who are hearing statistics about our own chances of falling victim to dementia, who worry that each lapse of memory portends disease, Halpern wanted to find out what the experts really knew, what the bench scientists were working on, how close science is to a cure, to treatment, to accurate early diagnosis, and, of course, whether the crossword puzzles, sudokus, and ballroom dancing we’ve been told to take up can really keep us lucid or if they’re just something to do before the inevitable overtakes us.

Beautifully written, sharply observed, and deeply informed, Can’t Remember What I Forgot is a book full of vital information–and a solid dose of hope.

Ageless Memory: Secrets for Keeping Your Brain Young - Foolproof Methods for People Over 50

Harry Lorayne

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The world's foremost memory expert—and mega-bestselling author—proves that memory CAN get better with age, using his foolproof system for sharpening the mind, improving concentration, and attaining a truly "superpower" memory.

Completely practical and easy to use, Harry Lorayne's unique memory system can be put into practice immediately—for a better memory the very same day you open the book and start to read. With this one book, specially geared for those of us past 50, we learn to:

• Recall names and faces, even years later

• Never miss an appointment or misplace keys, glasses, valuables, etc

• Give speeches without notes and learn foreign words and phrases easily

• Memorize long lists of items, huge numbers, quotations, Bible verses, and all kinds of facts and figures

• And (most important when we age) regain the confidence that comes with having a sharp, active mind.

Harry Lorayne has been honing and teaching his memory systems for 40 years. Ageless Memory is the culmination of his life's work, specially tailored to our needs as we age and encompassing all of the many ways we can use a better memory every day.

The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science--A Memoir

Jill Price

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Jill Price has the first diagnosed case of a memory condition called "hyperthymestic syndrome" -- the continuous, automatic, autobiographical recall of every day of her life since she was fourteen. Give her any date from that year on, and she can almost instantly tell you what day of the week it was, what she did on that day, and any major world event or cultural happening that took place, as long as she heard about it that day. Her memories are like scenes from home movies, constantly playing in her head, backward and forward, through the years; not only does she make no effort to call her memories to mind, she cannot stop them.

The Woman Who Can't Forget is the beautifully written and moving story of Jill's quest to come to terms with her extraordinary memory, living with a condition that no one understood, including her, until the scientific team who studied her finally charted the extraordinary terrain of her abilities. Her fascinating journey speaks volumes about the delicate dance of remembering and forgetting in all of our lives and the many mysteries about how our memories shape us.

As we learn of Jill's struggles first to realize how unusual her memory is and then to contend, as she grows up, with the unique challenges of not being able to forget -- remembering both the good times and the bad, the joyous and the devastating, in such vivid and insistent detail -- the way her memory works is contrasted to a wealth of discoveries about the workings of normal human memory and normal human forgetting. Intriguing light is shed on the vital role of what's called "motivated forgetting"; as well as theories about childhood amnesia, the loss of memory for the first two to three years of our lives; the emotional content of memories; and the way in which autobiographical memories are normally crafted into an ever-evolving and empowering life story.

Would we want to remember so much more of our lives if we could? Which memories do our minds privilege over others? Do we truly relive the times we remember most vividly, feeling the emotions that coursed through us then? Why do we forget so much, and in what ways do the workings of memory tailor the reality of what's actually happened to us in our lives?

In The Woman Who Can't Forget, Jill Price welcomes us into her remarkable life and takes us on a mind-opening voyage into what life would be like if we didn't forget -- a voyage after which no reader will think of the magical role of memory in our lives in the same way again.

Memory Bible, The: An Innovative Strategy For Keeping Your Brain Young

Gary Small

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a bit arduous, but definitely worth looking into 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

We bought this book for my 79-year-old mother, who's in good health, very active, has no particular health concerns - but who occasionally talks about having "senior moments". I skimmed through most of it (and did some of the exercises), and she's taking it very seriously. We both find the book a bit boring, actually, but are keen to assimilate the principles involved. The first goals she set were to memorize things like her social security and license plate numbers (which, of course, all the rest of us already know by heart, no?). I find the strategy the author suggests for remembering numbers perfectly idiotic because it's much too complicated, but my mother thinks the word:number correspondence idea quite appealing. Maybe because she only has 7 digits to memorize, whereas all my phone numbers have at least 10 digits, not including the country code...

Editorial Review:

Clear, concise, prescriptive steps for improving your memory and keeping your brain young -- from one of the world's top memory experts.

Ever forget the name of an acquaintance or where you put the keys to your car? If you're like most people, you probably have, but now -- thanks to the paperback publication of The Memory Bible -- much of this forgetfulness can be eliminated easily. According to Dr. Gary Small, the director of the UCLA Center on Aging, "Great memories are not born, they are made," and The Memory Bible provides the innovative memory exercises and brain fitness programs necessary to immediately improve your mental performance. Dr. Small's comprehensive program includes a "brain diet" of memory-enhancing foods and a list of the most effective drugs, as well as a workbook with a weekly and daily calendar.

The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, Enhance Attention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental Energy

Larry McCleary

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A leading neurosurgeon delivers a groundbreaking program for increasing brain function at any age.

The brain, like the muscles, heart, and other organs, is made of flesh and blood and requires proper care to maintain its optimum state of wellbeing. In this remarkable prescription for brain health, Dr. Larry McCleary reveals not only how to forestall the effects of aging but also how to improve brain function.

Taking a unique metabolic approach in his scientifically-based program of prevention and regeneration, Dr. McCleary shows readers how to:

- Assess their risk for memory loss and other cognitive impairment
- Incorporate a comprehensive regimen of a brain-building diet, brain-specific supplements, mental (and physical) exercise, and stress reduction techniques to enhance memory, acuity, and clarity - Personalize the three-part Brain Trust program for a more dynamic brain from childhood to age 100
- Avoid surprising and common lifestyle pitfalls that may unknowingly damage brain cells
- Relieve or greatly reduce migraines, hot flashes, and hearing loss

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge: The Book of Mnemonic Devices

Rod L. Evans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fascinating and practical 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have spent hours meandering through this maze of mnemonic devices, and yet I find a new and clever one each time I look. There is something for everyone to enable us to remember things we never thought we would.

The section on Spanish verbs will surely come in handy. I particularly like the mathematical and technical sections. After Dr. Evans's book, how can one remain content recalling the speed of light so imprecisely as 300 megameters per second?!

I consume with relish every one of this prolific author's books that I can get my hands on, and I encourage others to do the same. This book contains gems for persons of every age group, occupation, and avocation.

Editorial Review:

When is a "tulip"* not a flower? When it's one of hundreds of mnemonic devices in this comprehensive sourcebook.

From remembering the notes on a scale (Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge) to correctly performing geometric equations (Soh-Cah-Toa) to using "HOMES" for conjuring up the Great Lakes (Huron Ontario Michigan Erie Superior), mnemonic devices have helped countless students, teachers, and trivia buffs recall key information in a snap-using anagrams, clever rhymes, and word games.

In this comprehensive guide, readers will find a wide spectrum of ingeniously simple mnemonic devices for recalling facts about:

- Science - Math
- Geography - Religion
- Literature - Music
- Social Studies - Law
- Aviation - Zodiac
- Spelling - Mythology
- World History - Sports
- And more

*Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement; Irrestible Grace, and Perserverance of the Saints (The Five Tenets of Calvinism)

Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss

Martha Lear

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

So your memory's not what it used to be? You forget people's names, or what you were just about to say, or why you went into the kitchen. Often you forget where you left your keys (your wallet, your glasses, your list of Things to Do Tomorrow). And you worry. You wonder: Could this mean I am losing it? Join the crowd, friend. there are seventy-eight million baby boomers in the country, and memory loss is the number one concern of the boomer generation. The "Worried Well," specialists call them. They worry because they do not know that most memory lapses that begin in middle age are universal and normal. Award-winning journalist Martha Lear, who gave voice to widespread frustration with medical care in her New York Times bestselling memoir Heartsounds, now explores this kind of forgetfulness--why it happens, and when, and what can be done about it. She interviews distinguished neuroscientists, psychologists, and evolutionary biologists, as well as friends and strangers about their own memory lapses. Interweaving dramatic new findings from brain-scan studies with often-hilarious anecdotes, Lear covers topics as fresh and provocative as the upside of memory loss, the differences between His and Her memories, why we are actually wired to forget, and what the future holds for memory enhancement (you can't imagine what's in store). You'll learn things you never knew before about why your memory behaves in such maddening ways. You'll find comfort and reassurance. And you'll probably find yourself on every page.

The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory

Torkel Klingberg

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Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

As the pace of technological change accelerates, we are increasingly experiencing a state of information overload. Statistics show that we are interrupted every three minutes during the course of the work day. Multitasking between email, cell-phone, text messages, and four or five websites while listening to an iPod forces the brain to process more and more informaton at greater and greater speeds. And yet the human brain has hardly changed in the last 40,000 years.
Are all these high-tech advances overtaxing our Stone Age brains or is the constant flood of information good for us, giving our brains the daily exercise they seem to crave? In The Overflowing Brain, cognitive scientist Torkel Klingberg takes us on a journey into the limits and possibilities of the brain. He suggests that we should acknowledge and embrace our desire for information and mental challenges, but try to find a balance between demand and capacity. Klingberg explores the cognitive demands, or "complexity," of everyday life and how the brain tries to meet them. He identifies different types of attention, such as stimulus-driven and controlled attention, but focuses chiefly on "working memory," our capacity to keep information in mind for short periods of time. Dr Klingberg asserts that working memory capacity, long thought to be static and hardwired in the brain, can be improved by training, and that the increasing demands on working memory may actually have a constructive effect: as demands on the human brain increase, so does its capacity.
The book ends with a discussion of the future of brain development and how we can best handle information overload in our everyday lives. Klingberg suggests how we might find a balance between demand and capacity and move from feeling overwhelmed to deeply engaged.

The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World

Miroslav Volf

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Philosophy -> Ethics & Morality
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Behavioral Sciences -> Cognitive Psychology

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Can one forget atrocities? Should one forgive abusers? Ought we not hope for the final reconciliation of all the wronged and all wrongdoers alike, even if it means spending eternity with perpetrators of evil? We live in an age when it is generally accepted that past wrongs -- genocides, terrorist attacks, bald personal injustices -- should be constantly remembered. But Miroslav Volf here proposes the radical idea that letting go of such memories -- after a certain point and under certain conditions -- may actually be the appropriate course of action.

While agreeing with the claim that to remember a wrongdoing is to struggle against it, Volf notes that there are too many ways to remember wrongly, perpetuating the evil committed rather than guarding against it. In this way, "the just sword of memory often severs the very good it seeks to defend." He argues that remembering rightly has implications not only for the individual but also for the wrongdoer and for the larger community.

Volf's personal stories of persecution offer a compelling backdrop for his search for theological resources to make memories a wellspring of healing rather than a source of deepening pain and animosity. Controversial, thoughtful, and incisively reasoned, The End of Memory begins a conversation hard to ignore.