“The art and science of memory is about developing the capacity to quickly create images that link disparate ideas"
How many contacts in your phonebook do you remember? Can you recall what you had for breakfast last Sunday?
Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein helps readers dive deep into the art and science of remembering what comes across us. The book revolves around mental athletes who compete in memory championships and how they train and remember things. The art of remembering is attributed to the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos, who was present in a 5th-century banquet hall catastrophe. The brain is a mutable organ, capable—within limits—of reorganizing itself and readapting to new kinds of sensory input, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. Foer explores various topics, from individuals with rare brain disorder synesthesia to the remarkable London cabbies who must memorize 25,000 streets and 14,000 landmarks to become certified. The book touches on memory disorders and even those with the most forgetful memories.
When mental athletes learn new information, they engage several regions of the brain known to be involved in two specific tasks: visual memory and spatial navigation. You will discover quite a lot about the brain and how memory functions, brain disorders, first-hand information from mental athletes and memory champions who use memory palaces to store information, and how modern pedagogy has reduced the importance of memorization. The book nicely arranges science with a decent narration of experiences. You will also find how the author trained himself for a coveted achievement.
The book generates a mixed reading experience. However, the question is, how necessary is it to remember random facts and everything you read? This conflict of memorization might pop up in your mind. The forgetfulness curve always acts on you. There are alternate scientific studies of spaced repetition and active recalling to remember things necessary to keep with you. Thus, Foer's ideas must be dealt with with a pinch of salt. While the book is filled with engaging scientific facts, it can occasionally slow down with excessive championship stories and unnecessary details.
Go for it if you have some spare time and are looking for a simple read.
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