Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Foer, Joshua

ISBN 10: 0141032138 ISBN 13: 9780141032139

Publisher: Penguin, 2012

Synopsis

Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein is an astonishing journey through the mind, and secrets of how our memory really works.

Can anyone get a perfect memory? Joshua Foer used to be like most of us, forgetting phone numbers and mislaying keys. Then he learnt the art of memory training, discovering the mnemonic ancient 'memory palace' technique first practiced by Simonides of Ceos over 2,500 years ago.

And only year later, Foer found himself in the finals of the US Memory Championships, alongside 'mental athletes' who could memorise the precise order of ten shuffled decks of cards in under an hour.

From the man who can recall nine thousand books to another who constantly forgets who he is, from the ancient world to the cutting edge of neuroscience, Joshua Foer discovers a truth we often forget: that memory is the key to everything we are.

'Passionate and deeply engrossing ... The more we challenge ourselves, the greater our capacity. It's a fact that every teacher, parent and student would do well to learn. The lesson is unforgettable'
  Washington Post

'Captivating ... Engaging ... Mr. Foer writes in these pages with fresh enthusiasm. His narrative is smart and funny'
  Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

'Delightful...empathetic, thought-provoking and...memorable'
  Elizabeth Pisani, Prospect

'An endearingly geeky world ... witty and revelatory'
  Oliver Burkeman, Guardian

'A charming book ... interwoven with informed exposition about the psychological science of memory'
  Professor Larry R Squire, Nature

'Great fun and hugely readable'
  Mark Turner, Independent

Joshua Foer studied evolutionary biology at Yale University and is now a freelance science journalist, writing for National Geographic and The New York Times among others. Researching an article on the US Memory Championships, Foer became intrigued by the potential of his own memory. After just one year of training, he won the following year's Championship.

About this title

Review:

I'd never thought much about whether I could improve my memory, but I now think I could after reading Joshua Foer's book ... It's absolutely phenomenal, one of the most interesting books I've read this summer (Bill Gates)

A marvelous overview of one of the most essential aspects of what makes us human - our memory ... Witty and engaging (Dan Ariely)

Memory...makes us who we are...passionate and deeply engrossing ...The more we challenge ourselves, the greater our capacity. It's a fact that every teacher, parent and student would do well to learn. The lesson is unforgettable. (Washington Post)

Captivating ... Engaging ... Mr. Foer writes in these pages with fresh enthusiasm. His narrative is smart and funny (Michiko Kakutani New York Times)

[D]elightful...empathetic, thought-provoking and...memorable. (Elizabeth Pisani Prospect)

Riotous (Alexandra Horowitz New York Times)

[An] endearingly geeky world...witty and revelatory...[The] journey certainly demonstrates how much memory matters...Apart from anything else, filling up our mental storehouses in the right way can make life feel longer. (Oliver Burkeman Guardian)

In this marvelous book, Joshua Foer invents a new genre of non-fiction. This is a work of science journalism wrapped around an adventure story, a bildungsroman fused to a vivid investigation of human memory. If you want to understand how we remember, and how we can all learn to remember better, then read this book (Jonah Lehrer)

One year, Joshua Foer is covering the US Memory Championships as a freelance journalist, the next he returns as a competitor - and wins it...How he pulled off this extraordinary feat forms the spine of this crisply entertaining book. (Matt Rudd Sunday Times)

Combines erudite analysis, historical context, a mind-bending adventure and extremely suggestive sex - some of it involving Foer's grandmother. (Tony Allen-Mills Sunday Times)

About the Author:

Joshua Foer studied evolutionary biology at Yale University and is now a freelance science journalist, writing for National Geographic and The New York Times among others. Researching an article on the US Memory Championships, Foer became intrigued by the potential of his own memory. After just one year of training, he won the following year's Championship.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0141032138
• ISBN 13: 9780141032139
• Binding: Unknown Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320