Pieces of Light: The New Science of Memory - Softcover

Fernyhough, Charles Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846684498 ISBN 13: 9781846684494

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd, 2013

Synopsis

Memory is an essential part of who we are. But what are memories, and how are they created? A new consensus is emerging among cognitive scientists: rather than possessing a particular memory from our past, like a snapshot, we construct it anew each time we are called upon to remember. Remembering is an act of narrative as much as it is the product of a neurological process. Pieces of Light illuminates this theory through a collection of human stories, each illustrating a facet of memory's complex synergy of cognitive and neurological functions.Drawing on case studies, personal experience and the latest research, Charles Fernyhough delves into the memories of the very young and very old, and explores how amnesia and trauma can affect how we view the past. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, Pieces of Light blends science and literature, the ordinary and the extraordinary, to illuminate the way we remember and forget.

About this title

Review:

'Tells stories to explore the deepest nature of memory, and does it beautifully ... In his hybrid of autobiography, journalism and pop psychology, Fernyhough lets the stories speak for themselves to highlight memory's personal, subjective and fragile qualities. Fernyhough takes us on a captivating journey into the mind. And he does so with great style' Telegraph

'Fernyhough deftly guides us through memory's many facets ... Often using himself as a test case, he adds context with research and snippets from a raft of great writers. A thoughtful study of how we make sense of ourselves' Nature

'While the fragility of memory is well-documented, Fernyhough doesn't leave its quirky strengths unexamined' Psychology Today
'In this lyrical exploration of our powers of recall, psychologist and novelist Charles Fernyhough argues that our memories are worth cherishing - even though some of what we think we remember is, in fact, fiction' New Scientist Books of the Year

'Charles Fernyhough has had the arresting idea of writing a book about memory that is also a memoir. As a psychologist clearly well up on the latest research, he shows how memory itself relies on language and storytelling. Investigating his own memories with a writerly eye, he brings to vibrant life scenes from a childhood refreshingly free of misery' --Sunday Times Books of the Year
'Outstanding ... Fernyhough's skills as a writer are evident both in the beautiful prose and in the way he uses literature to illustrate his argument ... He draws on both science and art to marvellous effect' Observer

'Exhilarating ... Most strikingly Fernyhough breaks free from the ''silo mentality'' separating science and art ... makes a compelling case that memory ''allows us to see time'', something of what happened then and of who we are today, albeit through what he delightfully calls its ''slippery charms''' TLS

'An immense pleasure ... Restrained and lyrical ... shines new light on the reader's own life' New Scientist

'His examination [is] welcoming and accessible to lay readers. His analysis is wide-ranging ... He also covers a wide swath of literary and historical ground ... A refreshingly social take on an intensely personal experience' Publishers Weekly

'A multidisciplinary approach to explaining memory ... Will be intriguing for readers interested in the borderlands where memoir, fiction and science overlap' Kirkus Reviews

'A sophisticated blend of findings from science, ideas from literature and examples from personal narratives ... refreshing, well judged and at times moving. This is an unusual book but a very rewarding one' Times Higher Education

'A fascinating snapshot of where our thinking stands on the subject' Independent

'Enlightening ... A crisp and knowledgeable guide to all the data that generally stays buried deep in specialist journals. Most lay people still think of memory in terms of a vast personal DVD library... In fact, as Fernyhough persuasively shows, memory is far more mutable than that' Guardian

'Absorbing... In offering us a meditation on memory, Fernyhough has something important to say about one of the forces that is central to our lives' The Lady

'Fernyhough is a gifted writer who can turn any experience into lively prose ... The stories ... will entertain anyone who reads them' Financial Times

'Fernyhough argues that we don't simply possess a memory; we reconstruct it anew every time we need to remember ... Through his own experiences and those of others, from the very young to the very old, he explores the mystery of remembering and the ambiguity of forgetting' Saga Magazine

'An enthralling investigation of that 'thing' we call memory ... manages to write about complex things in a clear and understandable way' Ian McMillan, The Verb

'Thoughtful ... a deft guide to discoveries that have led memory researchers to stress the centrality of storytelling' Booklist

'As absorbing as it is thought-provoking' --Sunday Business Post

Book Description:

Why do we remember certain things but forget others?

About this edition

• Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1846684498
• ISBN 13: 9781846684494
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352