Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Joshua Foer
'Be prepared to be amazed' Guardian
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, and a year later found himself in the finals of the US Memory Championship. He also discovered a truth we often forget: that, even in an age of technology, memory is the key to everything we are.
In Moonwalking with Einstein he takes us on an astonishing journey through the mind, from ancient 'memory palace' techniques to neuroscience, from the man who can recall nine thousand books to another who constantly forgets who he is. In doing so, Foer shows how we can all improve our memories.
'Captivating ... engaging ... smart and funny' The New York Times
'Delightful ... uplifting ... it shows that our minds can do extraordinary things' Wall Street Journal
'Great fun ... a book worth remembering' Independent
'A lovely exploration of the ways that we preserve our lives and our world in the golden amber of human memory' New Scientist
Product Details
About Joshua Foer
Reviews for Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
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