Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory by Andrew E. Budson, MD and Maureen K. O’Connor, PSYD

I don’t read much non-fiction any more, but memory loss is a subject that is of concern to me. I’m a baby-boomer and I can tell my memory isn’t what it used to be. The good thing about this book is that it told me what was normal and what wasn’t. So far, I’m in the normal category but yes, my memory is fading. And it will continue, but I learned that it may not result in Alzheimer’s disease. About half of us will develop Alzheimer’s so there’s a 50-50 chance that I won’t. Fortunately, none of my parents or grandparents had it so my chances maybe better than most that I won’t get it. But it’s not a guarantee.

What can I do about it? This book provides a lot of advice from eating a Mediterranean diet to exercising. Physical activity is key to keeping your brain healthy and active. I walk and swim, almost daily, but I should also include an hour of yoga for balance one a week. I’ll work on that. My main problem is a lack of social activity. Some of that is by choice because as an author, I tend to sit at my computer a lot. My world is inside my brain and outside interference isn’t always appreciated.

The best judge of memory is of course a doctor, but not all of us want to admit that we need to ask. There’s an eight-question test inside that may be useful if you want a general self-help guide. Then ask for help.
This book was easy to read and understand. It was published in 2017.