Memories Are Made of This: How Memory Works in Humans and Animals

by Rusiko Bourtchouladze

Memory enables us to make experience meaningful and to form coherent identities for ourselves and intelligible perceptions of others. Indeed, our ability to imagine, anticipate, and create the future is directly commensurate with our ability to retrieve and recollect past experiences.

But for all its vital importance in human cognition, for all that it seems so ordinary and obvious, memory remains in many ways as complex and mysterious today as it seemed to ancient philosophers. We need only to think about the "tip-of-the-tongue" experience to wonder how memories are formed, where they reside in our brains, and why some are retained, while others are forgotten. What is the difference between long- and short-term memory? Can memory be strengthened? Memories Are Made of This is an account of current memory science that offers answers to these and a host of other questions, comprehensively distilling much diverse and

rigorous science. It delves into the biology of memory functions and researches into the

mechanics and genetics of memory and the importance of emotions, particularly those resulting from trauma, in the memory process. Of special focus are investigations of cognition in other species. Are we the only animals who remember and forget? If not, are there commonalties in the memories of different species? The book also surveys our understanding of the effects of injury and disease on memory and concludes with an assessment of emerging pharmacological efforts to preserve and protect our memories and, in turn, ourselves.

Genres: Psychology

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2002

Reviews

[Lauren Rev · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was disappointing for several reasons. Most discouraging was the coldness of the author toward the sentient beings, mice, that she habitually experiments on though she does comment on this in one footnote in the back of the book claiming, that although unpleasant " there is no other way of doing this than to work on animals." Referring to mice she has genetically altered as stupid when she has arranged for them to be so seems especially heartless. Most useless was the extended discussion of how long-term memory may be denied existence in mice without mention of how this gene manipulation would be of use to humans. She seems so focused in finding answers to ambiguously defined questions that she does not seem to really care if her findings are applicable. Most of the books was written too technically to be useful. Author definitely has trouble stepping out of scientific mode to explain things to a well-educated individual that may not share her same interests but has an interest in an introduction to memory science. Case studies were most interesting & applicable. Could have used more & higher quality diagrams especially for complex brain processes.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chatty, cogent, fun book about the biochemical building blocks of memory. It warehouses current memory science and includes discussions of common memory experiences (tip-of-the-tongue forgetting, visual-spatial recognition, the relationship between maps and streets), the history of memory science, and technical details about how the brain stores memories. The author uses everyday situations and clever metaphors to illustrate science with everyday experience. If you already know how calcium ion levels in neurons affect NMDA channels and influence Long-Term Potentiation, then this book is not for you; but the discussions of these biochemical basics are quite lucid and provide non-experts with clear explanations about how the brain learns and remembers--and forgets!

[Aaron M · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible and concise introduction to the topic. It was, for me, largely review but I found I enjoyed all the same probably because of the engaging tone and because the material is inherently interesting. Recommended to those who with little to no background in the topic. I give only 3 stars mostly because I expect there is something a little more updated on the market these days.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Who is it that can tell me who I am?"

"Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question."

"To the memory nothing is lost."

"He had read Shakespeare and found him weak in chemistry."

"Flies are flies, and mice are people."