The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory

by Torkel Klingberg

As the pace of technological change accelerates, we are increasingly experiencing a state of information overload. Statistics show that we are interrupted every three minutes during the course of the work day. Multitasking between email, cell-phone, text messages, and four or five websites while listening to an iPod forces the brain to process more and more informaton at greater and greater speeds. And yet the human brain has hardly changed in the last 40,000 years. Are all these high-tech advances overtaxing our Stone-Age brains or is the constant flood of information good for us, giving our brains the daily exercise they seem to crave?

In The Overflowing Brain, cognitive scientist Torkel Klingberg takes us on a journey into the limits and possibilities of the brain. He suggests that we should acknowledge and embrace our desire for information and mental challenges, but try to find a balance between demand and capacity. Klingberg explores the cognitive demands, or "complexity," of everyday life and how the brain tries to meet them. He identifies different types of attention, such as stimulus-driven and controlled attention, but focuses chiefly on "working memory," our capacity to keep information in mind for short periods of time. Dr Klingberg asserts that working memory capacity - long thought to be static and hardwired in the brain - can be improved by training, and that the increasing demands on working memory may actually have a constructive effect: as demands on the human brain increase, so does its capacity.

The book ends with a discussion of the future of brain development and how we can best handle information overload in our everyday lives. Klingberg suggests how we might find a balance between demand and capacity and move from feeling overwhelmed to deeply engaged.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Neuroscience, Education, Self Help, Science, Brain

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

In his book The Overflowing Brain: Information Overload and the Limits of Working Memory, Dr. Klingberg discusses what working memory is and how it is highly correlated with attention control, IQ, general intelligence, and problem solving ability. He goes on to explain how this topic relates to ADHD and the treatment of this disorder.

I have a B.S. in Psychology that is several years old, so I had high hopes of updating my knowledge about attention and working memory. But, I was disappointed to find the book did not really add much to my understanding of these topics. In addition, the quality of the book itself was underwhelming. There are numerous spelling mistakes and other typographical errors throughout the book. However, if you don't have the benefit of a Psychology degree and you can look past the typos, you might find this book to be an interesting book about how the brain works.

2.0/5

[Annelie · Rating 1 out of 5]

lesson learned: don't read books about neuroscience that are 14 years old.

The majority of this book is out of date (of course, with the advances in fMRI, neuroscience, and science in general), but some pieces (why we enjoy being stimulated, the concept of flow, why we get bored if a problem is "too easy") are still relevant. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to interest Torkel Klingberg much at the time because he just briefly mentions them.
He doesn't even mention the reward-system and how that affects our attention. There's barely a word about interest and if that affects our ability to focus.

It's clear that he strongly dislikes exercise (gladly mentioning non-significant negative findings related to sports, never even entertaining the idea that physical activity and exercise could benefit the brain) - something that in 2021 feels strange and almost laughable.

Also: his writing style is boring. I read this book in Swedish and it's clear to me that Torkel Klingberg is used to discussing these themes in English (as most scientists are) and many phrases are just.. it makes me want to shout "there's an actual Swedish word for that and it would fit much better with the style and tone you're so desperately trying to achieve!"

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why does our memory lapse on us? What happens when we take Zoloft or Ritalin? Do computer games help or hurt kids’ brains? What effect does stress have on our ability to perform daily tasks? Torkel Klingberg reveals these answers and more in this book.

The criteria I used to review this book were simple: relatability and readability. After all, this is a book about the brain written by a doctor of neuroscience. So, would some average person understand this subject matter? For the most part, yes!

In a calming tone, Klingberg explains the science behind our most everyday memory lapses and brain farts, with a nice blend of relatable analogies written in layman’s terms for those of us who are not medically trained. He boils everything down to working memory (that part of our mind that tells us what we have to do today), and explains that there are limits to the amount of information our working memory can send to long term memory given all of our daily distractions. Information comes at us from all different directions whether it is at school, on TV or radio, via e-mail and texts, or billboards! What we actually remember depends upon the amount of distraction which can come to us in the form of kids, work interruptions, loud music, or billboards!

At times, this book reads much like a how-to on improving our environment so our brains may do their job. Klingberg has thoughtfully written and researched for us, the unimaginable benefits and consequences, of this information age that we live in today. He draws his conclusions not only from his extensive education and working practice, but from the work of his colleagues and noted field studies. At least once per chapter, you hit a really technically written chunk of data that only a neuroscientist would understand. But Klingberg’s supporting examples, analogies and explanations are easily understood for the average person. In the introduction he wrote, “After you have read this book, you will never again be the person you were before.”(p. 11) I agree; now I understand terms like working memory, brain plasticity, and dual-task performance and the basic functions of brain activity.

Klingberg’s overall message here is clear; all that has been lost can be found again. Readers are sure to enjoy the human brain as Klingberg lays it out. You’ll especially enjoy Chapter 8: Brain Plasticity; Chapter 10: A Cognitive Gym; Chapter 12: Computer Games; and Chapter 15: The Information Flood and Flow. Happy reading!

[Kerfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappointment. I did learn some things about working memory and how its deficits are linked to a wide range of behavior, from ADHD to dementia. But a lot of the book was commentary and speculation on information about memory that has been covered in the popular press. I guess I was hoping for more than "It is up to us to control our environments and reshape the work we do to our abilities." We know that. But how, when our work and the world keep making increasing demands on our attention and working memory?

The few suggestions--chess helps, crosswords don't, maybe we should all take Ritalin or play Grand Theft Auto for an hour each day--aren't really very helpful. I'm also not sure I agree with the author's belief that the only way to challenge ourselves and expand our intelligence is to become increasingly hooked into computers.

The illustrations of brains, from Einstein to phrenology, were a bright spot.

[Julia EP Simon]

Läste egentligen Framtidens digitala lärande, men den fanns inte i databasen.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a digest of information about the capacity and limits of the human brain. Our brains were designed for an environment where demands of information retrieval and manipulation were much more limited than today. We are using these "stone age brains" to deal with an incredible flood of information.

In 1994, I was struck by the scene in the film version of "Little Women" where Laurie receives the day's communication: his butler delivers a letter on a plate. This was just as I was starting to receive action items by not just mail and phone, but also fax, voice-mail and a few cyber communications from email pioneers.

Torkel Klingberg examines how the brain... the same brain as Laurie with the single letter delivered on a tray... is managing all of this. One advantage: the average brain of today has a higher IQ. It has been rising, at least since 1900, in countries such as Israel, Belgium, Norway, Holland and the US at the rate of 3% a decade. It is interesting that while problem solving ability has risen, there is no evidence that vocabulary and other knowledge acquisition components have.

This is a short pithy book. For its size a lot is devoted to the differences in working and long term memory. It is clear and precise regarding the research and its strengths and limitations on what can potentially enhance working memory which is the portal to long term memory.

Klingberg discusses the issues surrounding memory enhancing and repressing drugs which are currently in development. He does not speculate about the people of third world nations where IQ may or may not be rising to meet this challenge. He does not discuss evolutionary adaptations that may or may not be happening or anticipated. He produces a solid book on limited but solid ground.

[Bob Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cognitive scientist Torkel Klingberg gives us an accessible review of our working memory - the system we use for temporarily holding information that we need to process. It has a very limited capacity and Dr. Klingberg reviews research (some of it his own) that gives us clues as to how it works and whether the limited capacity might be expanded. Recommend.

[Sokcheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was promised a way to deal with the overflowing brain but all i got was why i could deal with it. disappointed.

[Karen Calhoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

My take-away from this book: We know of course that the greatest strength gains at the gym come from working out at the edge, the weights you can just barely lift. We also know that over the past century, the world we live in has become increasingly complex and that the amount of information coming at us each day has exponentially increased. Klingberg cites evidence showing that there has been a general drift upward in general intelligence as measured by IQ tests during this time. He posits that working on the edge of our capacity in mental tasks, just like our biceps at the gym, increases our mind's ability, especially with respect to working memory.

I liked this book very much: well-written, well-researched, non-condescending.

[Sushant · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author did not conclude on any of the problems he so nicely introduced almost till the last few pages in the book, and then he finally concludes by sort-of saying, everything can remain as it is and that our brains will sooner or later cope-up with all this chaos; thus to say, thus to say, this is a good book for people who want to understand the details of the field, but not a good book for people seeking help for their information overload problems

[Natalie Andersson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intressant bok om de ökade krav vårt samhälle ställer på oss, samtidigt som vår hjärna ser likadan ut som för tusentals år sedan, och egentligen var anpassad för något annat. Även intressant diskussion rörande det faktum att vi blir smartare för varje generation (Flynneffekten som innebär att IQ stiger för varje år), och att hjärnan lär sig och anpassar sig under vårt liv till de ökade krav som ställs på oss. Hjärnan är plastisk och fantastisk!

[Lindzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intressant men riktigt torr och tråkig precis som författaren själv när han hyschade på en grupp lärare han föreläste för när någon uppmärksammade honom på att hans röst inte gick ut i lokalen och ingen hörde vad han sa.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good insights on the inner workings of the human brain.

[Miranda Kernaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay🤷‍♀️read for my psych class

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The classic menopause moment, of course, is when you hurry with great purpose into another room only to find that you're clueless once there. If you're a mother, it's a mommy moment. Fair-haired? A blond moment. On beyond menopause? A senior moment. All these short-term lapses represent a sudden and unexpected blackout in working memory. Let me explain.

You needn't be a neuroscientist to recognize that there is a difference between working and long-term memory. Here's what Swedish researcher Dr. Torkel Klingberg has to say on the subject:

"[Working memory:] refers to our ability to remember information for a limited period of time, usually a matter of seconds...[I:]t might seem a simple function, but it is fundamental and vital to numerous mental tasks, from attention control to solving logical problems...One of the defining characteristics of working memory is its capacity limitation."

In contrast, again per Dr. Klingberg:

"The amount of information that can be stored in long-term memory is virtually boundless. Long-term memory means that we can memorize something, direct our attention at something else for a few minutes or years, and then retrieve the first item again at will. This is not how working memory operates, for when information is being stored here, it is under the constant glare of attention."

In Klingberg's book "The Overflowing Brain" due for release in 2009, he explores the good, the bad, and the exasperating of our brains on information overload. This book is well-written (or well-translated from Swedish) and not for the faint of brain. He offers both animal and human evidence as well as imaging evidence from functional MRIs and PET scans that explain why it is that the overwhelmed, the inattentive, and the aged have trouble doing two things at once much less multi-tasking.

In brief, whereas memories are encoded into long-term and permanent storage through biochemical and cellular changes, short-term memory is a work in progress that depends on the continual activation of neurons in the front and sides of our brain. Interrupt the current current in these cells and poof! there goes your thought. In other words, if an unexpected stimulus such as the ping of a text message or your teenager calling on the back office line turns your attentional spotlight off your search for a report, you will find yourself in front of the open file drawer with no notion why.

Is information overload a bad thing? Interestingly, Dr. Klingberg presents evidence that we can expand our working memory capacity through the daily exercise of focused multi-tasking. He does note, however, that working memory 'bandwidth' narrows with age, and the mismatch of lowered working memory capacity with higher information load results in stress.

Well yeah. And menopause moments.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

*When flow becomes overflow*

Regularly (and simultaneously) bombarded by the beeps, alerts, calls, texts, e-mails, and other forms of non-stop e-communication, the limits of our working memory are constantly tested. But, just how much is too much? And is it possible that this all of this information stimulation can actually expand the potential of our brain capacity and functioning, and allow us to achieve a state of "flow"? These questions lie at the core of Klingberg's book. It turns out that there is an optimal amount of stimulation that is conducive to exploiting our full brain capacity and achieving flow, but beyond this limit, the information demand exceeds the capacity of our working memories, and our cognitive abilities become exhausted. Although this book is more academic than it is practical, it offers an interesting synopsis of how our "stone age brains" can ultimately adapt to the demands of information overload.

[Tara]

I've been thinking about this concept of brain overload as a result of exponential advancements in technology for awhile now and wanting to explore the subject more in-depth. As a reporter, I definitely feel overwhelmed at times and burdened by the seeming obligation to keep up and be knowlegeable in nearly every facet of life. But having such expectations are unrealistic for anyone, really, and one can easily feel ineffective when their energies are spread too thin. Sometimes it's just too much.

[Stephany Wilkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing, research based approach to describing the oft reported concerns over what "the Internet and attention to all those mobile devices is doing to our brains." Because it is research based (but very well written and not heavy in academic style), nothing is black or white: multitasking, for example, is not all bad. If you're interested in what our modern, information soaked culture may be doing to our brains, this is an excellent place to start.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was a quite interesting book, suited for readers looking for a short, introductory piece of the brain in general and working memory/intelligence in particular. For me, with no prior knowledge on the topic, it worked just fine and gave som insights on the topic of neuroscience. Some interesting exemples, which the author explains in an understandable way. All in all - an okay+ read for me as a beginner. 3/5

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice gentle probe of our faddish fear that tech is pumping too much info through us, and thereby vitiates our branes and produces ADHD. Working memory, if you haven’t heard, is trumpeted as the constitutive component of intelligence. Klingberg’s optimistic about it all, pointing to the Flynn effect as an epidemiological sign that we are (cognitively) ok with being overloaded. His own research is much more promising about training working memory and gF than others I’d read...

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I entered this book already knowing the capacity and limitations of working memory and was disappointed regarding the presentation of few new findings. And the sections on training to improve attention and short term memory didn't fulfill my need to uncover specific programs that can help adolescents and adults with working memory deficits. So, I'm still searching...

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed with this book. I had hoped for much more information from this undoubted expert on how the brain and memory works, but beyond telling us that you can only hold about 7 ideas in your working (or current) memory at one time, and that can be increased with practice, the author had little to say. This was not the deep explication of the brain I had hoped for.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hopeful and insightful synopsis of much current research about working memory, written at a level comprehensible by the lay reader. Because the author works primarily with children, it is largely centered around ADD, ADHD, and IQ development.

[Hayden Eager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great use of current studies to more richly illustrate theories; especially like the comparisons with ADHD children, effects of video games, as well as workforce studies. Good flow and dividing of chapters. Nice ending chapters on cognitive improvement techniques.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read about half of this one. Whenever I read it, I found it fascinating, but I could only read it for about half an hour at a time and my brain would start to overflow. Ha.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good discussion at book club about the brain.

[Dan Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it. It's remorseless in presenting evidence of the limits of working memory and that we must adapt to it.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can't multi-task....watch me! I may fail but I'll still try. Gleaned some good tips though.

[Yeefang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on limits of working memory, but from title I expected more information about dealing with large amount of information.