Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, by Lisa Genova, 4.5 stars

[NancyJ]

This is a surprisingly breezy read about a science topic that causes anxiety for many people. I found it both informative and reassuring. Lisa Genova has a PhD in Neuroscience so she is a credible source, and she's a successful fiction author, so she knows how to write. She also made this quite entertaining as the audio narrator. I could be biased because I've been interested in this topic since I took a course called Memory and Learning in college. I was happy that I remembered the answer to one question she posed (it's 7 plus or minus 2). She uses some repetition to make key points, and discusses why it's helpful for learning and memory.

She talks about the different types of memory issues, including "tip of the tongue" forgetting which occurs to everyone at any age. She provides tips for different types of memory issues and contexts, but this is not a course on how to become a memory phenom. In fact she talks about the benefits of forgetting, especially inconsequential and traumatic events. It is common for memories of life events to change over the years; every time a story is told, it gets reinforced but some details are lost or altered. (It gives us something to argue about at Thanksgiving.) When discussing various topics, I found it reassuring to hear that it's not a cause to visit a neurologist.

Her discussions of attention, stress, devices, exercise, and sleep are all interesting. It may reassure you to know that using a so-called "crutch" such as google, doesn't hurt you one bit. Her arguments motivate me to spend more time on exercise, sleep and meditation. One new thing I learned is that habitual lack of sleep can cause a buildup of a substance that eventually leads to Alzheimer's Disease. She recommends naps, including something she called the napacchino. I used to call them Caff-naps when I was teaching.

I highly recommend the audio for this book. I listened to a chapter or two at a time, and unlike some books I'm reading this month, it didn't make me fall asleep. I'll want to listen to some of it again.

[Karin]

NancyJ wrote: "This is a surprisingly breezy read about a science topic that causes anxiety for many people. I found it both informative and reassuring. Lisa Genova has a PhD in Neuroscience so she is a credible ..."


That paragraph about sleep is the one I hate, since sometimes I get insomnia, etc, and there is nothing I can do for it I am not always doing! I have heard this before, though, but it doesn't always happen that way since my dad used to get night calls, etc and he doesn't have any of that stuff at the age of nearly 89. Plus he made housecalls when I was a kid, and when I was little was on one night in 3. So I just hope I take after him ;)

[NancyJ]

Karin wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "This is a surprisingly breezy read about a science topic that causes anxiety for many people. I found it both informative and reassuring. Lisa Genova has a PhD in Neuroscience so she..."

It's never just one thing. There might be a significant correlation between two variables, but it won't effect everyone. There are many factors that potentially contribute to Alzheimer's, and there is still so much that they just don't know. There are even some people that have a lot of the plaques, but show no symptoms at all.

My grandmother started showing signs of Alzheimer's in her 60's and by 80 she didn't know us. I'm pretty sure she was always a morning person. My mother (who has always been a night owl) is 87 and she doesn't have it. When she retired she started catching up on all the sleep she ever missed. My body seems to be forcing me to do the same thing right now.

[Ellen]

I read this one a few weeks ago and found it very interesting. Not to mention it definitely makes one feel a bit better about growing older and having those 'senior moments'.

[NancyJ]

Ellen wrote: "I read this one a few weeks ago and found it very interesting. Not to mention it definitely makes one feel a bit better about growing older and having those 'senior moments'."

It does!