Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting

Readers know Lisa Genova from her award-winning novels (Still Alice, Every Note Played, Left Neglected ...), but did you know that she has a degree in Biopsychology and holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard? In her latest book, Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, Genova turns her focus from fiction to memory and all its complex, awesome powers and its limitations.

She is clearly knowledgeable about the topic and her down-to-earth style includes personal anecdotes which helps put not-so-sciencey readers at ease as she explains the science of memory - how our brains store information, recall it and sometimes forget it - and relates it to our daily lives. I loved learning about how memory works, why it doesn't always work and why our memory declines as we age. She highlights the differences between normal memory issues ("What's that actor's name from Titanic?" and my personal favourite "Why did I come into this room?") as well as serious issues of dementia and Alzheimer's - an issue near and dear to the author's heart.  

I got a lot out of this book and highlighted to my heart's content on my Kindle. This was a book that I couldn't shut up about and my husband got the abbreviated version after every section - 'Did YOU know that ...' and 'Now I know why I have trouble remembering ...'. I related to many issues discussed often muttering to myself as I read "Oh thank goodness that's common, I do that all the time!" Genova gives her readers tips and tricks and suggests lifestyle changes to help improve their memory, understand it and help to prevent its deterioration as best we can. This book will alleviate a lot of fears about memory decline and Alzheimer's and gives readers actionable ways of how to strengthen their memories. 

Told with a conversational tone and a touch of humour, Genova breaks down the science of memory and forgetting for the average reader. This is a great read for everyone, particularly those of us who have concerns about memory loss or dementia. I highly recommend reading the Appendix at the end which goes over the key points of the book and makes for a great quick reference.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Lisa Genova

Genre: Nonfiction, Health

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Harmony Rodale Books

First Published: March 23, 2021

Opening Line: Picture a penny in your mind's eye.

Book Description from GoodReads: A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice.

Have you ever felt a crushing wave of panic when you can't for the life of you remember the name of that actor in the movie you saw last week, or you walk into a room only to forget why you went there in the first place? If you're over forty, you're probably not laughing. You might even be worried that these lapses in memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia. In reality, for the vast majority of us, these examples of forgetting are completely normal. Why? Because while memory is amazing, it is far from perfect. Our brains aren't designed to remember every name we hear, plan we make, or day we experience. Just because your memory sometimes fails doesn't mean it's broken or succumbing to disease. Forgetting is actually part of being human.

In Remember, neuroscientist and acclaimed novelist Lisa Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. You'll learn whether forgotten memories are temporarily inaccessible or erased forever and why some memories are built to exist for only a few seconds (like a passcode) while others can last a lifetime (your wedding day). You'll come to appreciate the clear distinction between normal forgetting (where you parked your car) and forgetting due to Alzheimer's (that you own a car). And you'll see how memory is profoundly impacted by meaning, emotion, sleep, stress, and context. Once you understand the language of memory and how it functions, its incredible strengths and maddening weaknesses, its natural vulnerabilities and potential superpowers, you can both vastly improve your ability to remember and feel less rattled when you inevitably forget. You can set educated expectations for your memory, and in doing so, create a better relationship with it. You don't have to fear it anymore. And that can be life-changing.