A welcome re-issue of an English translation of Alexander Luria's famous case-history of hypermnestic man. The study remains the classic paradigm of what Luria called 'romantic science,' a genre characterized by individual portraiture based on an assessment of operative psychological processes. The opening section analyses in some detail the subject's extraordinary capacity for recall and demonstrates the association between the persistence of iconic memory and a highly developed synaesthesia. The remainder of the book deals with the subject's construction of the world, his mental strengths and weaknesses, his control of behaviour and his personality. The result is a contribution to literature as well as to science. (Psychological Medicine ).
Luria presents a compelling portrait of a man’s heroic struggle to regain his mental faculties. A soldier named Zasetsky, wounded in the head at the battle of Smolensk in 1943, found himself unable to recall his recent past or speak, read, or write without difficulty. Woven throughout his first-person account are interpolations by Luria himself.
The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory “Highly entertaining.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker “Funny, curious, erudite, and full of useful details about ancient techniques of training memory.” —The Boston Globe An instant bestseller that has now become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.
At last! The book that all maths and physics students have been waiting for - "How To Remember Equations And Formulae" “If you need to remember formulae of any length, for study or work, and you’d like your hand held while you master this skill effortlessly in a fun way, you should buy this book today.” Amanda Ollier, author of the Self Help Bible and The Mindset Shift Never forget an equation or formula ever again Save time in exams, get the results you really deserve Impress your tutors and potential employers Stand out against others in the job market Enhance your earning potential Perfect for anyone studying or teaching maths, physics, accountancy, economics, engineering or the sciences, from A levels right through to postgraduate. What the experts say... “This is an outstanding and comprehensive book that delivers on every promise! All memory strategies including mind mapping and the journey system are here for you to depend on and you’ll quickly realize this is your most treasured memory resource.” Pat Wyman, founder HowToLearn.com and author, Amazing Grades “I am delighted to recommend this book to students. Phil’s and James’ work is based on a sound application of the fundamental principles of memory training, namely the use of imagination, association, and location.” Dominic O’Brien, Eight times World Memory Champion, Author and Media Personality “Explains the techniques in a beautifully simple and eloquent manner.” David Thomas GMM. International speaker, Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author, media personality “What James Smith and Phil Chambers offer their readers here is a thoroughly researched and simple system, which combines mnemonics and mind mapping in a unique and interesting way. As well as covering just about every mathematical equation you can think of, James and Phil offer solutions for the English, Greek and Roman alphabets and all with a splash of humour and encouraging examples to get you started. I wish this has existed when I was at school, I will certainly be introducing this to my students and I am confident their results will improve as a direct result.” Amanda Ollier, author of The Self Help Bible and The Mindset Shift
Drawing on a dazzlingly wide array of disciplines--physiology, neurology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, and philosophy--Ian Glynn explains virtually every aspect of the workings of the brain, unlocking the mysteries of the mind. Here are the mechanics of nerve messages; the functioning of sensory receptors; the processes by which the brain sees, tastes, and smells; the seats of language, memory, and emotions. Glynn writes with exceptional clarity and offers telling examples: to help explain vision, for instance, he discusses optical illusions as well as cases of patients who suffer disordered seeing through healthy eyes (such as the loss of the ability to recognize familiar faces). The breadth of Glynn's erudition is astonishing, as he ranges from parallel processing in computers to the specialization of different regions of the brain (illustrated with fascinating instances of the bizarre effects of localized brain damage). He explains the different types of memory (episodic and semantic, as well as short-term and implicit memory), traces the path through the brain of information leading to emotional responses, and engages in a discussion of language that takes in Noam Chomsky and Hawaiian pidgin. Moreover, for every subject Glynn addresses, he offers a thorough-going scientific history. For example, before discussing the evolution of the brain, he provides an account of the theory of evolution itself, from the writing and success of The Origin of Species to recent work on the fossil record, DNA, and RNA. No other single volume has captured the full expanse of our knowledge of consciousness and the brain. A work of unequaled authority and eloquence, An Anatomy of Thought promises to be a new landmark of scientific writing.
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer | Summary & Analysis Preview: Moonwalking with Einstein recounts author Joshua Foer’s yearlong journey from participant-journalist covering the national memory championships to becoming the 2006 USA World Memory Champion. Other segments offer a journalistic history of the human relationship with memory, addressing its failings, its successes, and its limitations. Most people operate according to a series of misconceptions about human memory. Above all, many believe that they have an average brain and are therefore incapable of performing mental feats such as swiftly memorizing a deck of playing cards shuffled into random order. This belief, however, is false. Memory champions are no smarter than anyone else and have unremarkable brains from a biological standpoint. The difference is in how memory champions use their brain. They employ techniques and training to overcome shortcomings that are hard-wired into the human brain anatomy. Even those who appear to possess a photographic memory likely do not and are instead employing other memorization techniques… PLEASE NOTE: This is key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of Moonwalking with Einstein: · Overview of the Book · Important People · Key Takeaways · Analysis of Key Takeaways About the Author With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.
A scientist's exploration of the working of memory begins with a story by Borges about a man who could not forget. Imagine the astonishment felt by neuroscientist Rodrigo Quian Quiroga when he found a fantastically precise interpretation of his research findings in a story written by the great Argentinian fabulist Jorge Luis Borges fifty years earlier. Quian Quiroga studies the workings of the brain—in particular how memory works—one of the most complex and elusive mysteries of science. He and his fellow neuroscientists have at their disposal sophisticated imaging equipment and access to information not available just twenty years ago. And yet Borges seemed to have imagined the gist of Quian Quiroga's discoveries decades before he made them. The title character of Borges's "Funes the Memorious" remembers everything in excruciatingly particular detail but is unable to grasp abstract ideas. Quian Quiroga found neurons in the human brain that respond to abstract concepts but ignore particular details, and, spurred by the way Borges imagined the consequences of remembering every detail but being incapable of abstraction, he began a search for the origins of Funes. Borges's widow, María Kodama, gave him access to her husband's personal library, and Borges's books led Quian Quiroga to reread earlier thinkers in philosophy and psychology. He found that just as Borges had perhaps dreamed the results of Quian Quiroga's discoveries, other thinkers—William James, Gustav Spiller, John Stuart Mill—had perhaps also dreamed a story like "Funes." With Borges and Memory, Quian Quiroga has given us a fascinating and accessible story about the workings of the brain that the great creator of Funes would appreciate.
Alexander Luria was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. His official autobiography was written as a citizen of the Soviet Union, and while it provides a compelling story of his lifelong devotion to developing a comprehensive theory of the biological and cultural foundations of human nature, it is conspicuous for the absence of information about the social context of his work and his personal struggles to be a decent person in indecent times. The current "dialogic autobiography" brings the vitality of Luria's ideas back to life. Michael Cole and Karl Levitin, both of whom knew Luria well and have written about his life and work, have written a carefully researched introduction and epilogue to the original autobiography. They provide readers, for the first time, with information about the social and personal contexts of Luria's remarkable achievements. Their account is supplemented by downloadable resources with reminiscences of leading psychologists from around the world who knew and worked with Luria. At last, Luria's life and science are brought together in a single volume. The book will appeal to psychologists, neuropsychologists, and other scientists interested in Luria's life achievements.
Memory is perhaps the most extraordinary phenomenon in the natural world. Every person's brain holds millions of bits of information in long-term storage. This vast memory store includes our extensive vocabulary and knowledge of language; the tremendous and unique variety of facts we've amassed; all the skills we've learned, from walking and talking to musical and athletic performance; many of the emotions we feel; and the continuous sensations, feelings, and understandings of the world we term consciousness. Without memory there can be no mind as we understand it. Focusing on cutting-edge research in behavioral science and neuroscience, Memory is a primer of our current scientific understanding of the mechanics of memory and learning. Over the past two decades, memory research has accelerated and we have seen an explosion of new knowledge about the brain. For example, there now exists a wide-ranging and successful applied science devoted exclusively to the study of memory that has yielded better procedures for eliciting valid recollections in legal settings and improved the diagnosis and treatment of memory disorders. Everyone fascinated by the scope and power of the human brain will find this book unforgettable.
