3 comments about Overcoming Senior Moments.

1. Health is something that we create from the inside of our body. The techniques described in this book suggest pathways that can create a healthy brain, and keep our memory sharp.



2. If you or someone you love have ever:
   Forgotten where you put your keys, your bank's name.
   Misplaced a thought in the middle of a sentence.
   Lost a word that was on the tip of your tongue.
   Drawn a blank on your best friend's name.
   Wondered if something you were eating or any of the drugs you were taking might affect the way your remember--then this basic book will help you identify some of the causes.



3. What a disappointment! I should have looked at the original publishing date. Probably at the time it first came out some of this information was new, but there was nothing in this book that hasn't been said in a thousand other places.

5 comments about Learn to Remember.

1. This book covers how our mind and memory works, then goes on to explain several workable techniques on memorization. I thought it did a great job of covering these topics, and was very readable. I read it in one evening (it's only 160 pages long, and includes lots of pretty drawings).

   The book is written by Dominic O'Brien, a noted memorization wizard. But it was interesting that the copyright to the book went to the publisher. This is common for technical books in the computer field... where the publisher finds a hot topic and directs an author to write to their specifications. But I believe this format to be unusual in the memorization field.

   The answer is found in the front cover where I discovered that there is a "Learn to ..." series put out by the publisher. As such, this book probably follows a format for that series. This format is very well done, but unfortunately reflects the comments made by an earlier reviewer: there is (or might be) more information on memory in the author's other books.

   Regardless of all this backround info, I am happy I bought this book. And, I think this book updates some of the techniques that I've seen elsewhere.

   John Dunbar
   Sugar Land, TX




2. I purchased this book along with six other memory and fast-reading books. This one stands out because it is extremely well organized. Each chapter is divided into sections that are typically two pages long. In most cases, each section has a sidebar or one complete page dedicated to either an exercise or a case example. This book is a joy to read, because it is written in a straightforward style and is beautifully illustrated.

   It is organized into six chapters.
   1. A brief history of memory (greeks, romans and modern times)
   2. How memory works
   3. How to improve your memory
   4. Discovering memory techniques
   5. Memory techniques for everyday life
   6. Gain fulfillment through memory

   The second chapter tells you how neurotransmitters, axons, dendrites, left and right brain, brainwaves, short and long term memory, sleep, drugs and aging work and affect your memory.

   The third chapter tells you how important the elements of imagination, association, location, concentration, observation, repetition and health are to improving your memory.

   The fourth chapter explains the techniques themselves in proper learning order - mnemonics, visual pegs, story, journey (the most powerful method for me), dominic system, number-shape system, mind-maps.

   The fifth chapter applies the techniques to everyday life and tells you which ones are better suited to which problems.

   The last chapter elaborates on why memory improvement is not just an exercise in itself to acquire robotic memory. Rather it tells you how your life can be enriched by keeping your mind young and how to cope with life's demands and past memories. This is one of the chapters I enjoyed most.

   As a conclusion, I recommend this little jewel for many reasons. First, it covers the subject very broadly - it does not just give you short recipes, it is a complete treatise on memory. It is a mini memory encyclopedia - the topic is condensed in 160 pages.

   Second, it is really a marvelous book, the best book I have read on this subject and quite probably one of the most valuable ones I have gotten ever for my life. It is one of these books you keep in a preferred corner in your bookshelf.

   Third, it is truly useful. Although there may be more memory techniques, the ones in this book are the most important ones and are more than enough to keep you busy memorizing.

   Fourth, it eliminates the common belief that memory deteriorates with age. It actually worsens with LACK OF USE. You will learn that memory is like a muscle - the more you use it the better it gets. I got this book because I was determined to work on keeping my mind young "before it is too late". I discovered that it is never too late and, unlike muscles, the mind is the most powerful and malleable muscle of all. You just have to keep it busy with many interests.

   Enjoy !!!




3. very disappointing, as well as boring!!
   generalities, of little help.
   have seen simple, cheap books with better ideas and tips.
   the writer might be a grandmaster , but this will not help other
   creatures.
   "forget" about this book.



4. I was very excited when I bought this book, but when I opened it, I was a little disappointed.
   
   Pros:
   1.Tells you new methods to memorize
   2.Gives you an understanding of brain function
   3.Colorful pictures on some pages
   4.Not a long read
   
   Cons
   1. Does not have enough exercises
   2. Reads too much like a novel
   3. Teaching approach not effective
   
   I will admit I did not practice it that much, but I believe the motivation was lacking because the book did not compel me enough with more examples and exercises.



5. I read this book twice, and every time I read it I discover something new, This book come with a good amount of exercises, the lecture is interesting and keep you coming back for more. this is the type of book is the. You Must Have IT!

No comments about Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News from the Frontlines of Memory Research.

No comments about Get Your Brain in the Fast Lane.

No comments about Through the Seasons: An Activity Book for Memory-Challenged Adults and Caregivers.

No comments about The Memory Advantage: Improve Your Memory, Mood And Confidence Throughout Life.

No comments about The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, EnhanceAttention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental.

5 comments about Learning How to Learn: The Ultimate Learning and Memory Instruction.

1. There is nothing new here, Jerry Lucas has rediscovered a memory technique that has been around for at least 2500 years. The technique involves using striking and unusual images to aid in rote memorization. It was, long ago, an essential part of the art of rhetoric used by the early Greeks, at a time when paper was nonexistent and papyrus in short supply. And while I'll admit that it was incredible useful to a burgeoning civilization that existed two millennia before the printing press, it has little relevance now. It is far from new, it incorporates little if anything from our recent advancements in neurobiology, and as it is presented here it suffers from even more flaws than it did 2500 years ago. Yes, it may help you to remember a laundry list of facts, but it won't help, and will most likely hinder, any true understanding of the information. What good is it, to have a system that will help you recite from memory Dante's Inferno, or even all of The Odyssey, if it doesn't aslo aid in understanding what those words mean?



2. I don't have the same criticisms as the previous 2 reviewers. Probably because with Jerry Lucas' background, I expected his book to outline mnemonic techniques and not be a compendium of various learning strategies. Mnemonics are useful for remembering material, just ask any medical student. Just because some techniques are old doesn't mean that they aren't useful. In fact, they have been around this long precisely because they are useful. I used techniques from one of Lucas' previous books, "The Memory Book", in college and found them very helpful for improving recall. This book has many of the same techniques with some new slants. Be selective about the techniques in which you invest your time. I agree that these memory techniques need to be supplemented with other learning strategies but mnemonics have a place in a learner's toolkit as well. I personally thought that this book was good and I am glad that I bought it but there are other books available that teach the same principles for much less money. Kenneth Higbee's book "Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It" covers the subject very well.



3. This book will revolutionize the way you think and learn! This book is a must have no matter age, gender or intellectual interest!



4. I wonder if the negative reviews here are based on the title of the book vs the contents? Perhaps if it had been called "Learning How To Memorize" they wouldn't have panned it? But, even if all I do is memorize a list of states and their capitals haven't I learned those facts?

   No, this book may not teach problem-solving skills, but what it does teach, how to memorize, it does *very* well.

   I almost didn't buy this book because I've had a copy of The Memory Book for decades and figured this would be a rehash. But there's enough new that it's worth it. Plus, it goes into more detail on the Peg Word system and that's helpful.

   Chapter 19, Knowing the Day of Any Date, is very cool. That technique is something I use all the time now. I actually figured out a way to calculate the day that (I think) is a little easier than what's explained in the book (write me and I'll send you my secret).

   If you want to learn how to memorize facts, figures, phone numbers, or whatever, this book will teach you. The techniques may be 2500 years old, but if you're not familiar with them then they're new to you, eh?




5. I think that, if I were now starting college (or maybe high school), and faced the prospect of having to learn a lot of material without necessarily understanding what it meant or how it fit together, I would want to sit down and master the different techniques that Jerry Lucas presents in this book. I can see that it could be fun -- especially for a younger person -- to learn a bunch of memory systems that might help keep things straight. And if I had invested the time back then, probably I would still be using those systems. Then again, in my impression it could become difficult to remember which aid I had decided to use, for purposes of remembering a particular factoid: was it the Look-Alike System? the Substitute System? the Peg Word System? Even in college, having read through this book, I'm not sure how I would have used any of these systems to master hundreds of different words in a foreign language, never mind their declensions and conjugations. I recommend buying the book if your needs call for investment of many hours in learning a set of potentially useful but artificial memory aid systems.

5 comments about Building Mental Muscle : Conditioning Exercises for the Six Intelligence Zones.

1. With the reviewer from April 6, 2004.
   
   This is exactly what this book is. A sort of guide to how the brain works, with some "exercises" thoughtlessly thrown in when the authors remembered that it's supossed to be a book on "Building Mental Muscle."
   
   I, too, am surprised at all the 5-star reviews. I wouldn't throw the book away, though; I'd say you can glean some pretty interesting information from it.



2. This is one of the few books on the market which aims to
   sharpen intellectual skills. The author gives the reader an
   important portal into how people learn and retain information.
   For instance, the authors teach us how to learn by excluding
   all other information from consideration while in deep concentration. Protein synthesis occurs with long term learning
   wherein events may be emotionally charged in order to retain
   them permanently. The conscious recognition of facts is different
   from the unconscious recognition of facts. Memory may sharpen
   with practice and by association with key words/phrases or
   attributes. For instance, associate Mr. Green's green shirt
   with Mr. Green. Sometimes name recollection can have associative
   aspects. The work even has religious sayings.
   For instance, Proverbs 17:22 states that " A cheerful head
   is good medicine. "
   
   This book won't make you smarter; however, it will assist in
   utilizing your intelligence in a more organized/rational manner.
   The author's presentation can benefit by organizing study
   sessions rationally so that material can be recalled by a simple
   collection of associations.



3. Medical professionals and also anyone interested in the brain/intelligence will certainly benefit from this book. For the beginner, it is an invaluable starting point to a lifestyle, if one so chooses to undertake it, of "neuro-fitness". It is also just an interesting book to read, with medical terms that may get heavy, but are explained in full for the laymen. For the professional, it is an interesting layout of research and ideas which may apply to better yourself, your children, or maybe even your patients, if that applies to your field.
   I am not saying it is the best book of all time, but it is worth the money and a weekend to read and digest it.



4. This a really user-friendly guide to increasing your brain power. I suppose some might prefer something a little more scientifically in depth, but this is an easy read with lots of fun, challenging games. Try this for the kids: Power Brain Kids



5. (Sorry about spelling etc,.. I'm from norway. Age 44. Male. BsC.)
   
   This book was a interesting surprise to mee. I thought I was going to read about psychology (I was right there), and that maybe it could give me a clue to improve my poor memory (It did).
   
   But what's realy stuck in me after reading this bokk (I skipped all the exercises), is the relation between stress and deseases like alzheimers.
   
   If you want to have many years of good living ahead, the first half of this book is realy worth while.
   
   Other parts (second half) are just stating what humanity knows this far about how hearing and vision works, and could be of interest to someone who have not read any pshychology before, but the fact is, we still don't know how our brain works, so not practically usefull for living a better life, like the first half was.
   
   I hope this was a alternative view to some of the other reviews :-)

No comments about The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures (Material Texts).