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lmjones's review against another edition
Super interesting but I don’t have time at the moment to delve as deep as I wanted and my copy was due back at the library. Honestly, I think it’s a book I’d rather own and just read about and then try one method at a time…
craftygoat's review against another edition
4.5
4.5. I had some mixed feelings on this one, but I'm rating it highly because I telling my family about it as I read it. Primarily, I am in awe of this author and all the things she has memorized - especially considering she is in her 60s. Her use of memory techniques is so much more practical than the memory championship's lists of random numbers & words (which I read about in detail in [b:Moonwalking with Einstein|6346975|Moonwalking with Einstein The Art and Science of Remembering Everything|Joshua Foer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630575238l/6346975._SY75_.jpg|6533383]. The author was also endearing with her quirky experiment and mild self-deprecation.
She discusses a wide variety of memory techniques, with examples of how she has used different ones. I appreciate her inclusion of the various indigenous cultures and their memory rituals. I felt like this was done in a respectful way.
There were two downsides for me. First, I felt like the Dominic system was not explained well. It felt like she went too quickly into her example of how she used it, instead of explaining the method in a way that I could understand and do it myself. I will look elsewhere for a better explanation, as this method is used in multiple ways in her book. The second downside was that the book lends itself to a much more visual style than she uses. There should be more color illustrations throughout the text (not separated in the middle pages), and there should be more illustrations period (instead of trying to describe something that would more easily understood visually). This effect was worsened, in my case, by listening to the audiobook -- but even when I referenced the hard copy to see if an image was there, I was often disappointed. And while the audiobook narrator was pleasant enough, I felt like the book (with its numbers and lists, etc.) did not translate well to an audiobook format.
Still, I am definitely inspired by this book and already have a plan for the ambitious thing I'm going to memorize first!
She discusses a wide variety of memory techniques, with examples of how she has used different ones. I appreciate her inclusion of the various indigenous cultures and their memory rituals. I felt like this was done in a respectful way.
There were two downsides for me. First, I felt like the Dominic system was not explained well. It felt like she went too quickly into her example of how she used it, instead of explaining the method in a way that I could understand and do it myself. I will look elsewhere for a better explanation, as this method is used in multiple ways in her book. The second downside was that the book lends itself to a much more visual style than she uses. There should be more color illustrations throughout the text (not separated in the middle pages), and there should be more illustrations period (instead of trying to describe something that would more easily understood visually). This effect was worsened, in my case, by listening to the audiobook -- but even when I referenced the hard copy to see if an image was there, I was often disappointed. And while the audiobook narrator was pleasant enough, I felt like the book (with its numbers and lists, etc.) did not translate well to an audiobook format.
Still, I am definitely inspired by this book and already have a plan for the ambitious thing I'm going to memorize first!
rberenguel's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best memory books I have read. Not only for the techniques (which I knew), but the whole historical context. Techniques used all over the world since ancient times.
raventhorns's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book so much changed my life all Iedo is think about memory now and experiment with now methods
georgewhatup's review against another edition
5.0
I think I'm now inspired to use memory palaces to learn the sum of human knowledge plus a couple of fun card tricks.
This book is basically saying certain indigenous cultures had tools, imagine a block of wood with different things like shells/beads/rocks stuck to it, that served as a "hard drive" of their entire cultures history and knowledge.
That's the kind of ultra fascinating theory I have a lot of time for.
This book is basically saying certain indigenous cultures had tools, imagine a block of wood with different things like shells/beads/rocks stuck to it, that served as a "hard drive" of their entire cultures history and knowledge.
That's the kind of ultra fascinating theory I have a lot of time for.
hinkle's review against another edition
5.0
Very, very good. Heard about the book when I listened to an interview with author on Radio National's Conversations (an Australian radio program that I personally enjoy as a podcast). It is precisely what it sounds like, which is an exploration of memory techniques practiced by numerous cultures around the world, particularly the remarkable achievements Indigenous peoples in the Americas, Australia and New Zealand but also things like memory palaces that are most closely associated with Ancient Greece and Tibetan mandalas and Medieval illuminated manuscripts. Memory palaces, as I understand it, have been developed independently around the world because, well, this is how our brains work and pre the printing press we still needed to remember things and, more than that, we are a deeply curious people. Yes, we need to know what animals or plants are edible or have medicinal applications but we also just like to know stuff. And how do we know stuff if you can't write it down in a book and have it be remembered? I'm going to try and implement a number of these techniques into my life and it will be amazing if it works because, like most people who pick up this book I think, I would love to improve my memory.
gnomely's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book! Thoroughly enjoyed reading. Lynne Kelly is funny and her enthusiasm is catching. It’s also a very hopeful book for those of us with horrendously bad memories! 5/5