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Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters
Memory is far more than a record of the past—in this groundbreaking tour of the mind and brain, one of the world's top memory researchers reveals the powerful role memory plays in nearly every aspect of our lives, from learning and decision-making to trauma and healing, and helps us take control of our unconscious mind to live happier, more deliberate lives.A new understanding of memory is emerging from the latest scientific research. In short, the memory is not what we think it is—a repository of the past that we tap into as we wish. It is actually a highly transformative power, active at all times, that shapes our present in often secretive and sometimes destructive ways. We are in many ways creatures of memory and only when we understand the mechanisms of memory can we truly understand ourselves and our motivations, and use our knowledge of those mechanisms to our advantage while avoiding their pitfalls. Why We Remember teaches the principles behind memory storage and retrieval and explains how our memories are always changing. It reveals how these processes affect what we think we know about ourselves and how we make decisions. It shows that the real power of psychotherapy isn't to remember what happened, but to change our interpretations of those events, so we can heal and grow. Memory is designed to be selective, meaningful and malleable. When we understand how memory works, we can cut through the clutter and remember the things we want to remember. We can not only remember more—we can remember better.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2024
1133 people are currently reading
16901 people want to read
About the author
Charan Ranganath
3 books55 followersCharan Ranganath is an affiliated faculty with the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience, which seeks to understand the function of the human brain in health and in illness. He is also director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at UC Davis and is an affiliated faculty with the Center for Mind and Brain. His research involves the use of functional neuroimaging, electrophysiology and behavioral methods to study the neural basis of human memory and executive control.
He previously served as editor for the Cognitive Neuroscience Section of the journal NeuroImage, and currently serves as an editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, which is the most influential academically edited journal in the field of neuroscience.
Professor Ranganath has consulted for government and private funding agencies from several countries and has served on review panels for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.
He previously served as editor for the Cognitive Neuroscience Section of the journal NeuroImage, and currently serves as an editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, which is the most influential academically edited journal in the field of neuroscience.
Professor Ranganath has consulted for government and private funding agencies from several countries and has served on review panels for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
October 15, 2023
I read this book as a pre-release e-book obtained through NetGalley, provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
To put a succinct summary on it, in typical academic parlance, "More research is needed". Indeed, there was a lot to think about in this book, and it brought up other notions, hunches, or hypothesis. Such as, as the dopamine reward system is dampened among people with Alzheimer's, and is increased by curiosity and filling the information gap, perhaps part of dementia is boredom? Or, the amygdala being documented as larger in conservatives, who don't move out of their comfort zone (fear, perhaps), their anxiety exceeds their curiosity.
As someone who has been interested in learning more about how memories are formed, forgotten, modified – or how memories can be reframed because of some traumatic memories and learning what happens from neuroscientists who studied or treated me after a TBI 35 years ago, I learned a lot of updated information in this book. Indeed, all of neuroscience is advancing at a remarkable speed over the past few decades. Memory is neither long-term nor short-term, but rather episodic (tells a story in context) or semantic (gives information). Much of memory is recreated based on what we know about categories of things, perhaps with something in it which was surprising – unlike what we expect of things belonging to a category.
To put a succinct summary on it, in typical academic parlance, "More research is needed". Indeed, there was a lot to think about in this book, and it brought up other notions, hunches, or hypothesis. Such as, as the dopamine reward system is dampened among people with Alzheimer's, and is increased by curiosity and filling the information gap, perhaps part of dementia is boredom? Or, the amygdala being documented as larger in conservatives, who don't move out of their comfort zone (fear, perhaps), their anxiety exceeds their curiosity.
As someone who has been interested in learning more about how memories are formed, forgotten, modified – or how memories can be reframed because of some traumatic memories and learning what happens from neuroscientists who studied or treated me after a TBI 35 years ago, I learned a lot of updated information in this book. Indeed, all of neuroscience is advancing at a remarkable speed over the past few decades. Memory is neither long-term nor short-term, but rather episodic (tells a story in context) or semantic (gives information). Much of memory is recreated based on what we know about categories of things, perhaps with something in it which was surprising – unlike what we expect of things belonging to a category.
July 22, 2024
I don't read a lot of non-fiction like this but I was intrigued by the concept and wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit. I think the brain is endlessly fascinating, and this book continued to prove that to me.
It's written in a surprisingly approachable way (yes, there are big words and lots of info about parts of the brain/scientific terminology—but I really commend the author for simplifying these concepts for the common reader without it feeling watered down).
I also appreciated how this was written after decades of the author's career in the field; so many of the anecdotes or supporting case studies were things he personally was involved in which made it not only richer but also more personal.
Another thing the author did well was, at the end of each chapter, providing examples of where memory can betray us in some way, or some sort of downside to human memory, but then offering a solution or practice to counter that, as much as we possibly can. It felt like non-fiction that had a purpose other than someone having an interest in a topic and writing about it; much more applicable and helpful for someone like me.
Thanks to Doubleday for the review copy!
It's written in a surprisingly approachable way (yes, there are big words and lots of info about parts of the brain/scientific terminology—but I really commend the author for simplifying these concepts for the common reader without it feeling watered down).
I also appreciated how this was written after decades of the author's career in the field; so many of the anecdotes or supporting case studies were things he personally was involved in which made it not only richer but also more personal.
Another thing the author did well was, at the end of each chapter, providing examples of where memory can betray us in some way, or some sort of downside to human memory, but then offering a solution or practice to counter that, as much as we possibly can. It felt like non-fiction that had a purpose other than someone having an interest in a topic and writing about it; much more applicable and helpful for someone like me.
Thanks to Doubleday for the review copy!
February 1, 2024
Why We Remember gives readers some detail into the anatomy of the brain and a deeper dive into how memory works. This is my first book hyper focused on memory, it was interesting to read about the different triggers to how and what we remember. The examples given in the book were realistic and I often found myself thinking, "Yes, I've done this...".
The reason for lower rating however, is due to how the material was presented. I felt like I was reading a text book, which at times, made it harder to get through certain sections. This personal feeling aside, I am walking away from this book knowing more about the power of memory and how it influences our daily lives.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The reason for lower rating however, is due to how the material was presented. I felt like I was reading a text book, which at times, made it harder to get through certain sections. This personal feeling aside, I am walking away from this book knowing more about the power of memory and how it influences our daily lives.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
August 18, 2024
My #1 pop science pet peeve: "studies say." Studies say all kinds of stupid stuff! If the author's not going to discuss the methodology and any contradicting results, it's not worth bringing up "studies" at all!
So in a good way, this is NOT a "studies say" book. We get the important details on most of the referenced studies. Dr. Ranganath tells us which hypotheses are well-supported and which have only preliminary evidence. We really get the sense that we're listening to an expert in the field.
Ok so it's solid. I'd give it a 3. Here's what takes it to a 4:
- Memory is so fascinating! I wasn't on the edge of my seat while reading, but I have been thinking about the concepts a lot! "Aha I'm using my semantic memory to find my keys."
- The chapters are actually different from each other. In a lot of pop science books, each chapter is a slightly different way to hammer home the same point. Not this one! New conclusions are in every chapter. Sometimes I felt bored, but I was able to push to the next chapter where I'd get interested again.
So in a good way, this is NOT a "studies say" book. We get the important details on most of the referenced studies. Dr. Ranganath tells us which hypotheses are well-supported and which have only preliminary evidence. We really get the sense that we're listening to an expert in the field.
Ok so it's solid. I'd give it a 3. Here's what takes it to a 4:
- Memory is so fascinating! I wasn't on the edge of my seat while reading, but I have been thinking about the concepts a lot! "Aha I'm using my semantic memory to find my keys."
- The chapters are actually different from each other. In a lot of pop science books, each chapter is a slightly different way to hammer home the same point. Not this one! New conclusions are in every chapter. Sometimes I felt bored, but I was able to push to the next chapter where I'd get interested again.
January 3, 2025
[ audio ]
It was fine.
I been on a blah streak recently. It might be me. I don’t know.
It was fine.
I been on a blah streak recently. It might be me. I don’t know.
December 7, 2024
I listened to this book about memory--which is probably not the best way to remember it. With analytic books I usually prefer to highlight them on my Kindle (or on paper), write up detailed notes based on that, and then boil it down into a review. I find that a better way to remember, although this book says even better is to test yourself repeatedly--even if you get the answers wrong. (I had this image of buying access to an AI tester/tutor that came along with certain types of nonfiction books.)
Charan Ranganath is what seems to be a well cited and regarded memory researcher (not my field so can't be sure) who has done a substantial amount of scientific work and this is his first book popularizing it. That is my preference for books of this sort rather than reading non-specialist popularizers or a scientific monographic.
I learned some interesting things, like the difference between episodic memory and semantic memory. And also learned how memory researchers work and how their work has evolved. Plus it confirmed/reminded of some other stuff I knew, like the testing point I began with.
Charan Ranganath is what seems to be a well cited and regarded memory researcher (not my field so can't be sure) who has done a substantial amount of scientific work and this is his first book popularizing it. That is my preference for books of this sort rather than reading non-specialist popularizers or a scientific monographic.
I learned some interesting things, like the difference between episodic memory and semantic memory. And also learned how memory researchers work and how their work has evolved. Plus it confirmed/reminded of some other stuff I knew, like the testing point I began with.
March 10, 2024
Obviously inspired by his famous colleague Matthew Walker; Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Ranganath gave it a go for memory research; as far as popular (neuro)science writing goes this is a rather average accomplishment; a well respected midlife professor recounts his way to his current tenured position citing his own work and undertaking myriad forays into the field of memory research, citing the at times underwhelming work of his national and international colleagues.
February 29, 2024
This brilliant book completely changed the way this reader will think about remembering.
Written by a clinical psychologist who is also a neurologist, the author offers a sweeping perspective on memory : what it is and how it works (or why we remember); how we use memory to orient ourselves, shaping our everyday identity and perceptions; and finally, how memory transcends the individual as it informs (or even misinforms) cultures, nations and social structures.
For this reader, this fascinating look at the mystery that is our mind, - past, present and future - is now forevermore tied up with the magic of memory, and the insights offered by this wonderful book.
Perhaps most enthralling of all is the most basic concept - the author’s clear and compelling explanation of the inner handshake between episodic memory (or memory of context-specific historical events), and our semantic memory (memory of facts, or general knowledge) when it comes to retrieving (or re-building) a memory.
When we retrieve a memory of an event from our past, the most advanced areas of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) engage the hippocampus (the memory coordinator) with a contextual cue, which begins the process of recreating a specific internal experience based on what we know and understand now (our semantic knowledge) of the people, places, and actions connected to the specific memory. This semantic knowledge is based on our current schemas - our blueprints for the world as we know it (today, in the present) - details of which are stored across our neocortex, and are continuously being modified as we learn and grow.
A memory is, in this way, our thinking about the past, but to our brain it is exactly as if we are re-experiencing it.
The implications of this are massive, - a memory is not a rewind of a static event, stored in its entirety in our head , but is a present day retelling, based on our current understanding of the world, and bits of context surrounding it. The memory is recast, uniquely, every time we remember, and is laid down anew. What we end up remembering then has everything to do with who we are (how we identify with the world); what we feel (our biases and emotions, particularly as related to the memory); our biology, health and functioning neurology; and scores of other factors we are just beginning to understand.
Memory, as the author explains it, is our consciousness - repositioned to a time and a place in the past. A prioritized bit of experience we have captured, (given our biological limitations ) because, for various reasons it was deemed important, and still is. So that we can understand our present world more broadly, (through our past), make predictions and set expectations for the future, inspire curiosity, be alerted to the unexpected, and be prepared to react accordingly.
With clarity and simplicity, the author tackles all these constructs and concepts (and more, so much more) shaping them into surprisingly understandable kernels of knowledge, woven into a broadly illuminating text that is quite literally mind-altering.
With so much to offer (and so much for this reader to learn) this brilliant book must and will be reread.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
Written by a clinical psychologist who is also a neurologist, the author offers a sweeping perspective on memory : what it is and how it works (or why we remember); how we use memory to orient ourselves, shaping our everyday identity and perceptions; and finally, how memory transcends the individual as it informs (or even misinforms) cultures, nations and social structures.
For this reader, this fascinating look at the mystery that is our mind, - past, present and future - is now forevermore tied up with the magic of memory, and the insights offered by this wonderful book.
Perhaps most enthralling of all is the most basic concept - the author’s clear and compelling explanation of the inner handshake between episodic memory (or memory of context-specific historical events), and our semantic memory (memory of facts, or general knowledge) when it comes to retrieving (or re-building) a memory.
When we retrieve a memory of an event from our past, the most advanced areas of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) engage the hippocampus (the memory coordinator) with a contextual cue, which begins the process of recreating a specific internal experience based on what we know and understand now (our semantic knowledge) of the people, places, and actions connected to the specific memory. This semantic knowledge is based on our current schemas - our blueprints for the world as we know it (today, in the present) - details of which are stored across our neocortex, and are continuously being modified as we learn and grow.
A memory is, in this way, our thinking about the past, but to our brain it is exactly as if we are re-experiencing it.
The implications of this are massive, - a memory is not a rewind of a static event, stored in its entirety in our head , but is a present day retelling, based on our current understanding of the world, and bits of context surrounding it. The memory is recast, uniquely, every time we remember, and is laid down anew. What we end up remembering then has everything to do with who we are (how we identify with the world); what we feel (our biases and emotions, particularly as related to the memory); our biology, health and functioning neurology; and scores of other factors we are just beginning to understand.
Memory, as the author explains it, is our consciousness - repositioned to a time and a place in the past. A prioritized bit of experience we have captured, (given our biological limitations ) because, for various reasons it was deemed important, and still is. So that we can understand our present world more broadly, (through our past), make predictions and set expectations for the future, inspire curiosity, be alerted to the unexpected, and be prepared to react accordingly.
With clarity and simplicity, the author tackles all these constructs and concepts (and more, so much more) shaping them into surprisingly understandable kernels of knowledge, woven into a broadly illuminating text that is quite literally mind-altering.
With so much to offer (and so much for this reader to learn) this brilliant book must and will be reread.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
December 14, 2024
In fact, the book could be better labelled ‘How we forget’ since rather than focusing on memory issues, Ranganath focuses on the obvious point that we forget much more than we remember and that this is a good thing.
On the other hand, I wasn't particularly convinced by the approach to how we forget what is already part of our memories. Yes, each time we remember, we add new experiential contexts to those memories, but to say that we reconstruct them again and that the more we remember them, the more we lose them, like the audio cassettes where we recorded music on top of previous music, raises many doubts in my mind.
In essence, several studies have shown that memories are strengthened precisely by recalling them, which is why the authors of ‘Make It Stick’ (2014), Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel, recommend that studying for exams should be done not by repeating reading and memory formation, but rather by questioning memories to reinforce their presence in our minds.
I believe that memories change as we recall them; we're not machines, nothing ever stays the same. But I don't think that continuous evocation can go so far as to start evoking false memories. But I'm not an expert on memory either, so my sceptical experiential nature dictates this idea to me, based on some of the research I've been reading.
On the other hand, I wasn't particularly convinced by the approach to how we forget what is already part of our memories. Yes, each time we remember, we add new experiential contexts to those memories, but to say that we reconstruct them again and that the more we remember them, the more we lose them, like the audio cassettes where we recorded music on top of previous music, raises many doubts in my mind.
In essence, several studies have shown that memories are strengthened precisely by recalling them, which is why the authors of ‘Make It Stick’ (2014), Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel, recommend that studying for exams should be done not by repeating reading and memory formation, but rather by questioning memories to reinforce their presence in our minds.
I believe that memories change as we recall them; we're not machines, nothing ever stays the same. But I don't think that continuous evocation can go so far as to start evoking false memories. But I'm not an expert on memory either, so my sceptical experiential nature dictates this idea to me, based on some of the research I've been reading.
May 16, 2024
The human brain is not a memorization machine, it is a thinking machine.
January 13, 2025
Um livro muito interessante sobre um tema que, apesar de me suscitar curiosidade, nunca havia capturado o meu interesse para a leitura.
Depoois desta leitura, ainda que muita da informação se esvaia entre tantos conceitos, mecanismos do cérebro e estudos interessantíssimos, não voltarei a encarar a memória e o esquecimento da mesma forma. Somos mesmo uma máquina fantástica e a capacidade da Ciência traduzir conceitos mais ou menos intrigantes como a memória, em termos de redes, funções, sobreposições, etc... é uma viagem maravilhosa.
De tudo o que me ficou, o que mais me fascinou foi saber que os mecanismos activados no cérebro para lembrar são os mesmos que são activados para imaginar!
Depoois desta leitura, ainda que muita da informação se esvaia entre tantos conceitos, mecanismos do cérebro e estudos interessantíssimos, não voltarei a encarar a memória e o esquecimento da mesma forma. Somos mesmo uma máquina fantástica e a capacidade da Ciência traduzir conceitos mais ou menos intrigantes como a memória, em termos de redes, funções, sobreposições, etc... é uma viagem maravilhosa.
De tudo o que me ficou, o que mais me fascinou foi saber que os mecanismos activados no cérebro para lembrar são os mesmos que são activados para imaginar!
April 19, 2025
Informative and engaging!
September 22, 2024
I highly recommend this book! I started listening to it on Libby and then I forgot… and had to check it out again! 🤣
- Humans are terrible at remembering things. And that’s okay.
- When we are recalling things, what we are doing in the present impacts our retelling of the past. Our past, present and future are all connected.
-Memories are also equal parts imagination.
- We can “use our past to guide us towards a better future!”
- Humans are terrible at remembering things. And that’s okay.
- When we are recalling things, what we are doing in the present impacts our retelling of the past. Our past, present and future are all connected.
-Memories are also equal parts imagination.
- We can “use our past to guide us towards a better future!”
May 13, 2025
Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters
Book by Charan Ranganath, PhD (2024)
291-page Hardback story ends on 194
Genre: Nonfiction, Science > Neuroscience > Memory and Cognition; Psychology, Self-Help, Health
Featuring: Meet Your Remembering Self, The Fundamentals of Memory, Why We Remember Some Things and Forget Others, Making the Right Connections, Attention and Intention, The Care and Feeding of Your Prefrontal Cortex, Mindful Memories, How Remembering Takes Us Back to a Place and Time, Mental Time Traveling, How We Can Remember More by Memorizing Less, The Unseen Forces, Why Remembering is Inextricably Linked With Imagination, Why Our Memories Are Different From The Feelings We Have About Them, All Around Me Are Familiar Faces, How We Learn, Even When We Don’t Remember; How Memory Orients Us To What is New and Unexpected,
How Remembering Changes Our Memories, Memory Updating, False Confessions and Misinformed Witnesses; Some Pain, More Gain Why We Can Learn More When We Make Mistakes, When We Remember Together How Memories Are Shaped by Our Social Interactions. Coda: Dynamic Memories, Notes, Bibliography, Index
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Blah Blah Blah" by Hüsker Dü, "Op. 78: No. 1, Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke" by“Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke,” by Sergei Prokofiev, "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band, "Love Of A Lifetime" by FireHouse, "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, "The Alphabet Song," "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison, "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets
Books and Authors mentioned: The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology by Hermann Ebbinghaus, Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Michelle Remembers by Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith, Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber, Inception by Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey by Homer
Memorable Quotes: Although we tend to believe that we can and should remember anything we want, the reality is we are designed to forget, which is one of the most important lessons to be taken from the science of memory. As we will explore in this chapter, as long as we are mindful of how we remember and why we forget, we can make sure to create memories for our most important moments that will stick around.
Think of memory like a desk cluttered with crumpled-up scraps of paper. If you’d scribbled your online banking password on one of those scraps of paper, it will take a good deal of effort and luck to find it. This is not unlike the challenge of remembering. If we have experiences that are, more or less, the same—like the meaningless trigrams Ebbinghaus struggled to memorize—it becomes exponentially harder to find the right memory when we need it. But if your password is written on a hot-pink Post-it note, it will stand out among all the other notes on your desk and you can find it pretty easily. Memory works the same way. The experiences that are the most distinctive are the easiest to remember because they stand out relative to everything else. So how do we make memories that stand out in our cluttered minds? The answer: attention and intention. Attention is our brain’s way of prioritizing what we are seeing, hearing, and thinking about. At any given moment, we could be paying attention to a multitude of things going on around us. All too often, our attention is grabbed by what is in our environment. In the imagined scenario I described earlier, you might briefly have focused on your keys before your attention was captured by what you were confronted with after opening the door. Even if you pay attention to the most important thing to remember (i.e., those keys you’re going to need in an hour when you realize you’re running late to pick up your partner at the airport), that doesn’t necessarily help you make a distinctive memory that will overcome all the interference from everything else that captured your attention (the exuberant dog, the funky garbage smell in the kitchen, and the sound of Kajagoogoo emanating from your daughter’s bedroom). This is where intention comes in. To create a memory that you can locate later on, you need to use intention to guide your attention to lock on to something specific. The next time you put down an object you frequently lose track of, such as your keys, take a moment to focus on something that is unique to that specific time and place, such as the color of the countertop, or the stack of unopened mail next to the keys. With a little mindful intention, we can combat our brain’s natural inclination to tune out the things we do routinely and build more distinctive memories that have a fighting chance against all the interfering clamor.
What makes episodic memory such a powerful force is that it’s not just for accessing the past. Part of our fundamental perception of reality is our ability in the present to orient ourselves in time and space, and we often have to recall the recent past to do so. Think of a time you woke up in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar bed and your first thought was “Where am I?” To help you answer this question, the hippocampus gets to work pulling up the right memory code; maybe you recall that, a few hours ago, you checked into a hotel, and with that information the moment of disorientation quickly passes. Pulling up a memory of the recent past helps to ground you in the here and now. According to one prominent theory, episodic memory emerged in evolution from the more basic ability to learn where we are in the world.
Fake news is easier to digest if it comes in a flavor we already like.
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🧠💭🤯
My thoughts: 📖 Page 11 of 291 [Chapter] 1 Where Is My Mind? Why We Remember Some Things and Forget Others. - I picked this book up because the cover was pretty [it's a blue sky with a single cloud], and I'm nosy. I'm thrilled to learn this book is going to explain why I can tell you what book or song I was enjoying during certain, often minute, events; and why we can remember songs we haven't played in 30 years but forget our password we made 5 minutes ago. I'm excited, but I need some fiction sugar before I take the deep dive.
📖85 [Chapter] 5. More Than a Feeling Why our memories are different from the feelings we have about them - This is turning into a class via literature.
There are so many fascinating lessons that I wish I had the time to dictate into my review, but they are long. I may have to revisit this book in a few years. Chapters 3 and beyond were gold. I had to stop dictating books and just read this book. I have too many books to get through at the moment, plus I have a lot of work to do, so I just read and enjoyed the knowledge. Most of the books are listed in the Bibliography in the back, along with tons that weren't mentioned. The jist of this book is stress, and emotions help you remember, but there was a lot more to it than that, but basically it explains why I remember the books I loved and hated for decades and the okay ones get 6 weeks to a year. Being an anxious soul, it also explains why I have packed so much of my childhood and trips into my memory, and the songs, oh, the songs! The reason why I need maps is because I'm always doing something else when I drive, even if it's in my head. This book explains how memories help us predict, and I think all Freida McFadden books are just quits of other stories as well as why companies pay millions for a 30-second commercial. It also explains all of those people who think Shazaam happened.
Recommend to others: Yes! This book is great. I hope a great author reads this book and uses the information for a thriller novel.
Book by Charan Ranganath, PhD (2024)
291-page Hardback story ends on 194
Genre: Nonfiction, Science > Neuroscience > Memory and Cognition; Psychology, Self-Help, Health
Featuring: Meet Your Remembering Self, The Fundamentals of Memory, Why We Remember Some Things and Forget Others, Making the Right Connections, Attention and Intention, The Care and Feeding of Your Prefrontal Cortex, Mindful Memories, How Remembering Takes Us Back to a Place and Time, Mental Time Traveling, How We Can Remember More by Memorizing Less, The Unseen Forces, Why Remembering is Inextricably Linked With Imagination, Why Our Memories Are Different From The Feelings We Have About Them, All Around Me Are Familiar Faces, How We Learn, Even When We Don’t Remember; How Memory Orients Us To What is New and Unexpected,
How Remembering Changes Our Memories, Memory Updating, False Confessions and Misinformed Witnesses; Some Pain, More Gain Why We Can Learn More When We Make Mistakes, When We Remember Together How Memories Are Shaped by Our Social Interactions. Coda: Dynamic Memories, Notes, Bibliography, Index
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Blah Blah Blah" by Hüsker Dü, "Op. 78: No. 1, Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke" by“Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke,” by Sergei Prokofiev, "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band, "Love Of A Lifetime" by FireHouse, "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, "The Alphabet Song," "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison, "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets
Books and Authors mentioned: The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology by Hermann Ebbinghaus, Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Michelle Remembers by Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith, Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber, Inception by Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey by Homer
Memorable Quotes: Although we tend to believe that we can and should remember anything we want, the reality is we are designed to forget, which is one of the most important lessons to be taken from the science of memory. As we will explore in this chapter, as long as we are mindful of how we remember and why we forget, we can make sure to create memories for our most important moments that will stick around.
Think of memory like a desk cluttered with crumpled-up scraps of paper. If you’d scribbled your online banking password on one of those scraps of paper, it will take a good deal of effort and luck to find it. This is not unlike the challenge of remembering. If we have experiences that are, more or less, the same—like the meaningless trigrams Ebbinghaus struggled to memorize—it becomes exponentially harder to find the right memory when we need it. But if your password is written on a hot-pink Post-it note, it will stand out among all the other notes on your desk and you can find it pretty easily. Memory works the same way. The experiences that are the most distinctive are the easiest to remember because they stand out relative to everything else. So how do we make memories that stand out in our cluttered minds? The answer: attention and intention. Attention is our brain’s way of prioritizing what we are seeing, hearing, and thinking about. At any given moment, we could be paying attention to a multitude of things going on around us. All too often, our attention is grabbed by what is in our environment. In the imagined scenario I described earlier, you might briefly have focused on your keys before your attention was captured by what you were confronted with after opening the door. Even if you pay attention to the most important thing to remember (i.e., those keys you’re going to need in an hour when you realize you’re running late to pick up your partner at the airport), that doesn’t necessarily help you make a distinctive memory that will overcome all the interference from everything else that captured your attention (the exuberant dog, the funky garbage smell in the kitchen, and the sound of Kajagoogoo emanating from your daughter’s bedroom). This is where intention comes in. To create a memory that you can locate later on, you need to use intention to guide your attention to lock on to something specific. The next time you put down an object you frequently lose track of, such as your keys, take a moment to focus on something that is unique to that specific time and place, such as the color of the countertop, or the stack of unopened mail next to the keys. With a little mindful intention, we can combat our brain’s natural inclination to tune out the things we do routinely and build more distinctive memories that have a fighting chance against all the interfering clamor.
What makes episodic memory such a powerful force is that it’s not just for accessing the past. Part of our fundamental perception of reality is our ability in the present to orient ourselves in time and space, and we often have to recall the recent past to do so. Think of a time you woke up in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar bed and your first thought was “Where am I?” To help you answer this question, the hippocampus gets to work pulling up the right memory code; maybe you recall that, a few hours ago, you checked into a hotel, and with that information the moment of disorientation quickly passes. Pulling up a memory of the recent past helps to ground you in the here and now. According to one prominent theory, episodic memory emerged in evolution from the more basic ability to learn where we are in the world.
Fake news is easier to digest if it comes in a flavor we already like.
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🧠💭🤯
My thoughts: 📖 Page 11 of 291 [Chapter] 1 Where Is My Mind? Why We Remember Some Things and Forget Others. - I picked this book up because the cover was pretty [it's a blue sky with a single cloud], and I'm nosy. I'm thrilled to learn this book is going to explain why I can tell you what book or song I was enjoying during certain, often minute, events; and why we can remember songs we haven't played in 30 years but forget our password we made 5 minutes ago. I'm excited, but I need some fiction sugar before I take the deep dive.
📖85 [Chapter] 5. More Than a Feeling Why our memories are different from the feelings we have about them - This is turning into a class via literature.
There are so many fascinating lessons that I wish I had the time to dictate into my review, but they are long. I may have to revisit this book in a few years. Chapters 3 and beyond were gold. I had to stop dictating books and just read this book. I have too many books to get through at the moment, plus I have a lot of work to do, so I just read and enjoyed the knowledge. Most of the books are listed in the Bibliography in the back, along with tons that weren't mentioned. The jist of this book is stress, and emotions help you remember, but there was a lot more to it than that, but basically it explains why I remember the books I loved and hated for decades and the okay ones get 6 weeks to a year. Being an anxious soul, it also explains why I have packed so much of my childhood and trips into my memory, and the songs, oh, the songs! The reason why I need maps is because I'm always doing something else when I drive, even if it's in my head. This book explains how memories help us predict, and I think all Freida McFadden books are just quits of other stories as well as why companies pay millions for a 30-second commercial. It also explains all of those people who think Shazaam happened.
Recommend to others: Yes! This book is great. I hope a great author reads this book and uses the information for a thriller novel.
February 23, 2024
Charan's writing is fantastic, and for a learning book he really comes with the receipts. The page count is a bit misleading if you think it's as long as it says because Bibliography (citing his sources) is very dense. So Goodreads is gonna award me with more pages real than in actuality lol. Props for it not being pretentious. I was recommended this on Apple Books and it delivered. This is a mildly entertaining read full of knowledge and it is not written by a snake oil salesman self help guru, but instead written by a lifelong scientist in his field with credibility. My doctor only talks to me for five minutes and tells me to take an Advil, but this guy wrote a book. Not like one's better or worse, of course.
June 30, 2025
Nonfiction>science, psychology
A great listen! I would really love to either pick up this title and take better notes while reading it (instead of listening) ooooor (more likely) pick up another similar title on memory.
I love that the author is a scientist---not a journalist.
Let's look at memory as a tool for human survival instead of wondering why we don't have perfect recall of everything we encounter. In our modern world we almost feel the need to compete with computers---but there are (perhaps?) reasons we are better at remember the gist of things, our recollections may differ from others' when we all experienced the same things, and our own account may differ after recalling several times. BUUUT our memories are not necessarily 'faulty'--they are working as we need them to and Ranganath explains this very well.
I would recommend this to anyone even slightly interested in why our brains work the way they do. Yes, it's a little nerdy, but the book is overall approachable and ready for general consumption!
A great listen! I would really love to either pick up this title and take better notes while reading it (instead of listening) ooooor (more likely) pick up another similar title on memory.
I love that the author is a scientist---not a journalist.
Let's look at memory as a tool for human survival instead of wondering why we don't have perfect recall of everything we encounter. In our modern world we almost feel the need to compete with computers---but there are (perhaps?) reasons we are better at remember the gist of things, our recollections may differ from others' when we all experienced the same things, and our own account may differ after recalling several times. BUUUT our memories are not necessarily 'faulty'--they are working as we need them to and Ranganath explains this very well.
I would recommend this to anyone even slightly interested in why our brains work the way they do. Yes, it's a little nerdy, but the book is overall approachable and ready for general consumption!
March 27, 2024
I found this book fascinating and assume that almost all people who read would since this is about how memory works, when it doesn't work, and a bit about how it works - at least what is known at the present. This is explained in what I suspect at times is simplified but at a graspable level with examples from real life. When memory doesn't work as it should, there are also some examples and what was learned. I think the most reassuring aspect of this book is most of us are doing better than we think. Our little lapses are typical as memory was never meant to literally record everything. Given that memory is unreliable and this book gives some tips on verifying memories and realizing what influences memories. My rating is 5 stars because not only did I learn a lot, I know have interesting ideas to talk about from reading this.
June 24, 2024
I’m a sucker for anything about memory, with which I’ve been fascinated for decades. Charan Ranganath recounts much recent research showing that memory is far more than a record of the past. The book concerns how memories are formed and how they change over time, as well as imagination, deja vu, and false memories. Recalling the common sci-fi trope of traveling back in time to change the present, Ranganath shows that memory allows us to do exactly that. No, you can’t prevent an assassination or change your parents, but we can and do change ourselves as a result of how we remember.
Ranganath is a Professor of Psychology, faculty member of Center for Mind and Brain, and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at UC Davis. He’s also a good storyteller. Ranganath narrates the audiobook and is most pleasant to listen to.
If you’re not into audio, note that the Kindle edition is currently on sale for $5.99 (as of late June, 2024).
Ranganath is a Professor of Psychology, faculty member of Center for Mind and Brain, and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at UC Davis. He’s also a good storyteller. Ranganath narrates the audiobook and is most pleasant to listen to.
If you’re not into audio, note that the Kindle edition is currently on sale for $5.99 (as of late June, 2024).
September 14, 2024
Why We Remember is a book about memory. Dr. Charan Ranganath wrote it based on his studies into the intricacies of memory. I’ve read a few books on memory, from mnemonic devices to where memories end up in the brain.
The title implies that remembering is a surprising aspect of our memory and details why. As people, we are inundated with a massive amount of information every day. Our brains get assaulted with sights, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations every waking minute. We filter out a lot of information through attention.
Ranganath covers all aspects of memory, from how it works correctly to how it goes wrong.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
The title implies that remembering is a surprising aspect of our memory and details why. As people, we are inundated with a massive amount of information every day. Our brains get assaulted with sights, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations every waking minute. We filter out a lot of information through attention.
Ranganath covers all aspects of memory, from how it works correctly to how it goes wrong.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
March 12, 2024
4.5 stars. Interesting information that everyone should read! What we remember is not always accurate for many different reasons and explains why people confess when not committing a crime, we believe that things that never happened are real and why people may have certain beliefs about politicians…so much good stuff to contemplate.
Read
June 13, 2024The book is ok. Thnx for writing it!
Personally, I can't say I learned much. Most of the stuff in the book I already knew, or wasn't particularly impressive or groundbreaking.
My pet peeve is noticing how the author genuflects to the wokist orthodoxy of the day. Kinda like reading medieval texts and having to leaf through the proofs that the god "exists" in three hypostasis or math books from Soviet times spending a few pages on the soon to come world revolution.
Sad, but I guess that's just business as usual.
Personally, I can't say I learned much. Most of the stuff in the book I already knew, or wasn't particularly impressive or groundbreaking.
My pet peeve is noticing how the author genuflects to the wokist orthodoxy of the day. Kinda like reading medieval texts and having to leaf through the proofs that the god "exists" in three hypostasis or math books from Soviet times spending a few pages on the soon to come world revolution.
Sad, but I guess that's just business as usual.
December 7, 2024
This book was so interesting and informative!!
Read
January 27, 2025So many new pieces of info and such a shame my memory doesn't have the space to retain more.
August 30, 2025
interesting!
February 16, 2024
"Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold On to What Matters" by Charan Ranganath is a captivating exploration of the intricate workings of human memory and its profound impact on our lives. In this insightful book, Ranganath, a leading neuroscientist, delves into the fascinating mechanisms behind how memories are formed, stored, and retrieved, offering readers a deeper understanding of this essential cognitive function.
One of the book's strengths lies in its accessibility. Ranganath adeptly translates complex scientific concepts into language that is both engaging and understandable for a wide audience. Whether discussing the role of neural networks in memory consolidation or the influence of emotions on recollection, he presents information in a clear and engaging manner, making it accessible to readers with varying levels of familiarity with neuroscience.
Moreover, "Why We Remember" is not merely a dry recitation of facts and theories; it is filled with real-world examples and anecdotes that bring the science to life. Through case studies and personal stories, Ranganath illustrates how memory shapes our identities, relationships, and sense of self. These narratives add depth and resonance to the book, making it a compelling read from start to finish.
Ultimately, "Why We Remember" offers more than just a scientific exploration of memory; it invites readers to reflect on the profound significance of memory in their own lives. By shedding light on the mysteries of memory, Ranganath empowers readers to harness its power to cherish the moments that matter most. Whether you're a student of neuroscience or simply curious about the inner workings of the mind, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.
One of the book's strengths lies in its accessibility. Ranganath adeptly translates complex scientific concepts into language that is both engaging and understandable for a wide audience. Whether discussing the role of neural networks in memory consolidation or the influence of emotions on recollection, he presents information in a clear and engaging manner, making it accessible to readers with varying levels of familiarity with neuroscience.
Moreover, "Why We Remember" is not merely a dry recitation of facts and theories; it is filled with real-world examples and anecdotes that bring the science to life. Through case studies and personal stories, Ranganath illustrates how memory shapes our identities, relationships, and sense of self. These narratives add depth and resonance to the book, making it a compelling read from start to finish.
Ultimately, "Why We Remember" offers more than just a scientific exploration of memory; it invites readers to reflect on the profound significance of memory in their own lives. By shedding light on the mysteries of memory, Ranganath empowers readers to harness its power to cherish the moments that matter most. Whether you're a student of neuroscience or simply curious about the inner workings of the mind, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.
January 1, 2025
The title and especially the subtitle were intriguing, and the first few chapters were very interesting. However my interest flagged, and by the middle, I was just skimming for topics and reasons to continue reading. The book is less "why we remember" and more "how we remember", giving information of brain areas, types of memory functions, and influences and interactions between the brain areas and the functions. There really was nothing on "unlocking memory's power". This book is a hybrid between a text and a scientific memoir, but fails to do either justice.
As a text, I was not remembering enough as I went along to place things in context. Inclusion of colored illustrations would have helped tremendously. Possible examples are actual brain slices with areas of interest in different colors, diagrams of the brain showing where any particular memory function is occurring, and flow diagrams showing interactions and influences between different memory functions. The reader would then always have illustrations for review and to place things in context. On the positive side, Ranganath's analogies are very good, and I looked forward to them.
Is Ranganath a major figure in memory research? If he is, perhaps that is an excuse for his frequent references to work by his former students, postdocs, and colleagues. Given the huge interest in memory however, there must be a very large number of excellent investigators. Ranganath should have presented a more balanced view of the advances, less dependent on the work of his close associates.
As a text, I was not remembering enough as I went along to place things in context. Inclusion of colored illustrations would have helped tremendously. Possible examples are actual brain slices with areas of interest in different colors, diagrams of the brain showing where any particular memory function is occurring, and flow diagrams showing interactions and influences between different memory functions. The reader would then always have illustrations for review and to place things in context. On the positive side, Ranganath's analogies are very good, and I looked forward to them.
Is Ranganath a major figure in memory research? If he is, perhaps that is an excuse for his frequent references to work by his former students, postdocs, and colleagues. Given the huge interest in memory however, there must be a very large number of excellent investigators. Ranganath should have presented a more balanced view of the advances, less dependent on the work of his close associates.
January 24, 2024
Why We Remember is a well-researched, accessible explanation of how (and why) we form memories. The author combines study results and personal anecdotes to discuss long-term and short-term memories, the catalysts for creating, storing, and retrieving memories — and how common factors like stress and intense emotion likely bias what we remember.
In all, Why We Remember is a fascinating and deep dive into the brain and how it works. Scientists learn more every year about how the brain processes information — and this book explains the current thinking about how we form memories and how those memories then form us.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
In all, Why We Remember is a fascinating and deep dive into the brain and how it works. Scientists learn more every year about how the brain processes information — and this book explains the current thinking about how we form memories and how those memories then form us.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
February 21, 2024
An overview of recent-ish research into memory and how different types of memory work in the conversational style that's become the way medical writers write, often including a lot of personal detail and pop culture references. I was turned off by the inclusion of a quote from antisemitic rocker Johnny Rotten and the author's uncritical promotion of Joseph Campbell's work, which has a decidedly and problematic male, Western viewpoint.
May 10, 2024
A bit too simplified but still interesting.
November 5, 2025
Aloitin Ranganathin Miten muisti toimii -kirjan jo viime kesänä. Odotin kirjalta vinkkejä oman muistin kehittämiseen, mutta kirja tarjosikin enemmän selityksiä sille, kuinka muisti (ja unohtaminen) toimii ja miksi. Kiinnostavaa sekin, mutta ei niin säkenöivän jännittävää, ettei kirja olisi jäänyt monen kuukauden kiirepaussille. Onneksi silti palasin, sillä kokonaisuus oli hyvin mielenkiintoinen.
Ranganath suhtautuu ihmisen hataraan muistiin suurella kunnioituksella. Moni pitäisi ihmisen taipumusta unohdella ja muistaa väärin heikkouksina, mutta Ranganath löytää tästäkin hyviä puolia. Sen lisäksi hän nostaa esiin puolia ihmisen muistista, joita en ole tullut ajatelleeksikaan. Vai oletko itse miettinyt, kuinka merkittävä meille on jaettu, sosiaalinen muisti? Itsestäänselvää tietysti, mutta suuri osa ihmisten välisistä keskusteluista on asioiden muistelua. Näin rakennamme yhteenkuuluvuutta ja yhteistä tarinaa. Voimme myös tukea toistemme muistia (ne keskustelut joissa yhdessä tavoittelemme hämärtyneitä yksityiskohtia), mikä on erityisen tärkeää muistisairaille. Voimme yhdessä myös lievittää traumaattisten muistojen terää keskustelemalla tai lievemmissä tapauksissa vaikkapa yhdessä nauramalla. Pelottavat hetket voivat yhdessä muistellen muuttua eeppisiksi seikkailuiksi.
Muisti on myös suuri valehtelija. Esimerkiksi nuo “yhteiset muistot” vääristyvät helposti, jos luotettu henkilö tai auktoriteetti pistää omiaan joko huonomuistisuuttaan tai tarkoituksella. Muisto muokkaantuu jonkin verran aina, kun siihen palaamme. Tämä oli ainoa kohta, jossa Ranganath sivuaa USA:n nykyisiä ongelmia, kun puolet kansasta tuntuu näkevän todellisuuden eri tavoin kuin toinen puoli: kun auktoriteetti äänitorvineen toistuvasti kertoo asioiden menneen näin, se alkaa omankin muistin mukaan tuntua todelta. Onneksemme harvan muisti on ihan silkkaa savea, eli oikeat muistot yleensä ovat lopulta vahvempia kuin täydet sepitteet.
Mutta siihen omaan huonomuistisuuteeni. Ranganath mainitsee tutut muistipalatsit (joiden rakenteluun olen liian laiska) ja osiin pilkkomisen, sekä ikiaikaiset konstit, kuten kaavat, rytmin ja rituaalit. Uutta asiaa opetellessa Ranganath suosittelee testaamaan itseään toistuvasti sen sijaan, että pänttää uuden asian lukemalla saman uudelleen ja uudelleen juuri ennen h-hetkeä. Pänttäämällä opitut asiat pysyvät muistissa vain hetken, kun taas itsensä ahkera testaaminen pakottaa muistelemaan itse.
Ranganath suhtautuu ihmisen hataraan muistiin suurella kunnioituksella. Moni pitäisi ihmisen taipumusta unohdella ja muistaa väärin heikkouksina, mutta Ranganath löytää tästäkin hyviä puolia. Sen lisäksi hän nostaa esiin puolia ihmisen muistista, joita en ole tullut ajatelleeksikaan. Vai oletko itse miettinyt, kuinka merkittävä meille on jaettu, sosiaalinen muisti? Itsestäänselvää tietysti, mutta suuri osa ihmisten välisistä keskusteluista on asioiden muistelua. Näin rakennamme yhteenkuuluvuutta ja yhteistä tarinaa. Voimme myös tukea toistemme muistia (ne keskustelut joissa yhdessä tavoittelemme hämärtyneitä yksityiskohtia), mikä on erityisen tärkeää muistisairaille. Voimme yhdessä myös lievittää traumaattisten muistojen terää keskustelemalla tai lievemmissä tapauksissa vaikkapa yhdessä nauramalla. Pelottavat hetket voivat yhdessä muistellen muuttua eeppisiksi seikkailuiksi.
Muisti on myös suuri valehtelija. Esimerkiksi nuo “yhteiset muistot” vääristyvät helposti, jos luotettu henkilö tai auktoriteetti pistää omiaan joko huonomuistisuuttaan tai tarkoituksella. Muisto muokkaantuu jonkin verran aina, kun siihen palaamme. Tämä oli ainoa kohta, jossa Ranganath sivuaa USA:n nykyisiä ongelmia, kun puolet kansasta tuntuu näkevän todellisuuden eri tavoin kuin toinen puoli: kun auktoriteetti äänitorvineen toistuvasti kertoo asioiden menneen näin, se alkaa omankin muistin mukaan tuntua todelta. Onneksemme harvan muisti on ihan silkkaa savea, eli oikeat muistot yleensä ovat lopulta vahvempia kuin täydet sepitteet.
Mutta siihen omaan huonomuistisuuteeni. Ranganath mainitsee tutut muistipalatsit (joiden rakenteluun olen liian laiska) ja osiin pilkkomisen, sekä ikiaikaiset konstit, kuten kaavat, rytmin ja rituaalit. Uutta asiaa opetellessa Ranganath suosittelee testaamaan itseään toistuvasti sen sijaan, että pänttää uuden asian lukemalla saman uudelleen ja uudelleen juuri ennen h-hetkeä. Pänttäämällä opitut asiat pysyvät muistissa vain hetken, kun taas itsensä ahkera testaaminen pakottaa muistelemaan itse.
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