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The Memory Paradox: The Gift and the Curse of Human Memory

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401 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2023

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Aravind TE

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Artistic Amy.
194 reviews4 followers
May 1, 2024
I recently grabbed up another thrilling thriller Fiction to my read.
“The Memory Paradox” By Author “TE Aravind” it's a suspenseful, thriller Fiction. In this book, the author has delved deep into the complex connection between technology and human memory in a suspenseful and captivating manner. Aravind is an Indian Tamilan and Global Citizen. He has created a delicate weaving of personal experiences and values in this thrilling story.
The plot of the storyline revolves around the IT workers and their quest to create the technology capable of erasing memories of the human mind.
As the group delves deeper into their investigation, they confront ethical dilemmas. The author poses thought-provoking questions about the implications of erasing painful memories - would it strip us of our humanity or liberate us? Aravind skillfully weaves cultural references and personal stories into these discussions. The characters in the novel are its strongest element, with the perceptive coder, compassionate psychologist, and enigmatic project manager offering unique insights. Through their interactions, the narrative explores the complexities of memory, from its power to its vulnerability. Aravind's poetic writing style evokes emotions that linger well till the end of story.
The Author goes deeper into the nature of memory and presents it as both a gift and a curse. His narrative invites the reader to think about the role of technology in shaping our future. The plot of the storyline progress gradually leading readers to enjoy the details. Pace of the storyline is strategic and reflect the slow yet steady unfolding of memories. The storyline is gripping and easy to flip through. It is expertly told and every characters of story is fully fleshed out. This novel is so engaging that you'll be hooked from beginning to end. It's a thrilling journey of action and thrill. I am eagerly awaiting the next book of the TE Aravind. I would give this book a perfect 5 out of 5 rating.
26 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2024
The memory paradox (the gift and curse of human memory) is an excellent book written by TE Aravind .

Even though this is the first book written by author, readers won't even feel it is so. Aravind predicts a new dream like story which can be a reality very soon. The imaginary medical concepts used were very captivating. Book uses very intriguing plot and keeps the readers involved in the story with well developed characters.

I appreciate the original concept in this book and I so look forward to read the next book in this series. I hope even the bookworms will love reading something fresh, original and innovative. This book will take you in whole different world.

The tale highlights the story of IT professionals exploring solutions for complex technological aspects like erasing or altering human memory of a particular period of time. One of the main protagonist falls prey to a plot set by one of IT professionals and is targeted and experimented on this project.

There are some strong female characters as well , very nicely portraying the importance of mental wellbeing , how our future will treat mental traumas with advancement of technology and how it can be a boon as well as Bane.

Book also shows a suspenseful ending, some spy team who are looking out for this technology and hinting for a second book in this series.
Profile Image for Mansi Sharma.
104 reviews
May 2, 2024
What will you do when you don’t understand what is reality or what is illusion, that’s what happened to Ilamara. In just 36 hours his life turned upside down, he didn’t understand whom to trust his friends or a girl named Maaya who his friends think is his imagination. Maaya is his team leader, a Tamil girl bold and beautiful she isn't shy to put an opinion and she only ever talks about work in their office never personal stuff but out of the blue one night, she messages him and tells him that she has a huge crush on him from this point on his life becomes unrealistic and his friends suspect that he as some kind of psychological problem which called erotomania!

After the Maaya incident, his friends and Maaya confuse him in the most and now he is super scared about his surroundings and the people..
Profile Image for Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill).
1,381 reviews3,649 followers
April 15, 2025
In this era of neuromarketing, brain chips, and artificial intelligence, the overlapping neurology, psychiatry, and technology are among the most sought-after topics of discussion. This novel discusses a vital topic concerning the intertwining of technology and mental health.

The importance of the IT sector and how much it influences our daily lives became evident in the latest events where a simple faulty update affected the functioning of aviation, health, banking, and many other sectors. In this novel, two IT professionals are involved in a life-changing yet controversial project with huge ethical ramifications.

The author shows us how little we know about ourselves and how a simple discovery can change our whole perspective toward life. The way the author has intricately woven psychology and mental health into the narration is laudable.

What I learned from this book
1) What is the relation between Nomphobia, FOMO, and mothers?
The term NOMOPHOBIA or NO MObile PHone PhoBIA is the fear of or anxiety caused by not having a working mobile phone. Various studies have shown that FOMO is one of the leading causes of missing out. We can’t blame the mobile phones for everything, though. Phones are helping us a lot in our daily lives by gathering knowledge, buying food, delivering groceries, traveling, and in many other ways. It is our inability of people to resist the addictive nature of these devices that is causing all the problems.

Mothers are now so much scared of their children’s mobile phone addiction. Many mothers know the importance of digital etiquette and teach their children how to deal with these devices. Sadly, there are still a few parents who, instead of guiding their children in the right way to use the gadgets, start blaming the gadgets for their shortcomings and their children’s. The author is showing this aspect of the parents.
“A typical Indian mother never misses connecting all their children’s shortcomings to mobile phone addiction.”


2) What is the digital generation gap?
It is the proposed gap between children and adults due to young people's natural ability to adapt to new technologies more successfully than older generations. The usage of abbreviations according to the new generation's urban slang and emojis is difficult for the older generation to understand.
“I did not understand what that emoji meant, so I scrolled up again, only to realize why 90s kids get mocked repeatedly. I shamelessly replied with another message.”


3) How do the movies influence Gen Alpha and Gen Z?
Wherever we go, discussions are being held regarding the influence movies have on Gen Alpha and Gen Z. The increasing presence of violent scenes and terrible language in some movies might influence youngsters to a certain extent. We can see the influence of film over them when we see them quoting the movie in everyday conversations. It seems those days when people quote literary masterpieces are almost over. Instead we can see the newer generation quoting some movie lines and terminaolgies and they enter the pop culture in a blink of an eye.

It is true the newer generations will have their own way of living and we should respect them. The problem arises when they start using terrible problematic terms from movies as a part of urban new gen slangs. For some youngsters, everything told affectionately straight from the heart is now a pick-up line; any genuine piece of advice is “Thantha Vibe (daddy in a derogatory slang),” and any opinion regarding culture or tradition is considered “Whatsapp Uncle’s musings.” There are only very few youngsters who stereotype anything and everything they see in their lives, while most of the others are very mature and know how to carry themselves pretty well. But a few people's misdeeds give a bad name to a whole generation.

We should be broad-minded to embrace the changing trends and imbibe what is good in every new generation. We should be able to differentiate between what is good and what is bad. The problem arises when some people try to imbibe what is terrible more or try to resist any new change, which is good, and we should accept it instead of resisting as it is good for society. We can see one such conversation regarding pickup lines and the influence of movies in this book
“I don’t have a destination in mind. I just wanted to drive around with you aimlessly,” I confessed.

“That’s an old movie pick-up line... But nice try,” Maaya said with a cheeky smile.

“Oh, is that a movie dialogue? I do not watch Indian movies often,” I said.

“Hmmm, so you only watch Hollywood movies?” Maaya asked.

“No... Every movie has the same story. There’s nothing new, so I do not watch movies much,” I said.”


4) The hypocrisy of youngsters when it comes to their marriages.
This has been a trend that has been on the rise for at least one century. The trend is now more noticeable due to the increased exposure of youngsters and their personal lives to the outside world via social media. Younger individuals are more into partying and enjoying their lives. They love the people who are bold and are party animals and will be their close friends. But when it comes to their marriage, they want more traditional clothes, wear simple clothes, and are not into party life and celebrations. This trend is more prevalent among males when selecting their better half. The author is showing us the sobriety of this situation in this book.

“In our society, girls who like to party get judged, and even the boys who love partying have double standards when it comes to wanting those girls as their partners. Hypocrites!”


5) What is erotomania?
We can see the concept of erotomania being discussed in this novel. This is a trend that is on the rise nowadays. The biggest problem is that some individuals try to glorify the actions of individuals struggling with erotomania, which causes trouble for many individuals.

. “It is a psychological disorder where someone - purely in their imagination - believes that another person loves them, is attracted to them, and wants to live with them. This illusory person can be a random individual they come across in their life or even a celebrity. Have we not seen this before... where some people target a big movie star, and spew lies about them, almost like they want their name to be ruined? This kind of madness is driven by misplaced desire. It is usually more common in women. But even men get it.”


6) What is the biggest problem the healthcare sector in India is facing right now?
India has few of the best Doctors and Hospitals in the world. Then, what is the problem with healthcare in India? WHO recently mentioned the importance of healthcare access and quality. When we are able to provide quality healthcare access to the whole population of India we can say that we have the best healthcare in the world. The main problem we are facing is the population. There is a higher number of patients than what we can deal with in our hospitals. The Doctor- Patient ratio will be also affected due to it. But India is moving in the right direction, and this ratio has already been brought under control in many places by controlling population growth and increasing the number of doctors and hospitals.
“We do not have enough facilities to cater to our population.”


7) What is Optogenetics?
Can we surgically remove our memories? This is a question many of us have thought of at least once in our lives when we go through difficult situations in our lives. Optogenetics is a method that uses light to control cells, including neurons. It combines genetics and optics to control specific cells. It is the area where one of the most fascinating areas of reasearch is happening in Medicine where they are trying to find out whether targeting particular areas of the brain can remove memories from our brain. Some people say it is not surgical removal but only potentially manipulating memories. It is a tricky topic to discuss as nobody has fully uncovered the mysteries related to it. The ground breaking research done at Stanford University and MIT might enable us to control our memories like never before. The research is still in budding stages, and we can hope that it will become successful in the future.
“Don’t they operate on people to remove their malignant tumors? Likewise, they can remove people’s bad memories and replace them with good, happy memories. That is all.”


8) Why do some couples love to travel on bikes rather than on any other mode of transport?
Some couples, especially newly married ones, prefer to travel via motorbikes rather than cars or public transport. Traveling on bikes might be riskier in some parts of India due to safety reasons and weather, but they still prefer it for various reasons. One reason they do is the intimacy factor that no other transportation modes can give you. If you are a bike enthusiast, you will understand more why some people love to travel via bikes, even if they have the world’s best car in their garage.
“Indian roads teach us that we should cross many ups and downs together. When that happens, we will feel much closer, and our intimacy will increase. And this happens only when we go on a motorbike.”


9) What is PTSD?
PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is something on the rise in modern society. The DSM-5 gives a clear description of it.

“Fear of separation from loved ones is common after traumatic events such as disasters, particularly when periods of separation from loved ones were experienced during the traumatic event. In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the central symptoms concern intrusions about, and avoidance of, memories associated with the traumatic event itself, whereas in separation anxiety disorder, the worries and avoidance concern the well-being of attachment figures and separation from them.”

In simple terms, PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, leading to persistent distress, anxiety, and difficulty coping with daily life.

The author is mentioning about PTSD in this book.

““You must have heard about PTSD, but you may not know how deep the pain is when one is affected by this. No matter how many days have gone by, I could not take the pain.


My favorite three lines from this book
“It is always a mentor who chooses us and not the other way around.”


“Your confusion is their data.”


“Sometimes, the memories inside us are like cancer cells, So there is nothing wrong in removing them.”


What could have been better?
Certain stereotypic comments are exchanged during the conversations between the characters in this novel that some people might find offensive. One such example is, “You don’t overreact like a boomer.” However, the good thing is that the author is not trying to glorify the offensive things the characters are saying, which are written as part and parcel of everyday human conversations.

The problem with this book is that some readers will feel the topic the author is trying to discuss is too unrealistic to believe. This is the problem that most authors will face when they try to write something innovative. It is the writing style that helps most authors overcome it to a certain extent, and Aravind, in this book, also has done a decent job about it.


Rating
3.5/5
If you are interested in technology and health, this book will be a decent choice to read.


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Profile Image for Anu Lal.
Author 21 books22 followers
April 30, 2024

In a world where our memories blend with technology, where the past shapes what's to come and our connections define who we are, there's a captivating story that digs deep into the heart of our existence. "The Memory Paradox" series explores our fundamental needs as humans, woven together with groundbreaking technologies that will shape the future.

The narrative tracks the journey of two youthful information technology specialists embarking upon a contentious venture, plunging recklessly into a convoluted network of intricate relationships and perplexing enigmas. Their expedition unveils an innovative technology capable of manipulating the human mind and conduct, sparking contemplation about the role of technology in our daily lives.

Right from the inaugural chapter, readers are ensnared within a realm of suspense and fascination, where unforeseen twists and turns maintain them perched at the edge of their seats. The storyline fluidly intermingles between different time frames, astonishing even the most discerning readers with its seismic shifts in direction.

What distinguishes "The Memory Paradox" is its meticulous attention to detail and exhaustive exploration of psychology and scientific domains. As protagonists Raj and Ilamaran navigate through their inner thoughts and external adversities, readers are escorted on an odyssey that blurs the demarcation between actuality and fantasy.

However, it is not solely the narrative that captivates; it is the characters who take the lead. Every character, from the main protagonists to the ancillary ensemble, is intricately crafted, infusing richness and depth into the storyline. Their uniqueness and trials strike a chord with readers, rendering the book engrossing and irresistible.

At its essence, "The Memory Paradox" epitomises a narrative of cooperation, fortitude, and the profound influence of technology on our existence. It provokes contemplation on memory, identity, and the moral implications of technological progress. As the storyline unfolds, readers are left pondering the potentials and repercussions of a reality where memories can be expunged and altered.

Penned by TE Aravind, "The Memory Paradox" stands as a testament to the allure of storytelling and the potency of imagination. Drawing from his Indian lineage and Tamilian heritage, Aravind crafts a tale that is both recognisable and otherworldly, extending an invitation to readers into a universe where cultures converge and chaos unveils its concealed splendour.

Whether one is an aficionado of science fiction, psychological thrillers, or simply revels in a compelling narrative, "The Memory Paradox" presents an offering for all. With its innovative and unique premise, gripping storyline, and intricately developed characters, it is no wonder that readers eagerly await the forthcoming instalment in this groundbreaking series. So, I strongly recommend you to accompany Aravind on this exhilarating voyage where fantasies transmute into reality and horizons are boundless.


133 reviews11 followers
May 1, 2024
THE MEMORY PARADOX: The Gift and The Curse of Human Memory by TE Aravind
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"Life is always going to be stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be convincing, and life doesn't."- Neil Gaiman

In an era where the boundaries between human consciousness and technological advancements blur, we often find ourselves looking for a higher power that governs the universe with its mighty powers.

A few days ago while going through my Kindle library I came across a fascinating title and after going through its synopsis I was so amazed that I instantly downloaded the ebook and started reading it.

At the heart of the narration of this book lies an imaginative story that dives into the needs of humankind and their dependence on new technologies. Talking about the premise underlines the story of IT professionals exploring solutions for complex technology like erasing or altering human memory for a particular period.

With great characters and seamless progression, it drags you into its world and makes your experience of knowing this world as real as possible.

What I also loved about the book was its world-building and how it uses technology and human emotions as the two building blocks to make us fall in love with the book & at the same time make us feel excited about the upcoming installment in the series.

The book is filled with strong characters, nicely portraying the importance of mental well-being, and how our future will treat mental traumas with the advancement of technology. It takes us on a journey to learn more about ourselves and how society changes.
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