What do you think?
Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More
What if genius isn't something you're born with—it's something you build?
Everyday Genius,
by six-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis, upgrades your everyday life through practical skills, whether it's memorizing names at a new job, doing lightning-fast mental math when it counts, honing decisive intuition, and beyond.
Written by Remember It! author Nelson Dellis with a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Barbara Oakley, Everyday Genius teaches you the skills that make genius-level thinking accessible to anyone. Better memory. Sharper focus. Faster learning. Creative problem-solving. No natural talent required, just the right methods. In 2009, after watching his grandmother struggle with Alzheimer's, Nelson Dellis set out to strengthen his own mind. That mission led to six USA Memory Championships, two Guinness World Records, and a career dedicated to proving that anyone can develop genius-level cognitive abilities. Everyday Genius teaches you to memorize names and faces instantly, speed-read with deep comprehension, calculate mentally with surprising accuracy, and focus intensely when it matters most. You'll learn strategies for chess and strategic games, techniques for acing exams and public speaking, and methods for creative problem-solving that help you see connections others miss. This audiobook gives you the mental toolkit for a sharper, more engaged life. At a time when outsourcing our thinking has never been easier, Everyday Genius shows you how to reclaim and strengthen your most valuable your brain. You have far more potential than you realize—an inner genius waiting to be awakened. This guide unlocks it.
Written by Remember It! author Nelson Dellis with a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Barbara Oakley, Everyday Genius teaches you the skills that make genius-level thinking accessible to anyone. Better memory. Sharper focus. Faster learning. Creative problem-solving. No natural talent required, just the right methods. In 2009, after watching his grandmother struggle with Alzheimer's, Nelson Dellis set out to strengthen his own mind. That mission led to six USA Memory Championships, two Guinness World Records, and a career dedicated to proving that anyone can develop genius-level cognitive abilities. Everyday Genius teaches you to memorize names and faces instantly, speed-read with deep comprehension, calculate mentally with surprising accuracy, and focus intensely when it matters most. You'll learn strategies for chess and strategic games, techniques for acing exams and public speaking, and methods for creative problem-solving that help you see connections others miss. This audiobook gives you the mental toolkit for a sharper, more engaged life. At a time when outsourcing our thinking has never been easier, Everyday Genius shows you how to reclaim and strengthen your most valuable your brain. You have far more potential than you realize—an inner genius waiting to be awakened. This guide unlocks it.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published March 17, 2026
About the author
Nelson Dellis
7 books82 followersNelson Charles Dellis is an American memory athlete, Grandmaster of Memory, mountaineer, published author, public speaker, and consultant. He is a four-time USA Memory Champion, tying the record for most wins of the national memory champion title. He is also one of the co-founders of Memory League
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 26, 2026
While I 5-star loved this book, I didn't like the tone of Dellis' advice, which is best captured in this quote:
Dellis' tone turned me off. Nonetheless, I found his tips extremely valuable. Especially for me as a high school teacher, I can implement many of his tips into my pedagogy. I'll go through his book section by section.
Chapter 1: Memory Mastery
Most of this chapter was review for me since I've already read Remember It!: The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and Everything Else You Tend to Forget. The only new thoughts I gained from this chapter are (1) the mind palace is hands down the best memory tool and (2) review is nonnegotiable for remembering things long term.
Chapter 2: Speed Reading 1001358481512118
This chapter was also not new to me since I've read other books on the subject; the best one was Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour. That said, I did learn some things from Dellis. For one, he's skeptical about the outrageous claims many speed reading books make, a skepticism I share: "Many of the extraordinary [speed reading] claims are unspported or habve been outright debunked, [but] much of the research actually supports the kinds of strategies I use, ones that lead to modest but meaningful improvements" (55). He also suggests drawings lines about an inch in on either side of the page, and not reading those words but focusing on the middle blob of text. Our brains will make sense of the sentences without the words on the edge of the page (as long as you don't draw the lines too far into the center of the page). He also suggests not to backtrack, to eliminate distractions, to practice, and to read in novel locations (pun intended) to help our brain remember what we read. Finally, he suggests writing down at least one note a day about what we read (in what he calls a commonplace book, modeled after Ben Franklin's) to help us remember it better.
Chapter 3: Focus on Concentration
Again, this chapter was largely review because I've read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, from which Dellis draws much of the information in this chapter. The biggest detriment to focus, of course, is the cell phone in our pocket. Even having it in your pocket or nearby is distracting. It's best to find a focus zone, Dellis writes, far away from your phone or anything else that competes for your attention. He also talks about using the Pomodoro technique, which I first learned about from A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science. Really, the only way to improve focus is to practice, to build up focus like you would strengthen a muscle.
Chapter 4: Learning Mastery
I keep saying the same thing: I have learned most of this chapter previously from Barbara Oakley's books. The biggest impression this chapter made on me, though, was the essential need for spaced repetition to move things into our long-term memory. Dellis will say later in this book that it takes using a new voab word 38 times before it sticks in long-term memory. This chapter makes me want to investigate how to use Quizlet personally, and how to teach students to best use Quizlet, to achieve optimal spaced repetition practice.
Chapter 5: Mental Calculation
I almost skipped this chapter because it's about how to quickly do math in your head, including difficult things like multi-digit multiplication and long division, but I'm glad I soldiered through. The coolest part about this chapter was the magic square trick. With a little memorization, you can make a 4x4 magic square (where every diagonal, row, column, and even the corners and the four 2x2 squares within the 4x4 grid) add up to the same number.
How to calculate the day of the week from any date was very cool. I knew the method of doing this that Lewis Carroll invented, but I didn't know the one Dellis presented.
Chapter 6: Problem-Solving and Creativity
The parts of this chapter that I liked were, first, learning Warren Buffett's 5/25 rule. Buffett says to write down the 25 things you most want to accomplish in life. Circle the top 5. Then consider the remaining 20 the enemy. They are barriers to achieving your top 5, so ruthlessly cut them out of your life. Second, I like the "flip the problem upside-down" trick: think of the problem from the opposite angle, or ask yourself, "What is the WORST solution to this problem?" Often, that will lead to, ironically, a great solution. Third, Dellis repeats some of Barbara Oakley's advice: when stuck on a problem, take a walk, be bored, go to sleep — in other words, stop focusing on the problem and let your diffused mode of thinking work on it.
Chapter 7: Strategic Thinking
This chapter was my favorite! Dellis tells the story of how he was recruited to be part of a card-counting team to make money in Las Vegas at the blackjack tables. It's a cool story! Dellis teaches us how to do it ourselves. It's tempting to try it, but casinos don't like it, and if they catch you, they'll boot you, possibly even ban you, from their establishment.
The part in this chapter about solving a Rubik's cube was cool, too. I'd like to practice that so that I can actually solve a cube.
Chapter 8: Social Skills Mastery
He regurgigates a lot of How to Win Friends & Influence People in this chapter, which is not a bad thing--but just read that book if you want to improve your social skills! He also talks about how to speak better (use a mind palace to memorize your speech; move beyond your surface lexicon; use inflection and pauses) and tell stories better (hang on to Donald Miller's definition that a story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it; use in media res; follow the setup-conflict-resolution formula; tell stories not about things that happened to you but things that affected you).
Chapter 9: Beyond Genius
This chapter is weird. Dellis admits as much. He tells the story of being recruited--not for another elite card-counting team, but for a remote viewing team that would use the powers of the mind to predict the future, such that the team leaders could make a killing in the stock market. Dellis talks about how the CIA did extensive research on remote viewing in order to spy on the Russians. It involves seeing things in one's mind halfway across the world and having out-of-body experiences and lucid dreams on command.
I tried the exercise at the end of the book--Nelson linked an image to a number and asked the reader to figure out the image that he linked just in his mind. It didn't work for me. I came up with a blue S-shaped river, nowhere close to the correct image.
Nonetheless, remote viewing is fascinating, and I believe there may be some truth to it (because I do believe in the spirtual world, which is even more real than our physical one).
You can use someone's body language, their handwriting, or being in tune with their emotions and responses to your advantage (239).Although he's not as explicit in the other parts of the book as he is here, this is the overall thrust of all his tips: employ these tips to gain an advantage over others.
Dellis' tone turned me off. Nonetheless, I found his tips extremely valuable. Especially for me as a high school teacher, I can implement many of his tips into my pedagogy. I'll go through his book section by section.
Chapter 1: Memory Mastery
Most of this chapter was review for me since I've already read Remember It!: The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and Everything Else You Tend to Forget. The only new thoughts I gained from this chapter are (1) the mind palace is hands down the best memory tool and (2) review is nonnegotiable for remembering things long term.
Chapter 2: Speed Reading 1001358481512118
This chapter was also not new to me since I've read other books on the subject; the best one was Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour. That said, I did learn some things from Dellis. For one, he's skeptical about the outrageous claims many speed reading books make, a skepticism I share: "Many of the extraordinary [speed reading] claims are unspported or habve been outright debunked, [but] much of the research actually supports the kinds of strategies I use, ones that lead to modest but meaningful improvements" (55). He also suggests drawings lines about an inch in on either side of the page, and not reading those words but focusing on the middle blob of text. Our brains will make sense of the sentences without the words on the edge of the page (as long as you don't draw the lines too far into the center of the page). He also suggests not to backtrack, to eliminate distractions, to practice, and to read in novel locations (pun intended) to help our brain remember what we read. Finally, he suggests writing down at least one note a day about what we read (in what he calls a commonplace book, modeled after Ben Franklin's) to help us remember it better.
Chapter 3: Focus on Concentration
Again, this chapter was largely review because I've read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, from which Dellis draws much of the information in this chapter. The biggest detriment to focus, of course, is the cell phone in our pocket. Even having it in your pocket or nearby is distracting. It's best to find a focus zone, Dellis writes, far away from your phone or anything else that competes for your attention. He also talks about using the Pomodoro technique, which I first learned about from A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science. Really, the only way to improve focus is to practice, to build up focus like you would strengthen a muscle.
Chapter 4: Learning Mastery
I keep saying the same thing: I have learned most of this chapter previously from Barbara Oakley's books. The biggest impression this chapter made on me, though, was the essential need for spaced repetition to move things into our long-term memory. Dellis will say later in this book that it takes using a new voab word 38 times before it sticks in long-term memory. This chapter makes me want to investigate how to use Quizlet personally, and how to teach students to best use Quizlet, to achieve optimal spaced repetition practice.
Chapter 5: Mental Calculation
I almost skipped this chapter because it's about how to quickly do math in your head, including difficult things like multi-digit multiplication and long division, but I'm glad I soldiered through. The coolest part about this chapter was the magic square trick. With a little memorization, you can make a 4x4 magic square (where every diagonal, row, column, and even the corners and the four 2x2 squares within the 4x4 grid) add up to the same number.
How to calculate the day of the week from any date was very cool. I knew the method of doing this that Lewis Carroll invented, but I didn't know the one Dellis presented.
Chapter 6: Problem-Solving and Creativity
The parts of this chapter that I liked were, first, learning Warren Buffett's 5/25 rule. Buffett says to write down the 25 things you most want to accomplish in life. Circle the top 5. Then consider the remaining 20 the enemy. They are barriers to achieving your top 5, so ruthlessly cut them out of your life. Second, I like the "flip the problem upside-down" trick: think of the problem from the opposite angle, or ask yourself, "What is the WORST solution to this problem?" Often, that will lead to, ironically, a great solution. Third, Dellis repeats some of Barbara Oakley's advice: when stuck on a problem, take a walk, be bored, go to sleep — in other words, stop focusing on the problem and let your diffused mode of thinking work on it.
Chapter 7: Strategic Thinking
This chapter was my favorite! Dellis tells the story of how he was recruited to be part of a card-counting team to make money in Las Vegas at the blackjack tables. It's a cool story! Dellis teaches us how to do it ourselves. It's tempting to try it, but casinos don't like it, and if they catch you, they'll boot you, possibly even ban you, from their establishment.
The part in this chapter about solving a Rubik's cube was cool, too. I'd like to practice that so that I can actually solve a cube.
Chapter 8: Social Skills Mastery
He regurgigates a lot of How to Win Friends & Influence People in this chapter, which is not a bad thing--but just read that book if you want to improve your social skills! He also talks about how to speak better (use a mind palace to memorize your speech; move beyond your surface lexicon; use inflection and pauses) and tell stories better (hang on to Donald Miller's definition that a story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it; use in media res; follow the setup-conflict-resolution formula; tell stories not about things that happened to you but things that affected you).
Chapter 9: Beyond Genius
This chapter is weird. Dellis admits as much. He tells the story of being recruited--not for another elite card-counting team, but for a remote viewing team that would use the powers of the mind to predict the future, such that the team leaders could make a killing in the stock market. Dellis talks about how the CIA did extensive research on remote viewing in order to spy on the Russians. It involves seeing things in one's mind halfway across the world and having out-of-body experiences and lucid dreams on command.
I tried the exercise at the end of the book--Nelson linked an image to a number and asked the reader to figure out the image that he linked just in his mind. It didn't work for me. I came up with a blue S-shaped river, nowhere close to the correct image.
Nonetheless, remote viewing is fascinating, and I believe there may be some truth to it (because I do believe in the spirtual world, which is even more real than our physical one).
April 22, 2026
3.75⭐️ Overall, I enjoyed this book and the many techniques that Dellis provides for remembering different types of information. Dellis provides a lot of examples to further explain the techniques, which I found very helpful. I also appreciated the genius spotlights and insight into how certain techniques and habits strengthened their capability.
The only section of the book that caused me to lose interest was the section on gambling and counting cards. It’s just not really my thing and the section seemed quite long.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.
The only section of the book that caused me to lose interest was the section on gambling and counting cards. It’s just not really my thing and the section seemed quite long.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.
August 10, 2026
I liked the parts of the book that I could grasp; mental math, focused reading, and chess tips being among them. I'll read his other book "Remember It!" that deals more with memory palaces, then perhaps go through this one again not via audio.
April 12, 2026
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book.
This books says it is “hacks to boost your memory” and I went into it looking for some quick tricks to assist my memory. I know the biggest thing is always going to be practice, but I was hoping to ease in. While this book does have some quick tricks, it starts out by giving detailed instructions on long, laborious methods of memory training, and honestly, I was close to DNFing at that point. I would love to have a better memory, but it isn’t my number one priority, and I’m not going to dive in and spend hours a day on a memory palace.
I did not DNF at that point, and I’m glad I didn’t. There are quick tricks and hacks that can be incorporated into life, that’s just not where the book starts.
The author has several good micro-meditation strategies that are very achievable. Things like focusing on your breath for two minutes, or staring at a dot on the paper for one. He also has strategies for going beyond the basic, and I appreciate having room for growth.
I listened to the audiobook, and while I enjoyed it (it is a great audiobook) I would recommend reading it, or at least having a hard copy in hand while you listen. It’s the type of book where you want to underline and tab pages for reference later, and that just isn’t possible with an audiobook. As I said, there are long passages that are written for people who really want to dig in and become an expert, and I don’t feel the need to reread those parts soon. I do want to find little things I can implement in my day to day life and try adding those one at a time. I’m already looking forward to getting a physical copy and reading it slowly.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.
This books says it is “hacks to boost your memory” and I went into it looking for some quick tricks to assist my memory. I know the biggest thing is always going to be practice, but I was hoping to ease in. While this book does have some quick tricks, it starts out by giving detailed instructions on long, laborious methods of memory training, and honestly, I was close to DNFing at that point. I would love to have a better memory, but it isn’t my number one priority, and I’m not going to dive in and spend hours a day on a memory palace.
I did not DNF at that point, and I’m glad I didn’t. There are quick tricks and hacks that can be incorporated into life, that’s just not where the book starts.
The author has several good micro-meditation strategies that are very achievable. Things like focusing on your breath for two minutes, or staring at a dot on the paper for one. He also has strategies for going beyond the basic, and I appreciate having room for growth.
I listened to the audiobook, and while I enjoyed it (it is a great audiobook) I would recommend reading it, or at least having a hard copy in hand while you listen. It’s the type of book where you want to underline and tab pages for reference later, and that just isn’t possible with an audiobook. As I said, there are long passages that are written for people who really want to dig in and become an expert, and I don’t feel the need to reread those parts soon. I do want to find little things I can implement in my day to day life and try adding those one at a time. I’m already looking forward to getting a physical copy and reading it slowly.
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC.
April 16, 2026
"Everyday Genius" is a practical, engaging guide to improving memory and learning that goes well beyond simple “party tricks.” Nelson Dellis lays out a full system covering memory palaces, studying and mastery, speed reading, mental math, strategy, and everyday applications like social situations.
The opening chapters can feel dense and technical, especially around long-form memory training, but those who keep going find plenty of quick, realistic techniques and micro-exercises they can add to daily life.
It teaches you to absorb large amounts of information efficiently and helps you learn complex material.
Dellis explains concepts and breaks big ideas into simple, actionable steps that deliver real results if you’re willing to practice.
I recommend getting a print or ebook edition since the math-heavy and example-rich sections are much easier to follow, highlight, and revisit on the page than on an audiobook. Some critics have given the books 3 stars because it works poorly as audiobooks, but I'm rating the content, which is 5 stars.
Overall, this is a strong choice if you’re serious about boosting your memory and learning skills and are willing to put in some work—ideally with a physical or digital copy you can mark up—rather than just skimming quick tips.
Dellis repeatedly emphasizes that "genius" is attainable for everyone if you're willing to put in a bit of effort and learn some clever tricks and shortcuts.
The opening chapters can feel dense and technical, especially around long-form memory training, but those who keep going find plenty of quick, realistic techniques and micro-exercises they can add to daily life.
It teaches you to absorb large amounts of information efficiently and helps you learn complex material.
Dellis explains concepts and breaks big ideas into simple, actionable steps that deliver real results if you’re willing to practice.
I recommend getting a print or ebook edition since the math-heavy and example-rich sections are much easier to follow, highlight, and revisit on the page than on an audiobook. Some critics have given the books 3 stars because it works poorly as audiobooks, but I'm rating the content, which is 5 stars.
Overall, this is a strong choice if you’re serious about boosting your memory and learning skills and are willing to put in some work—ideally with a physical or digital copy you can mark up—rather than just skimming quick tips.
Dellis repeatedly emphasizes that "genius" is attainable for everyone if you're willing to put in a bit of effort and learn some clever tricks and shortcuts.
April 25, 2026
After watching his grandmother struggle with Alzheimer's, six-time USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis set out to prove that genius-level cognitive abilities can be developed through the right methods rather than natural talent. Everyday Genius provides a mental toolkit to help you memorise names, speed-read, calculate mentally, and master complex games or public speaking. In an era of outsourced thinking, this guide teaches you to reclaim and strengthen your brain, offering practical strategies for a sharper, more focused, and creatively engaged life.
"Mental toolkit" is exactly the right term for this guide. It is packed with tips and tricks to memorise facts and process information quickly. Even though we rely more and more on technology to support our thinking, I still believe that having a strong memory is a massive advantage and a great personal bonus.
One thing to note is that the book doesn’t pad the content with stories, and it isn't particularly conversational. It is very concise and to the point - diving directly into practical steps you can follow. The only downside is that it can feel a bit clinical at times, almost like a textbook. Because of that, I’d recommend using it as a reference guide that you can easily flip through whenever you need help with a specific topic.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
"Mental toolkit" is exactly the right term for this guide. It is packed with tips and tricks to memorise facts and process information quickly. Even though we rely more and more on technology to support our thinking, I still believe that having a strong memory is a massive advantage and a great personal bonus.
One thing to note is that the book doesn’t pad the content with stories, and it isn't particularly conversational. It is very concise and to the point - diving directly into practical steps you can follow. The only downside is that it can feel a bit clinical at times, almost like a textbook. Because of that, I’d recommend using it as a reference guide that you can easily flip through whenever you need help with a specific topic.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
August 6, 2026
This book was not what I was expecting. This was a recommendation by Barbara Oakley on her newsletter. I thought this was going to be more up the alley of Learning How to Learn. For some chapters it kind of is. But then it gets into counting cards in black jack, mentalist/magician tricks, etc. It seemed all over the place, which might not be a bad thing, but it was definitely a mashup of all kinds of stuff that make you SEEM like a genius. This is not the information I was looking for. Not that I was trying to become a genius. I just need to setup a study routine for the next 2 months and thought this would give me information and tricks on sharpening my mind for that. I didn't expect a chapter filled with countering cards and remote viewing, so unless I'm remote viewing the answers to the national exam I need to take it had very little to offer. All the great nuggets are in the first few chapters.
March 27, 2026
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book! The following are my own opinions!
While I’m impressed with Nelson Dellis’ ability to MacGyver his memory, I don’t recommend the audiobook if you are a visual learner. This book is very heavily maths centric.
Nelson did share many interesting facts throughout the book, I didn’t know that Leonardo was a procrastinator, which makes me feel a little bit better about myself. Hah. His encouragement to read more and always seek self improvement is motivating! I’m very impressed by the World records he has broken. He hones in on how to sharpen many skills, so if you wanting to read faster, do maths faster or just exercise your brain, I think this is a good read. Is it all stuff I’ve never heard before? No, but some might find this to be a handy resource.
While I’m impressed with Nelson Dellis’ ability to MacGyver his memory, I don’t recommend the audiobook if you are a visual learner. This book is very heavily maths centric.
Nelson did share many interesting facts throughout the book, I didn’t know that Leonardo was a procrastinator, which makes me feel a little bit better about myself. Hah. His encouragement to read more and always seek self improvement is motivating! I’m very impressed by the World records he has broken. He hones in on how to sharpen many skills, so if you wanting to read faster, do maths faster or just exercise your brain, I think this is a good read. Is it all stuff I’ve never heard before? No, but some might find this to be a handy resource.
April 14, 2026
Reminded me a lot of Moonwalking with Einstein! After pushing through some heavy, dense background on memory training in the beginning, I was pleasantly relieved to see the author describe how we can easily and quickly insert some of these tricks into our regular lives. I listened to the audiobook and I feel like a book like this would probably be best absorbed in print, where I could highlight and easily go back and review what I'd just learned. Listening makes it hard to really grasp some of the numerical examples. But I'm looking forward to listening again or grabbing a hard copy to reinforce some of the learnings! But the author narrates the audiobook and I definitely think that enhanced the experience, given the deep knowledge of the subject that he conveyed.
Thanks NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
Thanks NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.
October 5, 2026
mixed bag. sometimes the advice was actually really thoughtful and good! i never even thought about the system he uses to memorize numbers. other times i feel like i already knew what he was saying and he was just rehashing the same things over and over. sometimes it felt like he was talking about how to look smart more than how to actually be smart.
April 30, 2026
This book was perfectly fine. I enjoyed the backstory the rest of it. I felt this would be better in a workbook or course style. Because the way it was presented felt more like it could be from anywhere. His story was great, and the processes seemed good. As an audiobook, though, as I had it, I thought it would be better at some type of app or something like that..
May 9, 2026
A book about boosting your memory and focus
wishlist-shelfari
June 1, 2026
June 19, 2026
Tons of things to try, this is more of a book you work on than a read.
June 20, 2026
The first half was useful techniques. The later half went into a different direction than expected. While I believe in a lot of woowoo stuff, that isn't what I read this book looking for.
July 17, 2026
This book did not engage me. I get that he's a smart successful dude but the book was a lot of humblebragging which I did not care for.
Did Not Finish
July 26, 2026First half (or maybe third?) was great, but the rest of it I mostly skipped through because it wasn’t helpful or applicable and definitely not interesting!
August 15, 2026
A collection of interesting and sometimes randomly useful tips.
August 21, 2026
Interesting ideas, and I did find some helpful tips in here. But for the most part I find dudes like this to be insufferable. Male writers, amirite?
July 6, 2026
The title summarizes the book quit well.
Admittedly, some of the tips and tricks seem almost more complicated for me than just trying to memorize facts. However, there are a few ideas that I have applied to my life intuitively, long before I ever read this book.. which obviously means that I have shown signs of natural genius!!! Ok- all joking aside, I do wish that the book had stuck with memory improving tips and tricks, in the end it went into intuition and trying to have "out of body" experiences which I have NO interest in. I skipped those sections. I just want to be a genius, I don't want weird experiences, thank you. Also, I was hoping to be able to read this book and hand it off to teenage readers, but alas, along with the aformentioned weird stuff there are also several moments were the author recommends using "sexual" clues to help with memory. The idea being that the more outlandish your clues are, the more likely you are to remember them. However, not sure I want to encourage young teens to think in this way. Alas...
Age recommendation: 18+
Content warnings: author recommends using "sexual" clues/hints to help with memory, meditation, atheism, "intuition", "out of body" experiences, ponders death and illness, takes the Lord's name in vain a couple of times, I think there was maybe one curse word.
Admittedly, some of the tips and tricks seem almost more complicated for me than just trying to memorize facts. However, there are a few ideas that I have applied to my life intuitively, long before I ever read this book.. which obviously means that I have shown signs of natural genius!!! Ok- all joking aside, I do wish that the book had stuck with memory improving tips and tricks, in the end it went into intuition and trying to have "out of body" experiences which I have NO interest in. I skipped those sections. I just want to be a genius, I don't want weird experiences, thank you. Also, I was hoping to be able to read this book and hand it off to teenage readers, but alas, along with the aformentioned weird stuff there are also several moments were the author recommends using "sexual" clues to help with memory. The idea being that the more outlandish your clues are, the more likely you are to remember them. However, not sure I want to encourage young teens to think in this way. Alas...
Age recommendation: 18+
Content warnings: author recommends using "sexual" clues/hints to help with memory, meditation, atheism, "intuition", "out of body" experiences, ponders death and illness, takes the Lord's name in vain a couple of times, I think there was maybe one curse word.
March 28, 2026
Book 3 ⭐
Nelson Dellis offers a comprehensive and accessible system to help anyone remember and recall a range of information, not just small details. He covers studying and mastery, speed reading, mental math, creative problem-solving, strategy, and applying memory to social situations. Chapter 4 on mastery and how to study better feels especially useful for students of all ages and anyone studying for professional licensing exams.
I also liked that this is a book you don't have to read linearly. You can skip to the sections that address what you need. Even if you only read Chapter 1, you’ll get something useful out of it because Dellis explains how the system works before he gets into the details. That makes it easy to understand the framework first and then decide what parts you want to use.
The value of this book is not a single chapter, but the collection of various mind skills to take your intelligence and literacy to another level. It's a reference book.
If I were still in school or studying for licensing exams and had to memorize things, this book would've been exceptionally helpful for remembering material I really didn't care about. ADHD makes that especially difficult. I wouldn't have had to read and struggle through large passages in dusty textbooks. I could focus on memorizing key details and recalling them on cue.
Also chapter 3 may be particularly useful for people with ADHD. However, it's typical life coaching advice for people new to the concepts.
This book is full of incredibly helpful material if you want to expand what your brain can do.
Nelson Dellis offers a comprehensive and accessible system to help anyone remember and recall a range of information, not just small details. He covers studying and mastery, speed reading, mental math, creative problem-solving, strategy, and applying memory to social situations. Chapter 4 on mastery and how to study better feels especially useful for students of all ages and anyone studying for professional licensing exams.
I also liked that this is a book you don't have to read linearly. You can skip to the sections that address what you need. Even if you only read Chapter 1, you’ll get something useful out of it because Dellis explains how the system works before he gets into the details. That makes it easy to understand the framework first and then decide what parts you want to use.
The value of this book is not a single chapter, but the collection of various mind skills to take your intelligence and literacy to another level. It's a reference book.
If I were still in school or studying for licensing exams and had to memorize things, this book would've been exceptionally helpful for remembering material I really didn't care about. ADHD makes that especially difficult. I wouldn't have had to read and struggle through large passages in dusty textbooks. I could focus on memorizing key details and recalling them on cue.
Also chapter 3 may be particularly useful for people with ADHD. However, it's typical life coaching advice for people new to the concepts.
This book is full of incredibly helpful material if you want to expand what your brain can do.
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