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Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering
“Fascinating and useful . . . The distinguished memory researcher Scott A. Small explains why forgetfulness is not only normal but also beneficial.”—Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Code Breaker and Leonardo da Vinci
Who wouldn’t want a better memory? Dr. Scott Small has dedicated his career to understanding why memory forsakes us. As director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University, he focuses largely on patients who experience pathological forgetting, and it is in contrast to their suffering that normal forgetting, which we experience every day, appears in sharp relief.
Until recently, most everyone—memory scientists included—believed that forgetting served no purpose. But new research in psychology, neurobiology, medicine, and computer science tells a different story. Forgetting is not a failure of our minds. It’s not even a benign glitch. It is, in fact, good for us—and, alongside memory, it is a required function for our minds to work best.
Forgetting benefits our cognitive and creative abilities, emotional well-being, and even our personal and societal health. As frustrating as a typical lapse can be, it’s precisely what opens up our minds to making better decisions, experiencing joy and relationships, and flourishing artistically.
From studies of bonobos in the wild to visits with the iconic painter Jasper Johns and the renowned decision-making expert Daniel Kahneman, Small looks across disciplines to put new scientific findings into illuminating context while also revealing groundbreaking developments about Alzheimer’s disease. The next time you forget where you left your keys, remember that a little forgetting does a lot of good.
Who wouldn’t want a better memory? Dr. Scott Small has dedicated his career to understanding why memory forsakes us. As director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University, he focuses largely on patients who experience pathological forgetting, and it is in contrast to their suffering that normal forgetting, which we experience every day, appears in sharp relief.
Until recently, most everyone—memory scientists included—believed that forgetting served no purpose. But new research in psychology, neurobiology, medicine, and computer science tells a different story. Forgetting is not a failure of our minds. It’s not even a benign glitch. It is, in fact, good for us—and, alongside memory, it is a required function for our minds to work best.
Forgetting benefits our cognitive and creative abilities, emotional well-being, and even our personal and societal health. As frustrating as a typical lapse can be, it’s precisely what opens up our minds to making better decisions, experiencing joy and relationships, and flourishing artistically.
From studies of bonobos in the wild to visits with the iconic painter Jasper Johns and the renowned decision-making expert Daniel Kahneman, Small looks across disciplines to put new scientific findings into illuminating context while also revealing groundbreaking developments about Alzheimer’s disease. The next time you forget where you left your keys, remember that a little forgetting does a lot of good.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published July 13, 2021
123 people are currently reading
3726 people want to read
About the author
Scott A. Small
4 books35 followersScott A. Small is a physician specializing in aging and dementia and a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University, where he is the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He has run a National Institutes of Health–funded laboratory for nearly twenty years and has published more than 130 studies on memory function and malfunction. His work has been covered by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time. He was raised in Israel and lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 22, 2021
I read this book but I forget what it's about. Just kidding!
It's about a little-known feature of the brain: active forgetting. Our brains do this in order to generalize and heal. In telling this neurological tale, we also get a survey of the brain systems involved including the hippocampus, as well as the hub-and-spoke model of semantic memory.
The author seems new to writing and the book could have done with more editing. There are a few too many personal anecdotes for my taste. But the subject matter is worthwhile.
It's about a little-known feature of the brain: active forgetting. Our brains do this in order to generalize and heal. In telling this neurological tale, we also get a survey of the brain systems involved including the hippocampus, as well as the hub-and-spoke model of semantic memory.
The author seems new to writing and the book could have done with more editing. There are a few too many personal anecdotes for my taste. But the subject matter is worthwhile.
July 8, 2021
Forgetting brings together a variety of areas of brain research to explore the benefits of our tendency to forget. This is examined through the experience of autistic people and those with ptsd in early chapters. Both show ways that too much memory can make it difficult to function. Other chapters explore the role sleep plays in helping us forget, making room for our ability to make new memories the next day.
The last two chapters explore alzheimers disease through the research that currently exists. There are still many questions about the disease that have of been answered. As someone without a scientific background I was able to follow along without much difficulty. The ending may frustrate readers looking for more answers because there is still much to learn about the disease. But it is good to know that research is rapidly progressing.
Most of us will witness alzheimers in a friend or family member so I find it comforting to learn more about how the disease progresses. This book won't give you any tools to help stop your own experience of forgetting. But it might help you better accept it as a necessary part of life. Anyone interested in neuroscience and how the brain works should pick this up. It is accessible and easy to read for the science enthusiast.
The last two chapters explore alzheimers disease through the research that currently exists. There are still many questions about the disease that have of been answered. As someone without a scientific background I was able to follow along without much difficulty. The ending may frustrate readers looking for more answers because there is still much to learn about the disease. But it is good to know that research is rapidly progressing.
Most of us will witness alzheimers in a friend or family member so I find it comforting to learn more about how the disease progresses. This book won't give you any tools to help stop your own experience of forgetting. But it might help you better accept it as a necessary part of life. Anyone interested in neuroscience and how the brain works should pick this up. It is accessible and easy to read for the science enthusiast.
July 15, 2021
A consideration of the research and brain science that guides our current understanding of memory and memory loss, Forgetting reads more like a yard sale of stories and information than a coherent narrative. I was interested in the book’s thesis - that forgetting is actually a good thing, an optimal capacity of a healthy brain - but the chapters never quite settled in to deliver on that promise. I did appreciate the author’s sensitivity and sense of humor, which makes his storytelling enjoyable.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
August 12, 2021
This book is interesting in that it introduces the idea that forgetting is not inherently bad.
"Discovering that Nature granted us separate molecular toolboxes actively dedicated to memory on the one hand and forgetting on the other clearly refutes the common view that forgetting is just failing memory. But this does not necessarily mean that normally occurring forgetting is beneficial—a seductive and potentially false conclusion."
I love how the author gives us a breakdown of the 3 main anatomical actors within the brain. This information enables the reader to better follow/understand the contrast between memorizing and forgetting in this book.
The brain is composed of the posterior area, which is where many of our most cherished memories are stored. The brain is also composed of the hippocampus, which "allows the brain to properly save these memories". And last but not least....the prefrontal cortex, located right behind our foreheads, is the general area that helps us open and retrieve memories.
The reason i'm giving this book 3 stars is because it rarely addresses the main topic. The 2nd half of this book dives into deep neurological issues that deviate from the overarching theme of the book. This section also ends up being boring as well in comparison to the first half.
The main benefit of forgetting, along with the sub benefits of sorts i got from this book, are listed below.
Main benefit: both normal memory and normal forgetting work in unison to balance our minds so that we can easily engage in chaotic and sometimes hurtful environments."
Sub benefits:
1. Behavioral flexibility, enabling t he mind to remove irrelevant thoughts and replace it with new ones.
2. The ability to Generalize: People with autism can memorize just about anything...but as a result, they get caught up in the specifics. This specific focus results in the lack of ability to generalize/see the bigger picture. Forgetting certain specifics enables us to better see the general view of something.
Overall this is a solid book...but it didn't focus enough on forgetting and focused a lot more on just general neurology.
"Discovering that Nature granted us separate molecular toolboxes actively dedicated to memory on the one hand and forgetting on the other clearly refutes the common view that forgetting is just failing memory. But this does not necessarily mean that normally occurring forgetting is beneficial—a seductive and potentially false conclusion."
I love how the author gives us a breakdown of the 3 main anatomical actors within the brain. This information enables the reader to better follow/understand the contrast between memorizing and forgetting in this book.
The brain is composed of the posterior area, which is where many of our most cherished memories are stored. The brain is also composed of the hippocampus, which "allows the brain to properly save these memories". And last but not least....the prefrontal cortex, located right behind our foreheads, is the general area that helps us open and retrieve memories.
The reason i'm giving this book 3 stars is because it rarely addresses the main topic. The 2nd half of this book dives into deep neurological issues that deviate from the overarching theme of the book. This section also ends up being boring as well in comparison to the first half.
The main benefit of forgetting, along with the sub benefits of sorts i got from this book, are listed below.
Main benefit: both normal memory and normal forgetting work in unison to balance our minds so that we can easily engage in chaotic and sometimes hurtful environments."
Sub benefits:
1. Behavioral flexibility, enabling t he mind to remove irrelevant thoughts and replace it with new ones.
2. The ability to Generalize: People with autism can memorize just about anything...but as a result, they get caught up in the specifics. This specific focus results in the lack of ability to generalize/see the bigger picture. Forgetting certain specifics enables us to better see the general view of something.
Overall this is a solid book...but it didn't focus enough on forgetting and focused a lot more on just general neurology.
April 19, 2021
Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A Small is a fascinating and accessible look at how forgetting works in the brain and why it is beneficial when functioning normally. While the explanations are detailed Small manages to explain neurological concepts in terms most readers can understand and appreciate.
The funny thing about forgetting is that it has long been subtly believed to be good to an extent (for instance, my long time comments about not bothering to remember things I don't need) while also being something we're all afraid of. Basically the difference between selective forgetting and pathological forgetting. What we haven't understood until recently is just how much forgetting is a natural part of our memory and knowledge making as well as how forgetting plays a role in many different conditions.
Small does a wonderful job of walking us through understanding the processes involved and the different disciplines where forgetting is important, whether our natural forgetting or when we forget too much or too little.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy more detailed popular science books and especially those curious about our brains, our psychological make-up, and what the current science has to say about it all. While I have played up the accessibility aspect, this book is also an engaging read that was fun from beginning to end.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
The funny thing about forgetting is that it has long been subtly believed to be good to an extent (for instance, my long time comments about not bothering to remember things I don't need) while also being something we're all afraid of. Basically the difference between selective forgetting and pathological forgetting. What we haven't understood until recently is just how much forgetting is a natural part of our memory and knowledge making as well as how forgetting plays a role in many different conditions.
Small does a wonderful job of walking us through understanding the processes involved and the different disciplines where forgetting is important, whether our natural forgetting or when we forget too much or too little.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy more detailed popular science books and especially those curious about our brains, our psychological make-up, and what the current science has to say about it all. While I have played up the accessibility aspect, this book is also an engaging read that was fun from beginning to end.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
May 27, 2021
It would be nice to pick and choose forgetfulness, but that isn't how it works. I just visited an elderly relative who is beginning to suffer from some form of dementia. Her short term memory is vanishing, sadly, she seems to recognizes that fact., scary. This was as an enlightening read about memory and forgetfulness. As I am creeping into my senior years, it's feeling like I should go armed, aware of my brain and how it works and how it can impact my future life. Well worth the read.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
August 15, 2021
it wasn't about the brain, it was about Alzheimer's. It's not bad, it's just limited.
August 6, 2022
Just out here being grateful for all the things I don't remember(!)
October 22, 2024
Read in one afternoon, that lucid & engaging. Highly recommended if you're interested, even if, like me, you think you have a good idea of those benefits. Careful use of data and science.
"The more effective way to artificially create human computational flexibility is to force the computer's algorithm to have more forgetting." (dropout)
Francis Crick said, "We dream in order to forget."
Stephen Spender described his creative process, "A dim cloud of an idea which ... must be condensed into a shower of words."
"Creativity requires preexisting associations- requires memory - but they must remain loose and playful."
"Because of his poor metamemory, [my patient] denied that his condition had worsened, and he refused to surrender his keys and stopped driving" until his family had to take him to court and Dr. Small had to testify against him.
Alzheimer's: " as family members need to care more and more for the patient, the patient can sometimes gradually stop caring about them."
Reading the book will also help you learn more about such as: Emotional forgetting. Forgive and forget. PTSD. Ethics and morality. Amnesty as from the Greek for amnestia. Etc.
"The more effective way to artificially create human computational flexibility is to force the computer's algorithm to have more forgetting." (dropout)
Francis Crick said, "We dream in order to forget."
Stephen Spender described his creative process, "A dim cloud of an idea which ... must be condensed into a shower of words."
"Creativity requires preexisting associations- requires memory - but they must remain loose and playful."
"Because of his poor metamemory, [my patient] denied that his condition had worsened, and he refused to surrender his keys and stopped driving" until his family had to take him to court and Dr. Small had to testify against him.
Alzheimer's: " as family members need to care more and more for the patient, the patient can sometimes gradually stop caring about them."
Reading the book will also help you learn more about such as: Emotional forgetting. Forgive and forget. PTSD. Ethics and morality. Amnesty as from the Greek for amnestia. Etc.
March 14, 2021
Intriguing New Science. For much of human history and even for much of the last few hundred years - when our scientific knowledge has seemingly gone into warp drive itself, sleep was said to be nothing more than the land of dreams, that humans could work at peak efficiency without much of it at all. Forgetfulness, even in many circles now, has been seen as a negative of various extremes, from embarrassing to debilitating.
But what if we've had it all wrong, and forgetting is actually one of our more *useful* adaptations? What if sleep actually plays a significant part of this process?
Here, neuroscientist Small examines what we've learned - in many cases, much of it over the last decade in particular - about just how imperative forgetfulness is to the very existence of the human body and human society more generally. From the social/ societal benefits all the way to the molecular, intra-cranial benefits, Small examines it all in a text that is clear enough to work in the "popular science" realm while still giving plenty of technical and precise details. Very much recommended.
But what if we've had it all wrong, and forgetting is actually one of our more *useful* adaptations? What if sleep actually plays a significant part of this process?
Here, neuroscientist Small examines what we've learned - in many cases, much of it over the last decade in particular - about just how imperative forgetfulness is to the very existence of the human body and human society more generally. From the social/ societal benefits all the way to the molecular, intra-cranial benefits, Small examines it all in a text that is clear enough to work in the "popular science" realm while still giving plenty of technical and precise details. Very much recommended.
January 10, 2022
"Forgetting is required for emotional well-being: for letting go of resentments, neurotic fears, and hurtful experiences that fester. Too much memory or too little forgetting imprisons with pain. Forgetting is required for societal health and for creativity, lightening the mind for those eureka moments when unexpected associations are made. Without forgetting, all flights of creative fancy would be moored by memory."
August 31, 2021
I liked the subject of this book. Acknowledges you can’t remember anything before three due to brain maturation. Lots arguments presented on how the brain works and protects itself. You don’t want to remember everything.
July 31, 2021
A nice overview of the brain science related to memory. I was disappointed that the subtitle on benefits if not remembering was not fleshed out more fully.
June 7, 2023
Zabrałam się za tę książkę, by dowiedzieć się czegoś więcej na temat pamięci, ponieważ całe życie zmagam się z tym, że mam ją po prostu słabą. Czy dostarczyła mi odpowiedzi? Owszem.
To była naprawdę dobra książka z rodzaju tych, które UWIELBIAM. Fakt, nie kupiła mnie aż tak jak ta o Szczepieniach Davida Isaacsa, ale to dlatego, że ze wspomnianym autorem nadawaliśmy na tych samych falach oraz nasze zainteresowania leżą w tym samym obszarze.
W książce o zapominaniu autor również snuje opowieść, więc nie jest to czysto podręcznikowa pozycja (chwała mu za to!), ale w mniejszym stopniu nawiązuje kontakt z czytelnikiem. Co nie zmienia tego, że ta lektura wciąga całkowicie i nie można się oderwać - nie przesadzam, zaczęłam ją w niedzielny poranek i skończyłam cztery godziny później. Dodatkowo jest wzbogacona ilustracjami przedstawiającymi poruszane zagadnienia, co oczywiście pozwala lepiej zrozumieć czytelnikom poruszane zagadnienie. Jeśli jeszcze nie wyczuliście tego z tonu w jakim o niej piszę, to wiedzcie, że zostałam nią oczarowana!
Na początku autor opowiada o działaniu pamięci, porusza budowę mózgu, zachodzące procesy i takie tam naukowe sprawy - oczywiście, wszystko to zostało przedstawione jak najbardziej przystępnie, by każdy był w stanie zrozumieć.
W kolejnych rozdziałach pochyla się nad autyzmem, nad zespołem stresu pourazowego, nad hormonami, nad strachem i stresem, na wpływie wszystkiego na zapominanie, oczywiście nie mogło też zabraknąć rozdziału o Alzhaimerze, a w zasadzie dwóch.
Mnie najbardziej zainteresowało zjawisko słabej pamięci, tak po prostu, bo dotyczy mnie, dostaję również rozdział i na ten temat, który z jednej strony mnie uspokoił, bo to nie warunkuje bym wobec tego miała jakiś większy problem za pasem, jednocześnie zasmucił, bo tak mam i muszę z tym żyć, ale i pouczył na ten temat, a to najważniejsze.
W epilogu autor pochyla się nad postępami i zostawia nam nadzieje na nowe odkrycia i zmiany.
Co wyniosłam z tej książki? Wiele, ale głównie to, że równowaga między pamiętaniem i zapominaniem jest bardzo ważna.
A, w sposób naturalny przeplatają się tu też informacje na temat Judaizmu i Izraela, z którego autor pochodzi.
Podsumuję to tak...
Masz słabą pamięć? Nowa wiedza po kilku dniach wyparowuje Ci z głowy? Zapamiętanie czegoś zajmuje Ci więcej czasu niż innym? Zapraszam do rozdziału szóstego tej książki, znajdziesz tam odpowiedzi na nękające pytanie DLACZEGO TAK MASZ?
Ode mnie 8/10. Świetna i krótka pozycja, napisana z pasją i zaangażowaniem, stawia na klarowność i konkrety!
Współpraca barterowa z wydawnictwem Bo Wiem.
To była naprawdę dobra książka z rodzaju tych, które UWIELBIAM. Fakt, nie kupiła mnie aż tak jak ta o Szczepieniach Davida Isaacsa, ale to dlatego, że ze wspomnianym autorem nadawaliśmy na tych samych falach oraz nasze zainteresowania leżą w tym samym obszarze.
W książce o zapominaniu autor również snuje opowieść, więc nie jest to czysto podręcznikowa pozycja (chwała mu za to!), ale w mniejszym stopniu nawiązuje kontakt z czytelnikiem. Co nie zmienia tego, że ta lektura wciąga całkowicie i nie można się oderwać - nie przesadzam, zaczęłam ją w niedzielny poranek i skończyłam cztery godziny później. Dodatkowo jest wzbogacona ilustracjami przedstawiającymi poruszane zagadnienia, co oczywiście pozwala lepiej zrozumieć czytelnikom poruszane zagadnienie. Jeśli jeszcze nie wyczuliście tego z tonu w jakim o niej piszę, to wiedzcie, że zostałam nią oczarowana!
Na początku autor opowiada o działaniu pamięci, porusza budowę mózgu, zachodzące procesy i takie tam naukowe sprawy - oczywiście, wszystko to zostało przedstawione jak najbardziej przystępnie, by każdy był w stanie zrozumieć.
W kolejnych rozdziałach pochyla się nad autyzmem, nad zespołem stresu pourazowego, nad hormonami, nad strachem i stresem, na wpływie wszystkiego na zapominanie, oczywiście nie mogło też zabraknąć rozdziału o Alzhaimerze, a w zasadzie dwóch.
Mnie najbardziej zainteresowało zjawisko słabej pamięci, tak po prostu, bo dotyczy mnie, dostaję również rozdział i na ten temat, który z jednej strony mnie uspokoił, bo to nie warunkuje bym wobec tego miała jakiś większy problem za pasem, jednocześnie zasmucił, bo tak mam i muszę z tym żyć, ale i pouczył na ten temat, a to najważniejsze.
W epilogu autor pochyla się nad postępami i zostawia nam nadzieje na nowe odkrycia i zmiany.
Co wyniosłam z tej książki? Wiele, ale głównie to, że równowaga między pamiętaniem i zapominaniem jest bardzo ważna.
A, w sposób naturalny przeplatają się tu też informacje na temat Judaizmu i Izraela, z którego autor pochodzi.
Podsumuję to tak...
Masz słabą pamięć? Nowa wiedza po kilku dniach wyparowuje Ci z głowy? Zapamiętanie czegoś zajmuje Ci więcej czasu niż innym? Zapraszam do rozdziału szóstego tej książki, znajdziesz tam odpowiedzi na nękające pytanie DLACZEGO TAK MASZ?
Ode mnie 8/10. Świetna i krótka pozycja, napisana z pasją i zaangażowaniem, stawia na klarowność i konkrety!
Współpraca barterowa z wydawnictwem Bo Wiem.
September 13, 2023
Professor Scott Small's "Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering" is a seminal work that upends conventional wisdom on the nature of memory and forgetfulness. Small's interdisciplinary exploration offers a nuanced perspective on what society often dismisses as a cognitive failure. He argues compellingly that forgetfulness is not a bug but a feature—an essential element of human cognition.
Highlights:
The Traditional Viewpoint: For ages, forgetfulness has been stigmatized as a cognitive shortcoming. Books and therapies have flooded the market, all aimed at enhancing memory retention, echoing the prevalent view of forgetfulness as a 'technical failure.'
A Paradigm Shift: Small disrupts this narrative with empirical evidence, painting forgetfulness as a 'cognitive gift.' He posits that our brain's ability to selectively distort and even erase information serves a critical adaptive function, making us more agile thinkers.
The Psychological Angle: Small’s thesis resonates with philosophical insights, reminiscent of Nietzsche's reflections on forgetfulness. He argues that the selective act of forgetting enables us to focus on what truly matters, thus enhancing our decision-making and problem-solving faculties.
The Neurobiological Underpinning: One of the most compelling sections of the book is Small’s discussion on sleep as a cognitive purifier. He suggests that sleep acts as a filter, scrubbing our minds of irrelevant information to allow for optimal functioning.
Practical Implications: This book isn't a mere academic exercise. Small’s insights have broad ramifications—from mental health treatments to our understanding of intelligence. He encourages us to reframe our views on forgetfulness as an evolutionary advantage rather than a glitch.
Final Thoughts:
In a world obsessed with cognitive enhancement and memory improvement, Professor Scott Small's "Forgetting" stands as a defiant and refreshing counterpoint. It is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the complexities of the human mind and willing to challenge the societal norms that define cognitive success.
Highlights:
The Traditional Viewpoint: For ages, forgetfulness has been stigmatized as a cognitive shortcoming. Books and therapies have flooded the market, all aimed at enhancing memory retention, echoing the prevalent view of forgetfulness as a 'technical failure.'
A Paradigm Shift: Small disrupts this narrative with empirical evidence, painting forgetfulness as a 'cognitive gift.' He posits that our brain's ability to selectively distort and even erase information serves a critical adaptive function, making us more agile thinkers.
The Psychological Angle: Small’s thesis resonates with philosophical insights, reminiscent of Nietzsche's reflections on forgetfulness. He argues that the selective act of forgetting enables us to focus on what truly matters, thus enhancing our decision-making and problem-solving faculties.
The Neurobiological Underpinning: One of the most compelling sections of the book is Small’s discussion on sleep as a cognitive purifier. He suggests that sleep acts as a filter, scrubbing our minds of irrelevant information to allow for optimal functioning.
Practical Implications: This book isn't a mere academic exercise. Small’s insights have broad ramifications—from mental health treatments to our understanding of intelligence. He encourages us to reframe our views on forgetfulness as an evolutionary advantage rather than a glitch.
Final Thoughts:
In a world obsessed with cognitive enhancement and memory improvement, Professor Scott Small's "Forgetting" stands as a defiant and refreshing counterpoint. It is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the complexities of the human mind and willing to challenge the societal norms that define cognitive success.
September 13, 2021
Super interesting especially since my mom passed away from complications with Alzheimer’s. I always wondered the differences in plain old age forgetfulness and dementia and Alzheimer’s were. Dr Small goes in to great detail, almost loses me with the science talk, but I powered through. I found it interesting and although my mom was not able to see the benefits of so much research, I am hopeful that someday there will be a cure.
January 29, 2024
A bit too academic and meandering at times, but what a great resource to understanding the phenomenon of forgetting!
September 17, 2023
Scientifically rigorous. Interesting explorations of different ailments of the mind; i.e, terrible memory compensated by executive brain functioning. Appreciated the anecdote of Dr. X. Would have wanted more in depth exploration of nostalgia.
January 24, 2024
Fascinating and useful indeed! Skimmed through some seemingly dry stories to get to the science and data. I loved learning more about the brain!
August 23, 2021
Interesting enough, if not a little limited/specific.
April 15, 2022
Because my mother died of Alzheimer's at age 67, I've feared the disease all the more, especially now that I'm in my early 60s. But I read this book - as part of research for a book - and found it really interesting and accessible and not too scary.
For me, it offered a new way of looking at Alzheimer's/dementia (and our fears about "forgetting" stuff and/or inheriting Alzheimer's). The good news for those of us who get alarmed when we can't remember something: "The onset of forgetting may be benign or even helpful rather than the beginning of a tragedy.” (this is a pithy book jacket blurb.)
It's a relatively easy read, as books by neuroscientists go. The book explained (to me) some things about my mom (her memory capacity during various stages of her illness; how her artwork was affected by her illness) and about her offspring (our chances of getting the disease, gulp) while raising other questions including whether mom had "early" or "late" onset, which I gather makes a difference in our chances of inheriting dementia or the usefulness of genetic testing. The late kind (beginning in 60s or later) is a far more common type and less hereditary/genetic component).
MAIN POINTS:
- He distinguishes between "normal forgetting" and "pathological forgetting" (the scary dementia-related kind.)
- He distinguishes between early onset Alzheimer's (starting ages 30, 40, 50) and Alzheimer's (starting in 60s), which made me wonder which one my mom had. This has bearing for us because it makes a difference when trying to figure out our odds of getting it. Early onset makes up about 1 percent of Alzheimer's cases and has more of a genetic component.
- He also talks about how art experts studied Willem de Kooning's later art, when he had had full- blown Alzheimer's, to see if/how the quality changed. I've wondered about this with my mom's later art. They concluded that de Kooning's art largely remained "high caliber" until the very last stage of dementia, inferring that somehow artists get a pass (vs. I'm guessing writers or other professions) when it comes to Alzheimer's destroying their careers/creative ability.
For me, it offered a new way of looking at Alzheimer's/dementia (and our fears about "forgetting" stuff and/or inheriting Alzheimer's). The good news for those of us who get alarmed when we can't remember something: "The onset of forgetting may be benign or even helpful rather than the beginning of a tragedy.” (this is a pithy book jacket blurb.)
It's a relatively easy read, as books by neuroscientists go. The book explained (to me) some things about my mom (her memory capacity during various stages of her illness; how her artwork was affected by her illness) and about her offspring (our chances of getting the disease, gulp) while raising other questions including whether mom had "early" or "late" onset, which I gather makes a difference in our chances of inheriting dementia or the usefulness of genetic testing. The late kind (beginning in 60s or later) is a far more common type and less hereditary/genetic component).
MAIN POINTS:
- He distinguishes between "normal forgetting" and "pathological forgetting" (the scary dementia-related kind.)
- He distinguishes between early onset Alzheimer's (starting ages 30, 40, 50) and Alzheimer's (starting in 60s), which made me wonder which one my mom had. This has bearing for us because it makes a difference when trying to figure out our odds of getting it. Early onset makes up about 1 percent of Alzheimer's cases and has more of a genetic component.
- He also talks about how art experts studied Willem de Kooning's later art, when he had had full- blown Alzheimer's, to see if/how the quality changed. I've wondered about this with my mom's later art. They concluded that de Kooning's art largely remained "high caliber" until the very last stage of dementia, inferring that somehow artists get a pass (vs. I'm guessing writers or other professions) when it comes to Alzheimer's destroying their careers/creative ability.
July 16, 2023
I had high hopes for this book, based on the title. Would there be tips on how to "unremember" things. Would forgetting tie into remembering so I could, maybe, remember all those things I want to do when I head out to run errands? What are the benefits of not remembering?
I found this in the remainders bin at a discount bookstore. I see why. This is a college anatomy class turned book. It starts out promising, as the author; an MD with very solid credentials in Alzheimer's research and treatment; talks about a man who came to him with memory concerns. But, less time is spent on the title of the book than is spent explaining brain anatomy and chemistry.
This book should be on the shelf of every medical professional who deal with memory issues. Beyond that, the deep details of brain structure aren't likely to appeal to a general reader. I still don't know what the benefits of not remembering are, other than it keeps the brain, perhaps, more clear to remember good stuff.
As a writer myself, I'll possibly come back to this when writing characters. "There was this one book which talked about memory. What did that author say?" But for a general reader, it's not interesting. It's too complicated and dry. That's a shame. The premise is good. It simply wasn't executed well.
I found this in the remainders bin at a discount bookstore. I see why. This is a college anatomy class turned book. It starts out promising, as the author; an MD with very solid credentials in Alzheimer's research and treatment; talks about a man who came to him with memory concerns. But, less time is spent on the title of the book than is spent explaining brain anatomy and chemistry.
This book should be on the shelf of every medical professional who deal with memory issues. Beyond that, the deep details of brain structure aren't likely to appeal to a general reader. I still don't know what the benefits of not remembering are, other than it keeps the brain, perhaps, more clear to remember good stuff.
As a writer myself, I'll possibly come back to this when writing characters. "There was this one book which talked about memory. What did that author say?" But for a general reader, it's not interesting. It's too complicated and dry. That's a shame. The premise is good. It simply wasn't executed well.
February 28, 2022
Too much name dropping. More about the author himself than the premise about forgetting being a beneficial feature of our lives.
October 17, 2023
I wish I could forget I read this book.
Read
April 25, 2023I to jest książka, którą warto przeczytać. "ZAPOMINAMY o działaniu pamięci i zaletach niepamiętania" Scott'a A. Small'a, to pozycja, która nie tylko uczy, ale i podnosi na duchu w jakiś dziwny, trochę pokrętny, ale jakże fascynujący sposób - mianowicie nasz dobry humor zależy tu od zapominania.
To, na co należy tutaj zwrócić szczególną uwagę, to autor, który jest pełen ciepła, wyrozumiałości i zainteresowania w stosunku nie tylko do swoich pacjentów, ale także do każdego, kto jego książkę będzie czytał. Small potrafi jasno i klarownie formułować zdania, myśli, co sprawa, że odbiorca, słuchacz, czytelnik podczas lektury nie czuje się zasypywany trudnymi, medycznymi określeniami i faktami, a raczej spokojnie płynie po morzu wiedzy o pamięci.
Do ZAPOMINAMY wręcz mnie przyssało, bo już sam początek pięknie wprowadza w cud niepamięci. Lekarz z troską pochyla się nad wątpliwościami, obawami i paranojami pacjentów, ale taż nad "prawdziwymi", a raczej prawdziwie poważnymi problemami. Choroba Alzheimera jest tu "postacią" wiodącą, straszną diagnozą, ale też interesującą opowieścią o tym, jak nasz mózg jest niezwykły i jak mało o nim wciąż wiemy.
Scott A. Small przytacza wiele przykładów, sytuacji, które napotkał na swojej zarówno zawodowej, jak i prywatnej drodze. Skrzętnie pokazuje nam magię PAMIĘCI i NIEPAMIĘCI i to, że zarówno jedno, jak i drugie jest nam niezbędne do prawidłowego funkcjonowania. Jasno udowadnia, że gdybyśmy wszystko pamiętali, bylibyśmy niezdolni do życia w społeczeństwie i tak jak Funes Borgesa musielibyśmy siedzieć zamknięci w pokoju modląc się o brak jakichkolwiek zmian.
Przyznaję, że książka bardzo mi się podobała, ale najbardziej podoba mi się autor, który z wielką delikatnością i mądrością prowadzi czytelnika przez trudne tematy. Jego szacunek do pacjentów i troska o nich sprawia, że nie da się nie czuć do niego sympatii a sympatia do nauczyciela jest najlepszym gwarantem zaangażowania ucznia.
Jeśli boicie się, że zapominanie, gdzie się odłożyło kluczyki do samochodu - jest pierwszą oznaką poważnej choroby, to przeczytajcie tę książkę, a może odetchniecie z ulgą, bo zapominanie ratuje nas od szaleństwa. (oczywiście nie namawiam do bagatelizowania problemów - zawsze, jeśli coś was martwi, należy skonsultować się ze specjalistą)
ZAPOMINAMY porusza bardzo ważną sferę naszego życia - pamięć. Umysł potrafi ratować nas od wiecznego smutku i żalu, dzięki czemu łatwiej zacząć od nowa. Jest też strażnikiem twarzy, które rozpoznajemy na ulicy nawet po latach niewidzenia. Jednak umysł jest również wrażliwy, delikatny, a nawet jedna trauma może zmienić go na zawsze. Tak naprawdę książka Small'a, to piękna baśń o narządzie, który odpowiada za to, kim jesteśmy - a kim byśmy byli bez pamięci? To pytanie niestety muszą sobie zadawać chorzy na np. Alzheimera i członkowie ich rodzin. Oby nam to było oszczędzone.
zapomniałam, jak mi było źle
by żyć pamiętając o tym, co było dobre
Seria z Linią
Wydawnictwo UJ
bo.wiem
To, na co należy tutaj zwrócić szczególną uwagę, to autor, który jest pełen ciepła, wyrozumiałości i zainteresowania w stosunku nie tylko do swoich pacjentów, ale także do każdego, kto jego książkę będzie czytał. Small potrafi jasno i klarownie formułować zdania, myśli, co sprawa, że odbiorca, słuchacz, czytelnik podczas lektury nie czuje się zasypywany trudnymi, medycznymi określeniami i faktami, a raczej spokojnie płynie po morzu wiedzy o pamięci.
Do ZAPOMINAMY wręcz mnie przyssało, bo już sam początek pięknie wprowadza w cud niepamięci. Lekarz z troską pochyla się nad wątpliwościami, obawami i paranojami pacjentów, ale taż nad "prawdziwymi", a raczej prawdziwie poważnymi problemami. Choroba Alzheimera jest tu "postacią" wiodącą, straszną diagnozą, ale też interesującą opowieścią o tym, jak nasz mózg jest niezwykły i jak mało o nim wciąż wiemy.
Scott A. Small przytacza wiele przykładów, sytuacji, które napotkał na swojej zarówno zawodowej, jak i prywatnej drodze. Skrzętnie pokazuje nam magię PAMIĘCI i NIEPAMIĘCI i to, że zarówno jedno, jak i drugie jest nam niezbędne do prawidłowego funkcjonowania. Jasno udowadnia, że gdybyśmy wszystko pamiętali, bylibyśmy niezdolni do życia w społeczeństwie i tak jak Funes Borgesa musielibyśmy siedzieć zamknięci w pokoju modląc się o brak jakichkolwiek zmian.
Przyznaję, że książka bardzo mi się podobała, ale najbardziej podoba mi się autor, który z wielką delikatnością i mądrością prowadzi czytelnika przez trudne tematy. Jego szacunek do pacjentów i troska o nich sprawia, że nie da się nie czuć do niego sympatii a sympatia do nauczyciela jest najlepszym gwarantem zaangażowania ucznia.
Jeśli boicie się, że zapominanie, gdzie się odłożyło kluczyki do samochodu - jest pierwszą oznaką poważnej choroby, to przeczytajcie tę książkę, a może odetchniecie z ulgą, bo zapominanie ratuje nas od szaleństwa. (oczywiście nie namawiam do bagatelizowania problemów - zawsze, jeśli coś was martwi, należy skonsultować się ze specjalistą)
ZAPOMINAMY porusza bardzo ważną sferę naszego życia - pamięć. Umysł potrafi ratować nas od wiecznego smutku i żalu, dzięki czemu łatwiej zacząć od nowa. Jest też strażnikiem twarzy, które rozpoznajemy na ulicy nawet po latach niewidzenia. Jednak umysł jest również wrażliwy, delikatny, a nawet jedna trauma może zmienić go na zawsze. Tak naprawdę książka Small'a, to piękna baśń o narządzie, który odpowiada za to, kim jesteśmy - a kim byśmy byli bez pamięci? To pytanie niestety muszą sobie zadawać chorzy na np. Alzheimera i członkowie ich rodzin. Oby nam to było oszczędzone.
zapomniałam, jak mi było źle
by żyć pamiętając o tym, co było dobre
Seria z Linią
Wydawnictwo UJ
bo.wiem
Read
August 8, 2023What would happen if you could remember everything? Why do we forget? What would happen if we couldn't make any more memories? Forgetting-The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A. Small includes accurate representations of why forgetting is healthy for our brains, he explains cases of patients who forget nothing and some who forget everything, and describes the medical reasoning behind forgetting. Scott shows the reader that forgetting is actually very healthy and essential for living. Forgetting is a way to cope with trauma and process emotions. In the book, you will learn about a patient who, due to a life altering brain surgery to cure seizures, is now unable to make any new memories. You will see a young boy, Freddy, who, due to autism, is able to remember most things and suffers from sensory overloads in any changing situation. He even takes us into his own world of trauma from past wars with his friends, which, due to forgetting, does not suffer from PTSD. He also shares how dendrites and spines, and all things scientific work to store memories and get rid of memories, as well as how they malfunction in cases like dementia, alzheimer's, and autism. Overall, this book was a pretty good read, but it definitely isn't for anyone. This book would be good for doctors and scientist's who study the brain, because some parts were hard to understand, due to my lack of knowledge of brain parts and systems. It would also be good for someone with a loved one that suffers from one of these memory conditions. It explains them very well and also shows both sides of these memory disorders.
July 12, 2025
My Mom suffered from Alzheimer’s and we watched the disease progress over several decades from mild forgetfulness and repetition to a profound loss. At the beginning, Mom would just use the jokey line from an old poem to say ‘My rememberer is broke’. At the end, Mom could not remember my name. But Mom mostly retained her cheerfulness and would still sing. So there was something of Mom still there at the end, a small consolation. So I picked up this book with some dread but I really wanted to try to understand what was known of the cause of this disease.
Dr. Small does a good job explaining the brain mechanics of memory and, paradoxically, why forgetting is so important. He’s a self-described reductionist, as I expect most neurologists, are but he is still in awe when he sees the donated brain of a deceased long-time patient. It’s sobering to learn that a neurologist cannot always distinguish between a neuron from a human being’s brain from that of a fly or a rat. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something special about the ‘person’ with that human brain.
I like the way Dr. Small uses stories and analogy to simplify without being condescending. I like his clear explanation of how autism and normal aging affect memory, as well as what distinguishes Alzheimer’s from other conditions.
The only reason I gave this a 4 and not a 5 is that I just wish it was longer. Maybe there will be a sequel when Dr. Small writes a memoir.
Dr. Small does a good job explaining the brain mechanics of memory and, paradoxically, why forgetting is so important. He’s a self-described reductionist, as I expect most neurologists, are but he is still in awe when he sees the donated brain of a deceased long-time patient. It’s sobering to learn that a neurologist cannot always distinguish between a neuron from a human being’s brain from that of a fly or a rat. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something special about the ‘person’ with that human brain.
I like the way Dr. Small uses stories and analogy to simplify without being condescending. I like his clear explanation of how autism and normal aging affect memory, as well as what distinguishes Alzheimer’s from other conditions.
The only reason I gave this a 4 and not a 5 is that I just wish it was longer. Maybe there will be a sequel when Dr. Small writes a memoir.
August 8, 2021
Printre numeroasele metafore pentru memorie, cea a unui computer personal este una bună. De fapt, este mai bine decât o simplă metaforă, modul în care funcționează un computer personal se dovedește a fi o analogie excelentă pentru modul în care creierul nostru stochează, salvează și recuperează amintiri. Nu este o coincidență, deoarece atât inginerii de computere, cât și cei ce studiază creierul trebuie să rezolve aceleași trei probleme în a învăța cum să gestioneze cel mai bine cantități mari de informații: unde să stochezi amintiri, cum să salvezi amintiri în zona de stocare dedicată și cum să deschizi și să recuperezi amintirile la cerere. Pentru acest joc de memorie, creierul nostru are trei actori anatomici principali. O colecție de regiuni către partea din spate a creierului, pe care, pentru simplitate, o voi numi zona posterioară, este locul unde sunt stocate multe dintre cele mai prețuite amintiri ale noastre. O structură îngropată adânc în cortexul temporal al creierului, hipocampul, permite creierului să salveze corect aceste amintiri. Iar o zonă din cortexul prefrontal, situată chiar în spatele frunții noastre, este zona generală care ne ajută să deschidem și să recuperăm amintiri. Ori de câte ori salvați un document pe hard diskul computerului sau deschideți un fișier stocat anterior, vă jucați cu memoria computerului, la fel cum creierul dvs. face cu al dvs.
February 15, 2022
this book was very insightful. i love how the author brought in out-of-the-box ideas for how beneficial forgetting can be, for example including benefits for PTSD healing, alzheimer’s, and many other real life diseases. i also love how an easy-read this was. there were not a lot of hard words and everything was generally easy to understand, even the science that i have never studied or know of before. my favorite part about this book is how the author mentions his patients as examples and hooks for his stories and evidences, which also made it felt like i was reading a story based novel rather than a book about facts, his characters (the patients) had real life issues and i had developed connections with them, he also mentions their his patients development in terms of their illness and their relationship with the author. you can see how emotional each patient’s story gets and it’s almost inspiring. this book is more than just science facts blurbed out to the reader, there’s a story you can follow and you learn things along the way that may or may not be intended. for example, beside manners, how doctors develop relationships with their patients, etc. it’s a very inspiring story and a really good read and i recommend to any science head who wants a simple but inspiring novel.
January 11, 2025
Zapominamy to, co było nieprzyjemne i złe, między innymi po to, by pamiętać to, co było dobre.
Zapominanie jest potrzebne do dobrego funkcjonowania, zachowania odpowiedniego samopoczucia. Dzięki niemu dokonujemy selekcji informacji - ważne, nieważne, istotne, drugorzędne. Wpływa ono również na relacje społeczne, towarzyskie, pozwala we właściwy sposób funkcjonować w grupie, dzięki czemu możemy poprawić nasze samopoczucie, mając świadomość, że w niepamiętaniu nie ma nic złego. To jedna z tez postawionych w tej książce.
Jest ona próbą odpowiedzi na pytanie: pamiętać czy nie pamiętać? Jakie wynikają z każdej z tych sytuacji konsekwencje i czym one są uwarunkowane? Jaką rolę odgrywa utrwalanie w pamięci wydarzeń, emocji? Autor w przystępny i jasny sposób przedstawia zawiłości neurologiczne działania mózgu. Odwołuje się do swoich obserwacji i badań, nawiązuje również do choroby Alzheimera, stresu pourazowego, spektrum autyzmu, stereotypów i mitów związanych z pamięcią. Pomimo specjalistycznej terminologii czyta się ją dobrze. Udało się tu zachować równowagę między naukowością, a przystępnością formy i języka.
Zapominanie jest potrzebne do dobrego funkcjonowania, zachowania odpowiedniego samopoczucia. Dzięki niemu dokonujemy selekcji informacji - ważne, nieważne, istotne, drugorzędne. Wpływa ono również na relacje społeczne, towarzyskie, pozwala we właściwy sposób funkcjonować w grupie, dzięki czemu możemy poprawić nasze samopoczucie, mając świadomość, że w niepamiętaniu nie ma nic złego. To jedna z tez postawionych w tej książce.
Jest ona próbą odpowiedzi na pytanie: pamiętać czy nie pamiętać? Jakie wynikają z każdej z tych sytuacji konsekwencje i czym one są uwarunkowane? Jaką rolę odgrywa utrwalanie w pamięci wydarzeń, emocji? Autor w przystępny i jasny sposób przedstawia zawiłości neurologiczne działania mózgu. Odwołuje się do swoich obserwacji i badań, nawiązuje również do choroby Alzheimera, stresu pourazowego, spektrum autyzmu, stereotypów i mitów związanych z pamięcią. Pomimo specjalistycznej terminologii czyta się ją dobrze. Udało się tu zachować równowagę między naukowością, a przystępnością formy i języka.
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