Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory

by Andrew E. Budson, Elizabeth A. Kensinger, Daniel L. Schacter PhD (Foreword)

Remember things better by understanding how your memory works.

If memory is a simple thing, why does it so often go awry? Why is forgetting so common? How can you be certain about something you remember--and be wrong about it? Why is it so difficult to remember people's names? How can you study hard for an exam but not be able to recall the material on the test? In Why We Forget, Dr. Andrew Budson and Dr. Elizabeth Kensinger address these questions and more, using their years of experience to guide readers into better memory.

Why We Forget and How to Remember Better shows you how to use these answers to improve your memory. In its pages you will
· How memory's most important function isn't to help you remember details from your past.
· How memory is actually a collection of different abilities.
· How you create, store, and retrieve memories of your daily life.
· Ways to control what you remember and what you forget.
· Ways to distinguish between a true and false memory.
· Effective ways to study for an exam.
· How to remember people's names, all your passwords, 50 digits of Pi, and anything else you wish.
· How memory changes in normal aging, Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and other disorders-including COVID brain fog.
· How exercise, nutrition, alcohol, cannabis, sleep, mindfulness, and music affect your memory.

Why We Forget and How to Remember Better uses the science of memory to empower you with the knowledge you need to remember better, whether you are a college student looking to ace your next exam, a business professional preparing a presentation, or a healthcare worker needing to memorize the 600+ muscles in the human body.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Self Help, Brain, Medical, Neuroscience

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 4, 2023

Reviews

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This non fiction book contained some interesting information about memory but most that I already knew. Some of the information regarding health and BMI were outdated but the overall messaging about memory/mental was good.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why We Forget and How to Remember
By Andrew E. Budson
This book has an extensive description of all the how's and why's dealing with the title. I have found this subject fascinating for a long time, and this book has all I have read in several other books in this single book. Although I didn't find anything earth shaking new, others might find this filled with a world of gems pertaining to the subject. Well done.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of the tips in this book I'd either heard before or had figured out on my own, but a few were new to me. I appreciated that the book includes lots of health information backed by credible studies.

[Lidya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate to tell you guys but um... I've forgotten most of this book 😬

But I wanna tentatively say that the most important thing I gleaned from it was to be ✨present ✨in the moment

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to libro.fm and Tantor Media Inc. for an ALC of this book to listen to and review.

Is it horrible of me to admit that I finished listening to this almost a month ago and I pretty much remember nothing about it?

It's more difficult for me to make comments on audio books on GoodReads, as I tend to listen to audio books while driving and typing on my phone when I should be paying attention to the road isn't something I make it a habit to do. So as I result, I don't have much to jog my memory about this book.

I remember the beginning was depressing, because it discussed all of the health ailments and how aging messes with memory. The part about the "memory palace" wasn't overly useful to me, because in order to remember something simple, one has to get incredibly complex to work at committing something to memory and I just don't have the time or brain power to do so. I guess I'm lazy or rather use my brain power and time for something else.

I do write things down or verbally repeat something out loud if I don't need to remember something forever, but just long enough to make it into the next room without going, "Dang, what was I coming in here for again?" My memory is rather poor however, which is why I was hoping this book would make a difference to me.

I vaguely recall that this was interesting as I was listening to it, but again, I don't have any specifics to cite. I can't say it was a bad book, but it didn't do anything to cement itself into my memory.

2, isn't it ironic, stars.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Book On Memory I Can Remember

This was a truly amazing book on memory!

Quite possibly the best book I've read on learning strategies for best recovering memory, finding out why we forget things, and how to optimize your memory.

I really got a lot of tips out of this book and found it structured really well.

A must read for people who want to optimize their learning with great strategies and tips.

Highly recommended!

4.6/5

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is an excellent book that is well written and researched, friendly, informative, and ultimately useful. It can help answer a lot of questions people have about memory, such as why we forget keys, get in car accidents while distracted, determining if memory issues are age or the beginning of Alzheimers, best ways of remembering new people's names or memorizing a presentation, and how the brain works. I listened to the audio narration and the narrator was excellent - one of the best I've heard for a non fiction book.

The book is broken down into two main sections: the first half explains the different parts of the brain that pertain to memory and how they work/interwork. The second half goes over ways to help strengthen memory: tips, tools, tricks, and things that make memorizing or remembering easier. As well, there is a section on how not to remember (e.g., traumatic or embarrassing events you can't seem to get rid of).

Perhaps the best thing about the book is that the authors always have excellent examples for each of the topics they are discussing. They are all useful and are extremely helpful since they are so relatable. Whether it is a person learning a new language, how to retrieve lost memories, remembering where the car was parked in a parking garage, or examples in history when scientific discoveries were made. The authors live up to the discussion by presenting aids that helps us to remember the concepts being discussed.

Although the audio book was great, it is important to note that the authors are adamant you cannot do two things at once well. So while I listened to this book while doing a nightly walk, I do encourage you to read the book so you can easily go back and reference points. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Allison]

Good introductory book to how memory works. Fyi Doesn’t get very biological/molecular. More about the different types (episodic, semantic, working, procedural)

[zasou.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non fiction book about memory was very interesting! Although it is not revolutionary and I didn't learn much new things about memory (aka exercise, eat well and sleep well to have a better memory), it contained a lot a very interesting facts I did not know (e.g. people with Alzheimer's are more likely to remember what is not true). I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a great job, but I do suggest to read this one with your eyes (either in ebook of physical copy), because it is a very good reference to go back to, and I find it harder to skip back and forth to a particular section in its audio form. I loved that it was very much in layman's terms, even in the parts that were more scientific.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive, entertaining, and easy-to-read book about memory and how to improve it. It's useful for people of all ages. The audio narration was well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Memory and How it Works

This was a very informative book. It explained how our memory works and what causes us to either remember or to forget. It describes the different kinds of memory and also how different memories can be connected to each other.

It goes on to describe what happens in memory loss and how we can work to help prevent it. How memory is lost due to head injury , illness and aging and sometimes even medications. It was very descriptive and informative.

I did sometimes have a hard time with the technical words but they were explained well. I did not have a hard time understanding what the book was trying to tell me. It was set aside into different sections which dealt primarily with one subject of memory but mentioned most briefly in each section.

The book was laid out well, it was explained extremely well and it gave some very important and useful information on how to better remember using different methods.
The narrator was easy to listen to and very easy to understand.

The book was a help to me, I will try some of the methods mentioned and hopefully it will help me to remember events better and clearer.

Thanks to Andrew E. Budson, M.D. and Elizabeth A. Kensinger PhD for writing this helpful and informative book, to Elise Arsenault for the wonderful narration, to Tanor Audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audio book to listen to and review.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most comprehensive book on the science of memory I've come across so far.

5 Parts with 25 Chapters covering the following:

Part 1: Memory is a collection of conscious and non-conscious abilities. A breakdown of Procedural, Working, Episodic, Semantic and Collective memory.

Part 2: How we create, store, and retrieve memories of our life events. Looking at how emotion impacts memory, whether we can control our memories and how false memories are created.

Part 3: How different neurologic and medical disorders, illnesses, medications as well as psychiatric and psychological problems affect memory. There is also a chapter on people with extraordinary memory.

Part 4: How lifestyle changes affect memory. Looking at exercise, nutrition, alcohol, cannabis, drugs, sleep, social activities, music, mindfulness, as well as brain-training and other activities. There is also a review of what doesn’t work, including fad diets, phony medicines and brain games.

Part 5: A whole bunch of techniques and aids to remember better.

Every chapter ends with not just summaries of the information covered but also the strategies that can be implemented.

There is also an appendix listing specific medications that can impair memory.

[Yuliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite long, repetitive, and not particularly enlightening. Some of the helpful advice was:
1. To study in short sessions for several days instead of one long cram session
2. To get some sleep after studying the material, and then repeat the material the next day
3. Not to multi-task while studying or performing a task where your full attention is required. People are not designed for multitasking.
3. It's possible to learn during sleep if the study material is being played via audio (although this is probably not very effective)
4. Dancing to your favourite music can slow down the memory decay
5. Socialization and physical exercise helps keep your brain sharp (again this is questionable as it could be reverse causation. People with memory decay are less capable of such activities).

The book also describes several mnemonic devices to help you remember long strings of numbers or other sequences such as cards.

[Eric Sullenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors mentioned that it was probably best to not binge the book- I did, but they were right. Having said that I'm fairly well-read in this topic and so I didn't pick up a lot. It was difficult as an audiobook especially in the last few chapters going through examples at x2.5 speed. However, because I know most of those tricks, I didn't think that I needed to take time on it. I'm always curious how books like this make it when there are so many already published about the topic (they referred to several others, most of which I've read). I think the niche that this one fills, is giving examples at the beginning of the calhaper that get returned to, a detailed (though automatically repetitive) summary at the end of each chapter, and a deeper dive into both disorders and diet & substances effect on memory.

[Megan Rang · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** I received this ARC audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Let’s just say I am a bit of a “memory nerd”. This book was right up my alley. It was broken into parts so that you could use it as a reference to learn more of what you are specifically looking for or read the entire thing. Each part has a well written summary. For those looking for specific topics this addition would be very helpful.

This book was packed with knowledge about memory loss and what causes it. It had tips to keep it from happening. It also had a wealth of information to teach you strategies to remember more!

[Johnny G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this new nonfiction book, which was displayed prominently, from the local library, thinking that it would be really interesting. Some of it was; some wasn’t. I learned that people with short memories really need to work on a system to get going in that department. Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, had a notoriously poor memory and used pictures to associate with anecdotes he wanted to tell his audiences while giving talks on the road. That kind of tidbit is what interests me, not which part of the brain is responsible for this or that.

[Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a colleague of Andrew, it was no surprise to me that this book was evidence-based, thoughtful, and presented in an engaging, almost conversational manner. The authors did an outstanding job of translating complex information into language accessible to the general public without sacrificing the nuances inherent to the topic. The practical tips for improving one’s memory have served me well in everyday life and will surely be helpful in work settings. I would recommend this book to clinicians, students, or anyone else interested in better understanding and enhancing their own memory.

[Mark Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific collaborative effort in helping me/us to better understand learning and memory. Thank you for sharing your findings and what you have discovered in your work and those who came before you. You offer great insights to how memory and remembering works and give us strategies to improve memory and where things are heading with some of the less understood areas of memory.

Thank you and I look forward to reading more of your works to help me and others improve.

[Kels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was interesting. It gave me an interesting point of view about memory and how it works. I’ve always been fascinated with the mind. Some words were a little difficult to comprehend but overall it was a great book! Thanks to the authors, publishers and NetGalley for letting me read this book!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information, but the presentation was annoying. It was repetitive and it felt a little like a high school teacher lecturing to a very bored class room. It could easily have been much shorter in length and gone into more about the research of memory as opposed to little tricks and techniques on how to remember a grocery list.

[Dennis Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Why We Forget and How to Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory by Andrew Budson & Elizabeth Kensi, a serious work that explains a personal shortcoming, and it it isn’t all age related. This book delves deeply into all things related to memory and includes strategies to manage forgetfulness.

[Jennylyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ngl, I treated it as a textbook. I def learned more about my brain from this book than in any of my classes however, I feel like the knowledge was just too much for my brain to take in LOOL only giving it a 4star rating just bc it felt super hefty w info but my real rating, i’m giving it a 3.9

[MLD · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of techniques on improving memory which would have been extremely helpful when I in school. Alas no one told be how to memorize and not much has stuck with me over the years. The book is interesting but very repetitive (one of the techniques).

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of repetitive/not a lot of new content and goes on forever

[Silvia Lima · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more of this book. Very repetitive, maybe the authors wanted the reader to memorize the book? I just found it boring and not a lot there that I already didn’t know.

[Dagnija Kroģere · Rating 2 out of 5]

par spīti tam,ka visas galvenās tēzes tika atkārtotas katras nodaļas sākumā, beigās un vel pa vidusm, pusi jau aizmirsu

[Davinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes a long time to explain what can be explained in a much more concise manner. It is a bit dry and difficult to focus on because of the way the content is presented to the reader.

[Steve Goodreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great showcase of techniques to improve memory and the theory behind the methods. Useful summaries and breakdown of concepts.

[Nichi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book itself is not even memorable.

[Dr. Dima · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction book offers a guide to understanding memory, drawing upon scientific knowledge about the dynamics of remembering and forgetting. The book sheds light on how emotions, exercise, sleep, and diet affect memory, and provides practical strategies for enhancing learning and improving memory.⁣
⁣
The book is structured into 5 parts. Part 1 provides a breakdown of the 5 memory systems—procedural, working, episodic, semantic, and collective—and their interconnectedness. Part 2 explains the memory cycle (encoding, storage, and retrieval) and explores the impact of attention and emotions on memory, factors influencing the memory cycle, and the phenomenon of false memories. Part 3 delves into the different disorders that affect memory, while Part 4 reviews lifestyle factors that influence memory. Finally, Part 5 discusses memory aids, study strategies, and advanced mnemonic techniques. The book concludes with an appendix outlining medications that can impair memory, and an extensive reference section.⁣
⁣
While the book ambitiously covers a wide array of topics, I felt the book lacked the desired depth. Given the impressive backgrounds of the authors in the fields of neurology and neuroscience, I anticipated more revolutionary insights and a more profound exploration of the scientific underpinnings of memory. Most of the information presented in the book can be found in other preexisting books on memory.⁣
⁣
Nevertheless, the book is easily understandable, clearly written, and accessible. This renders it an informative and beginner-friendly guide, particularly recommended for readers new to the science of memory.⁣