None of these memory experts was born with an exceptional memory, so how did they all get from 'normal' to champions? Simply by training their brains! You too can develop an exceptional memory by training your brain.
Dr. Shireen Stephen holds a Ph.D. in Health Psychology and an M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Applied Psychology. She is a counselling psychologist, researcher, writer and editor. She is well known for her episodic memory of remembering dates and connected events. She is also renowned for her auditory memory of remembering clients and their counselling sessions – even years later – without taking down any notes!
I found out after finishing this that the author is a convicted felon with criminal convictions in the early 1990s for fraud and larceny. I borrowed this from the library, but I still think I should be re-imbursed... maybe for the gas money I spent going to the library.
I received a copy of this book when I was in high school and it has since become rabbit food around the edges. I'm reading it now so I won't feel guilty tossing it to clear space on my over stocked book shelves.
The difference between Moonwalking with Einstein and this book is huge. For starters, what kind of douche nozzle starts a book on memory with "How would you like to make more money, increase your intelligence, and impress everyone you meet?" Kevin Trudeau, that's who. The guy has a whole library of bogus self-help books that promise the moon and the stars with almost no effort.
Perfect example, in MwE the author interviews memory champions who spend four hours or more a day training their competitive memory. Kevin promises it all can be achieved with less than 30 minutes a day, and you'll get a six pack at the same time. Sorry, I added that last part. But making empty promises is so easy and so much fun.
Here goes a 324 pg snore fest. The book is actually longer but that's only because the other decided to add 27 pages of names with his associations, like Bart -> barn... really? Who hears Bart and doesn't think Simpson?
Disclaimer time. I'm not just launching a preemptive strike on this book's suckfest. I've had it since high school and have read half or more several times. Hopefully this time I'll hit 100% and get it out of my to-read list.
* Final Thoughts * The last few chapters flew by in skim mode. It must have taken the author years to finish writing this book with one hand constantly patting himself on the back. That may actually explain why there are so many typos. I guess no get-rich-quick guru has ever wasted money hiring a proper editor. This book is an absolute waste of time. He provides no history or tribute to where the principals in his book originate. The guy just calls "loci" "pegs" and pretends like "Mega Memory" is it's own stand alone process that just *poof*, popped out of then air.
The biggest gag fest for me is the endless promises and guarantees this book, and most self-help books, throw at you. These techniques are primarily used for adding context to things with no context. They are not the final answer to all your memory woes and it WILL NOT allow you to suddenly recollect memories that you didn't concentrate on years early.
If you're interested in memory or memory improvement, please read Moon Walking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. See, Foer is a journalist and he writes with accuracy and interest. The book follows his experience training for the yearly memory championship and is crammed full of historical references and scientific studies for reference. He never promises to make you rich or get you laid, though some of the tricks you can pull off at a bar might help with the latter.
قرأت الكتاب عندما انتهيت من المرحلة الثانوية بسنه.
وكان الكتاب رائعا. هل لأنني أحسست انني أصبحت خارقا في ذالك العمر؟ ربما!
نعم صحيح! فالكاتب كان يقول لك في البداية "هل تود ابهار الناس؟ هل تود ان تكون لك شعبية؟ هل تود ان يحبك الجميع؟" - هو لم يقل هذا الكلام فعليا ولاكنني اذكر انه كان حديثا عن العاطفة -.
فكرة الكتاب : عقلنا يرى من خلال الخيال والرسوم. فلم لا نحفظ الأرقام و والكلمات بالرسوم؟!
اغمض عينيك ثم تخيل الأرقام 35375085 في عقلك ثم استرجعها بعد ساعة هل تستطيع؟!
بالطبع لا! ولاكن هذا الكتاب يريك كيف تستطيع!
ولاكن ليس سهلا! فالكاتب يخبرك مرارا وتكرارا ان الطريقة تكون كمثل المشي، فعندما كنا اطفالا، تعلمنا المشي بالتدريج،والان أصبحنا لانفكر في المشي لانه في الاواعي،،، ويقارن الكاتب هذا الشيء مع طريقته في الحفظ، فالبداية سوف تكون صعبة جدا ولاكنها سوف تصبح سهلة اذا اعتدت عليها!
لأن الكتاب ليس سهلا، فيطلب منك الكاتب ان تقرأ نصف ساعة يوميا، وانا اظن ان من لم يستمع إلى نصيحته فلن يستفيد من هذا الكتاب الرائع.
الكتاب يحتاج مجهودا من العقل الواعي لديك، وفي كل مرة احفظُ فيها شيئا جديدا يأخذ هذا مجهودا من عقلي.
لاكن بالنسبة لشخص مثلي كان يعشق الخيال، فكنت استمتع عندما انظر في خيالي الذي اربط فيه المهام.
انا اعتقد ان هذه الطريقة معروفة منذ القدم، فهو لم يخترع شيئا جديدا ولاكنه زيّنَ الطريقة فقط.
لماذا تمسكت انا في هذا الكتاب؟ لأنني كنت صغيرا حالما بإبهار الناس، ومع الأسف نعم، فجزء مني قرأ الكتاب من أجل ابهار الناس، والجزء الاخر... لايوجد!
كنت كثيرا ما اتخيل انني مثلا في قاعة الجامعة ادخل ثم اتخيل انني احفظ أسمائهم كلهم، ثم اخبرهم بها وينبهروا من عقلي ومن ذكائي!
في حقيقة لا ألامُ على هذا! فالكاتب دائما ماكان يُشعرك بأن هذه هي مكافأتك عندما تقرأ من هذا الكتاب! اذكر مره انه قال "انه قابل شخصا كان قد قابله في حفل منذ سته أشهر، واستطاع ان يتذكر اسمه بالكامل!" فهنا بُهر الشخص الذي أمامه واثنى عليه.
حقا هذا مزعج! عندما اكتشفت ان هدفي كان من أجل ابهار الناس! وهل يجدر بشخص يُعلم أساسيات العقل ان يرغبنا بالكتاب لأجل إشباع عواطفنا؟!
شيء ازعجني في هذا الكتاب مجموعة المئة رقم! ليس بسبب طولها بل بسبب كون الأمثلة سيئة جدا في النسخة العربية، فمثلا الرقم 35 يشير إلى الاسم (خوع)! ماهذا لايوجد له معنى حتى في الموسوعة! ولا أستطيع أن اربط له صورة في ذهني أيضا، الأمر الذي بقي علقة في نفسي لكي اصنع مجموعة جديدة!
شيء اخير ، شعرت انني مهما قرأت من هذا الكتاب فإنني سوف احتاج الى مراجعته، والى الان لم اراجعه، ولاكني سوف اضعه في قائمة الكتب المقروءة في الوقت الحالي.
📌 ملاحظة : اتذكر اجزاء الكتاب جيدا وبعد مرور بضعا من السنين، واتذكر اغلب ماحفظته منه لأنني وقتها اجتهدتُ فيه.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don't think it is a secret that this is an "infomercialized" book which has taken greatly from its credibility. But, the techniques from the book have been around for over 2000 years and really work. I can memorize just about anything I want using the techniques. It is hard and does not just happen. The techniques work if you make the effort and I use the analogy of asking you to walk 5 miles. Could you? Of course you could, but do you want to? I can't answer that. The same it true with the lessons on this books. It took me 40 minutes to memorize the 44 presidents and they never leave my memory. They did not just stick; I had to work to do it. If you gave me a list of 20 things and asked me to remember them "normally" I could not. Ask me to put the effort(like a workout) - which takes no longer than seconds - using the techniques and I could easily.
Very great book. The author explains the concept in simple terms. Teh exercises are planned in such a way that by the time you finish the book, you already have expanded your brain or memory power. Must read if you want to build memory.
One of the best books that teaches you tricks to help you remember alot of stuff that would not be able to manage to remember. I am very satisfied that I have chosen to read it as it deserves all the time and effort I have put into reading it.
Kevin Trudeau is entertaining as always. I suspect much of what he wrote in this book is correct if a person makes the effort to practice the skills described. The same techniques have been described by others in other places.
I don't know. I have only tinkered with it. It seems valid. He is recommended by another Goodreads author who has written about memory.
Trudeau's legal problems cast a pall upon all of his claims. Buyer beware.
In the end Trudeau is entertaining because he could charm a bird into paying for flying lessons. It is great to experience as rhetoric alone.
I read this book a long time ago. I had seen his infomercials on TV for a while and long after they had gone from the air, I decided to read this book.
I had explored mnemonics in the past, but I found this book to be clear and very helpful.
I have used some of the techniques and found that they really do help me remember things.
There is some hype that you have to wade through, but in general a very good book.
I'm thinking I'll have to go back and reread it soon.
I'm currently memorizing a list of 1300 7-letter words IN ORDER. That would require a mega-memory, so I'm borrowing Kevin Trudeau's. I wonder if this is one of those books that you will want to reread again and again.
I thought that this book gave great insight as to a person's mind and how to make the memory just as tough as it can possibly be. It also gave great ways to apply a strong memory at the very end. All in all, I like this book.
كتاب ممتاز يجعلك تدرك طريقة عمل المخ وطريقة حفظ الذكريات بالدماغ من خلال أمثلة عملية لتدرك ذلك ، ثم يدربك بطريقة ممنهجة --لمدة نصف ساعة باليوم فقط--لتصبح متمتعاً لاحقاً بذاكرة قوية ، تمكنك من حفظ الأسماء والأرقام وأشياء أخرى عديدة بسهولة أكثر .
الحمد لله انتهيت من قراءة الكتاب و بصراحه طلع مفيد جدا ليا خصوصا اني قريت تعليقات عليه انه مش كويس بس لما طبقت الي الكاتب بيقوله لقيت في تحسن جامد نفعني جدا في تذكر الاسماء و الارقام الطويلة والعناوين :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.