What if it was found out grades could be raised drastically within a month? According to Super Memory by Harry Lorayne, grades can be raised in 30 days, using simple memorization strategies that are widely known, but it is not known how effective they can be. This book gives a fascinating exploration about the process that lets students raise their grades in some of the hardest subjects, such as, History, English, Chemistry, and so many more. In Super Memory, many ways of teaching effective memorization strategies are summarized, such as the Link System of Memory and Mnemonic Devices; the main purpose of Super Memory is to help students raise their grades.
In the book Super Memory by Harry Lorayne, there are three main subgroups of school subjects: English, History, and Math and Science, and different memorization strategies for each subject. First, there are a few chapters on how to memorize information relevant to English. In Chapter 8, which is entitled “Vocabulary”, word association is revealed to be a helpful strategy for memorization in English. Secondly, there are some chapters on History. In Chapter 12, “American History”, word association, letter association, and number association are talked about as helpful strategies to memorize names, numbers and dates. Finally, there are many chapters on Math and Science. In Chapter 21, “Chemistry, Biology and Genetics”, it is revealed that letter association and word association are very helpful when it comes to memorizing elements, acronyms, and elemental charges. Super Memory is mainly divided into different school subject categories, and different memorization strategies can apply for each subject.
Throughout the book, the Link System of Memory is shown to have a positive effect on students by associating items that it is necessary to know with ridiculous images that can be visualized easily. The author describes why not to use logical pictures for the Link System, “Don’t use a logical picture…[it could be] possible, logical, probable--and it won’t work” (16).
This chapter constantly reminds the reader not to use a logical picture when trying to associate items with the Link System of Memory because ridiculous pictures pop into the mind easier than normal and logical ones. Another example are how bad memories are more memorable than good memories, showing that items that are bad or ridiculous stand out more than items that are good or logical. Chapter 5 gives us a description on how to use the Link System with word association, “The Link is based mainly on the reminder principle. I’ve taught you to force one thing to remind you of the next...so you can visualize [non-visual objects]” (30). Humans are hardwired to have the reminder principle. The reminder principle causes one thing to remind you of another, and of another, and it ends up going on for a long time. The reminder principle is used every day by almost every human, and the narrator is describing how to apply it to academics. In Super Memory, the Link System is shown to work with students by associating items with ridiculous images or phrases that are easily remembered.
In this book, mnemonic devices are used as a helpful way to memorize long sequences of information; this strategy also uses word and letter association. The author describes that when the Peg system of memory is learned, it is almost permanently embedded in the mind, “And you’ll be able to use [the Peg system] over and over again--forever. If you know the sounds of the Phonetic Number/Alphabet, you can come up with a word that will represent any number” (41). The key of the Peg system of memory is that the system permanently embeds in the brain, so items can never completely be forgotten. The Peg system also uses the reminder principle, by using sounds to conjure up numbers and other information. Chapter 3 reveals that in order to study smart, it is needed to be able to consciously associate items, “...you [already study] subconsciously, without thinking about it, realizing it, or having control over it. Your goal, now, is to knowingly and consciously...be able to associate [items]...the [systems of memory outlined in the book] will enable you to do just that” (13). Many of the strategies that are talked about in this book, such as: mnemonic devices, the Link System, the Peg System are already known by the reader, however, the reader does not realize that they are using these systems. Once this realization is established, it becomes much easier to study effectively, and put these memorization strategies to use. Throughout Super Memory, mnemonic devices and other memorization strategies are used in order to make memorization easier.
In conclusion, throughout the nonfiction work Super Memory by Harry Lorayne, effective memorization strategies are given to the reader. There are many purposes of Super Memory, but the main purpose is to help students raise their grades in challenging classes that require a lot of memorization. The Link System of Memory works because it allows people to associate ridiculous images with important terms that need to be memorized. Mnemonic devices let people associate silly combinations of words together in order to remember a difficult concept. Within mnemonic devices, the Peg system comes in handy, in order to permanently embed items into the mind. Super Memory gives great advice on how to use effective memorization strategies, and it should be a required book in all high school curriculums due to the book’s helpfulness. This book is very recommended, and will help students raise their grades and increase their academic performance.