Customer Reviews

Intelligent Memory: Improve the Memory that Makes You Smarter

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Any reader wondering about how our minds process and retain information must read this book. Although the reading lines on the cover present the book as an "improve your memory book" , it is in fact, very much more than simply a "how-to" book. A quick look at the table of contents and the many, many subheads in the various chapters only give a hint at the meaty information contained therein. The book is written in a clear, concise style that moves briskly along from subject to subject. There are a number of facinating quizes that illustrate the various aspects of the subject.

Intelligent Memory is a window into how a functioning mind "connects the dots" of thought. The spectre of Alzheimer's is a very real fear for most people and as we age and can't find our car keys or the name of our neighbor of many years, knowledge about this subject is timely and necessary. Another aspect of the information that is quite riveting are the sections on creativity and the mind. Dr. Gordon and Ms. Berger have used their best creative efforts to produce a very readable and important book.

I thoughly enjoyed this book and found its contents absolutely facinating. I recommend it to anyone curious about how their own mind and those of others really works and wants a good read in the bargin.

Unlinke many memory books that offer simplistic exercises to sharpen rote memory, Intelligent Memory goes to the nub of how the brain uses the information retrieval processes to create thought.

I found this book to be a real comfort. As my car keys vanish more frequently and names get harder to fathom, I realize that my ability to see patterns is sharpened. I never before understood how this is a function of memory and how that ability could be enhanced.

The puzzles in the book are great fun and used to make deeper points. All in all I found the book to be fascinating as well as a terrific read.

I am 50-year-old woman with more than my fair share of trying to remember where I put my keys. Reading Dr. Gordon's book made me appreciate that I can use my IQ-type intelligence and 5 decades worth of living and learning to do what my working memory doesn't do so well anymore. The book also showed me how the stupid things I sometimes do are really the result of unconscious memory, self-defeatingly bad thought processes I use over and over again. The book addresses that challenge as well, telling us how to use conscious mental effort to wipe out these memories. Over all, I have been immensely helped by his suggestions about how stop worrying about my "memory for keys" and focus instead on improving my memory for productive thought. And, I thought the anecdotes and exercises were a lot of fun.

Having done cognitive psychology at university - I have an appreciation for how well Barry has done in communicating some very complicated processes and made them accessable in a practical applied form.

I think the fact that the book is simple and so well written may make some people think that the content is obvious. I especially enjoyed the chapters on attention, storing more memories, problem solving and creativity.

The ideas of how to experts in a field develop their skill was really helpful.

Thanks Barry, good book!

If you've ever worried you were losing your memory, or perhaps your mind, this is the book for you. It talks about the kind of memory that's really important, which is not so much where you put your car keys as (for example) what keys are for, and the fact you can use a key to open a box as well as open a door. Some great tests of this kind of memory, which is key to creativity and to effective coping with the real world. A really fine and useful book for everybody.

This makes more sense and is easier to use. The other books have you memorize long lists of items and locations to remember numbers etc. The systems they had you employ were analogous to using 5 batteries to charge 1. Basically, you had to spend a lot of effort to develop systems and then when you wanted to remember something you had to translate it to a system and then use your storage system. I spent a lot of money on that kind of cd grouops and books recommended by others. I wish I had just used this one to begin with.

I had read this borrowed book and was so impressed by its insight that I purchased a copy for my classroom library. I also teach classes in learning to learn, and this book is one of the top references. It may take patience to read yet it will upgrade your intel so it's probably worth the time.

wow, this book has six customer reviews, they are all five stars. so i had to read it.

it wasn't as good as i expected. the first half was good, the second half was bad. it spent a lot of time talking about how to solve problems intelligently. how does that relate to improve memory? if i want to learn how to solve problems, i would have read a different book.

and it has too many words in it. it can be shrinked to about 10 pages at the most with all the necessary essential information in it.

You will learn things better, and understand why. I'm an IT person (information technology) in a company of 50 people, all with different jobs. I wish they would read this too. It's a really easy and enjoyable read, with interesting trivia and some exercises that make you realise how and why people do what they do. The exercises demonstrate how our minds work and why - not necessarily how good our memory is. Developing intelligence in any area of life is dependent on how effectively our memory can play it's part.