Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Steps to Maximum Memory Fitness [Paperback]

Cynthia R. Green (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 30, 2001

How to remember what you don't want to forget.

Frustrated by your forgetfulness? Don't be. Memory lapses aren't necessarily a sign of age -- more often they are a sign of the times, as we're all inundated with important information to remember, from PINs and cell phone numbers to children's schedules and crucial business facts.

Dr. Cynthia Green, founding director of The Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, shows you how to make the most of your memory, sharing her powerful yet practical eight-step program for improving your recall.

Do you sometimes enter a room and forget what you went there for?
-- page 29

Do you find yourself struggling to remember details from an important meeting?
-- page 110

Are you constantly misplacing your keys or glasses?
-- page 113

Do you find it impossible to remember directions, phone numbers, or computer passwords without writing them down?
- - page 136

Do the names of people you've just been introduced to slip your mind?
- - page 193

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

About one in a million adults has a photographic memory--that is, the ability to remember anything they've seen. But it's reassuring when Total Memory Workout notes that even people with photographic memories don't remember everything; they can forget a name as easily as anyone else. That's the truth about memory, Green says: Everyone has to work at it, and this eight-part memory-fitness program will make anyone better at remembering. Green is founder and director of the Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and she explains in layman's language how memory works, why it sometimes doesn't, and how it can be improved. Along the way, she debunks some popular ideas about memory, noting that by simply exercising you can get benefits that equal those attributed to the nutritional supplement gingko biloba, and that there's nothing about aging that inherently impairs memory.

The drills she prescribes are a lot of fun too. For example, in the first chapter, she demonstrates how "working" memory functions by having you look at a number and then quickly look away and try to recall it. The numbers progress from 4 digits to 12. (If you can recall the 12-digit number after glancing at it, you probably don't need this book.) Then she demonstrates long-term memory by having you write down the names of all 50 states, something you probably haven't attempted since grade school.

Green suggests mastering one chapter a week, and completing them in order. But she also acknowledges that many readers will jump right to Step 7: How to Remember the People You Meet. At least one of the seven techniques she presents in that chapter should be immediately useful at your next social gathering. ("John! What an interesting name. My favorite uncle was named John....") --Lou Schuler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"As a mother of three and a busy executive, I was on information overload until I put Dr. Green's memory-enhancing principles to work."
- - Eileen Opatut, Senior Vice President, The Food Network

"Solid advice on remembering that is both practical and based on science."
-- John W. Rowe, M.D., President and CEO of Mount Sinai and NYU Health and co-author of Successful Aging

"A terrific resource that covers all you need to know about how to improve your memory."
-- Leonard Stern, Chairman, The Hartz Group

"Sensible advice for the seriously inclined."
-- Time

"What distinguishes this book is Green's commonsense approach....Her workouts [are] entertaining as well as effective."
-- Natural Health

Visit Bantam's website at www.bantamdell.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553380265
• ISBN-13: 978-0553380262
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized expert on memory fitness and brain health. Known for her engaging and personable presentation style, Dr. Green lectures extensively on memory improvement, brain fitness, successful aging and related topics as president of Memory Arts, LLC (www.memoryarts.com). She also provides training and consultation services to numerous corporations, organizations and to the media.

Dr. Green has served on the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Medical Center since 1990, where she is currently an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Green has held various positions within the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, including serving as a co-principal investigator on several Alzheimer's disease clinical treatment trials. She has also published several professional articles on the subject.

In 1996, Dr. Green founded The Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a unique and innovative program designed to enhance memory fitness in healthy adults of all ages. The program received wide professional and general acclaim, leading to the publication of her self-help book "Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Steps to Maximum Memory Fitness." Dr. Green is also co-author of "Through the Seasons: an Activity Book for Memory Challenged Adults and their Caregivers," which offers a program providing cognitive and social engagement for persons with dementia. Her latest book is Brainpower Game Plan: Foods, Moves, and Games to Clear Brain Fog, Boost Memory, and Age-Proof Your Mind in 4 Weeks!, written with the editors of Prevention Magazine.

Dr. Green's work has been featured frequently in the media, including Good Morning America, The Early Show, 20/20, CNBC, National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation", Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The London Standard, Good Housekeeping, and Parenting. Dr. Green serves as a brain health expert for Prevention, and is the author of the "Stay Sharp!" blog on the Prevention website (www.prevention.com/staysharp).

Dr. Green received her B.A. cum laude from Smith College and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Society on Aging and the American Geriatrics Society. Dr. Green also serves on the Scientific Review Board of the Institute for the Study of Aging.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It really works! September 22, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Reading this book and doing the exercises (which were actually fun) produced immediate results for me. Before, I forgot people's names moments after meeting them and could never find my glasses or car keys when I needed them. Now, I'm doing much, much better. Anyone can benefit from this smart, easy program. Highly recommended.

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall very good, but not a lot of new information. September 14, 2000

By John VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was very well organized and contained some good ideas. However, for me at least, the book did not contain much new information. I already know that memory and concentration depend on: getting enough rest, eating well, and staying healthy, etc. I also know that we often forget things because we are not paying attention. I learned a few things by reading this book but not many. The line spacing on this book is rather generous also so there's really less here than the number of pages listed would seem to indicate. It is still one of the better books on the subject and worth the 4 stars I am giving it.

60 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A memory improvement handbook for people of all ages. November 5, 1999

By Tracy Lippes, Psy.D.

Format:Hardcover

Dr. Green deserves congratulations for this cutting edge book on memory enhancement. Not only is her book a comprehensive guide to the understanding of memory functioning but also a remarkable contribution in the area of memory improvement. The memory exercises are fun, easy to do and incredibly effective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a memory boost. A genuine memory masterpiece!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Other books on memory and thinking are better December 30, 2001

By neil swiacki

Format:Paperback

I've read a few books on memory and this one is below average. There are pages that repeat themselves (for example, text on one page is repeated in a chart on a facing page), memory techniques that are not explained fully (mnemonics is not well presented) and no depth to offer the reader any new insight into improving one's memory.

Kenneth Higbee (Your Memory) or Robert Goldman (Brain Fitness) offer two stellar alternatives to Green's somewhat boring and plodding book.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars patronizing and obvious stuff April 7, 2003

By Thomas R. Corwin

Format:Paperback

The author apparently has a low opinion of the reader's intelligence, as she consistently adopts an annoyingly patronizing tone. I enjoy reading books on mnemonic techniques, and can usually find one or two clever tricks
in each, but in Cynthia Green's book I found only things that everybody already knows. And to compound the injury, her style is humorless and grossly overwritten.
Picking a page at random, we find "What can you do to help yourself remember what was said? The best way to remember a conversation is to take notes, or what I call Memory Minutes. Remember taking classes in high school or college? How would you keep track of the information in a lecture or seminar presentation? Chances are you took notes. ..."
I'm sorry to say this book had practically no value for me.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for my 91 year-old dad January 28, 2003

By Catherine

Format:Paperback

This is a PRACTICAL, well-written, and therefore easy to understand approach to memory exercise and strengthening. I gave the book to my 91 year-old father who reads and studies select chapters and has tried to use the techniques with excellent success. I found Dr. Green's advice applicable to exactly those situations where my memory is most vulnerable: peoples' names, finding stuff I need and tend to misplace, keeping track of my calendar. Now if I could just remember to USE the techniques I'd be in great shape! An excellent book that makes a great gift because it has such a positive approach to memory maintenance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, Authoritative, Fun! January 28, 2003

By "mjrice92"

Format:Paperback

Total Memory Workout is truly that - a fully realized memory building program that works. Dr. Green speaks with authority, as well as a good measure of humor and common sense. Get ready to brush aside some cobwebs - you'll find many useful tools here to help sharpen your skills.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful!! January 27, 2003

By Alexis E. Menken

Format:Paperback

As the mother of three young children, I thought I was losing my memory, but Green's thoughtful and organized book helped me. Green is obviously an academic scholar but makes complex neuropsychological issues accessible to the lay person.