Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss [Hardcover]

Martha Lear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

So your memory's not what it used to be? You forget people's names, or what you were just about to say, or why you went into the kitchen. Often you forget where you left your keys (your wallet, your glasses, your list of Things to Do Tomorrow). And you worry. You wonder: Could this mean I am losing it? Join the crowd, friend. there are seventy-eight million baby boomers in the country, and memory loss is the number one concern of the boomer generation. The "Worried Well," specialists call them. They worry because they do not know that most memory lapses that begin in middle age are universal and normal. Award-winning journalist Martha Lear, who gave voice to widespread frustration with medical care in her New York Times bestselling memoir Heartsounds, now explores this kind of forgetfulness--why it happens, and when, and what can be done about it. She interviews distinguished neuroscientists, psychologists, and evolutionary biologists, as well as friends and strangers about their own memory lapses. Interweaving dramatic new findings from brain-scan studies with often-hilarious anecdotes, Lear covers topics as fresh and provocative as the upside of memory loss, the differences between His and Her memories, why we are actually wired to forget, and what the future holds for memory enhancement (you can't imagine what's in store). You'll learn things you never knew before about why your memory behaves in such maddening ways. You'll find comfort and reassurance. And you'll probably find yourself on every page.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Perhaps the greatest source of anxiety for America's aging boomers is what's happening to their memory. Based on interviews with more than 15 neuroscientists and others in the field, veteran health journalist and bestselling author Lear (Heartsounds) provides reassurance along with a succinct introduction to what memory is. Lear says that a certain amount of forgetfulness in the middle-aged and young elderly is normal and not a harbinger of Alzheimer's. She also explains how emotions like guilt lead us to continually edit our memories, making them less accurate. Lear underscores the holy quartet of memory aids: eat healthily, avoid stress,... get lots of sleep, and exercise both body and mind regularly. For those who fear early-onset Alzheimer's, she provides a useful chart differentiating normal memory loss from dementia. While skeptical of most products promising memory enhancement, Lear offers a fascinating chapter on new research promising drugs to improve memory and cognition, and artificial intelligence that will leave you with glorious memories of experiences that you never actually had. Lear writes clearly, personably and gracefully, and her new book deserves to attract many of the worried well who want to know more about why they're remembering less. (Feb. 12)
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Review

"An informative (and enjoyable to read) overview of our current understanding of how memory changes with normal aging and what the future might hold for memory enhancement." --Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, director, Neuroscience Imaging center, UCSF Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco

"Well-researched . . . presents a complex topic with clarity and humor." --Margaret Sewell, PhD, director, Memory Enhancement Program, Mount Sinai Hospital

"Oh how loved this book! Rarely do you find one that informs as it entertains; Martha Lear does both. I laughed out loud and was reassured to know that when my friends and I forget names (as we so often do), it's normal!" --Mary Tyler Moore


"Hallelujah, it's not Alzheimer's! It's Normal Memory Loss, and everyone over thirty must read WHERE DID I LEAVE MY GLASSES? by what's-her-name."--Patricia Volk, author of To My Dearest Friends and Stuffed

"With wit, insight, and comfort, Martha Weinman Lear takes you through the embarrassments and hilarities of dealing with normal memory loss." --Ethel S. Person, MD, professor of psychiatry and member of the Center for Psychoanyltic Training & Research, Columbia University


"Lear writes reassuringly . . . pungently and wittily. This book is more than informative; it is a pleasure to read." --Lewis P. Rowland, MD, professor of neurology, Neurological Institute, Columbia University Medical Center

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wellness Central (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446580597
• ISBN-13: 978-0446580595
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative book, February 28, 2008

By 

Glenn Jordan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding book, wonderfully well-written, entertaining, amusing and at the same time very informative. It is extensively well researched and covers the topic thoroughly. This is a subject that is timely and should be of great general interest, especially to those over 40. I learned a great deal and couldnt have enjoyed this marvelous book more. A+

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this--if you can remember to buy it, March 31, 2008

By 

m. evans - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss (Hardcover)

This book is really informative, but best of all, it's written in a way that is understandable and very funny. I appreciated the chart of characteristics differing "normal" from "maybe I should call the doctor." And the clues to remembering names and daily to-do's were helpful.
I'm telling evryone I know from 40 on up to get a copy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you lose things, this book is for you, April 24, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss (Hardcover)

There is that niggling little fear that you've forgotten something, it happens to all of us, usually regardless of age. My friend Shelly was talking to me on the phone and she asked me, "Hey, do you know this woman, um, she's on my caller ID?" I ask, "What's her name?" Shelly responds, "I don't know, I can't remember, I have to find the phone and look at caller ID." I'm quiet while Shelly ambles through her house looking for her phone, which as best I know, since I'm on the other end, is attached to her hand and ear. Shelly's staccato laughs, "Oh, I am so dumb, I have the phone in my hand."

Exactly! Author MARTHA WEINMAN Lear with sensitivity and wit talks about all the feelings that accompany the fact that we think we're going into early senile dementia when we forget small details, for example, that I often forget the name of a parent of one of my children's friends. I can't keep track of all of them, most of the time they are just a voice on the other end of the phone line, and then I'll see them at the market and I can't remember which kid is friends with their kid, and who is their kid anyway? But baffling enough I remember their face. According to Lear and her research, this is absolutely normal. This is not early senile dementia. There are also easy ways to remember things.

Some easy ways to remember things are: make lists; associate someone's name with a rhyme, or a factoid about them. Remember that you just met Chuck Stein and he has a black Lab named Zorro. Every time you see Chuck, you ask how the Lab is doing, even if you can't remember Chuck's name. Memorize by repetition at certain intervals. For example, repeat a person's name, then wait ten seconds and repeat it gain, then wait twenty seconds and repeat. Incrementally increase the time between repetitions and your memory will improve.

A fantastic book filled with levity related to a grave concern a lot of people have about memory loss, along with great advice on how to grasp the information you need that is just out of reach, and don't forget, it's perfectly normal.

Armchair Interviews says: Good news. It's perfectly normal.