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Top positive review
16 people found this helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsCaution: This book can lead to compulsive memory training
Bydescarteson April 3, 2018
I bought this book after watching a youtube presentation by Joshua Foer regarding his research for the book. I read through this book impatiently, because the reason for buying it was to learn the memory techniques he described in his Youtube video. I found his accounts of the eccentric contestants in the US and world memory tournaments to be overly detailed. Nonetheless, his writing skill are strong.
I do wish to warn you that if you try out the book's memory techniques, practicing them can be addicting, as they must have been for the author. Within six weeks, I passed all three of the FCC Amateur Radio license tests. Once starting to practice memorizing the concepts and answers behind the large question pools (1,450), I couldn't stop. Now, having reined in my compulsiveness, I just use the techniques learned from this book to give presentations without using notes and to study for exams. So if you are at all manic when it comes to learning, you may find that this book will magnify those learning habits.
This book is excellent journalism rather than a memory technique book. He states that fact and points you towards actual memory technique books. I have purchased and read some of them. Those books do not compare with the motivational aspects of this book to actually try out memory techniques to see if they can enhance your life.
This book is a fun read and it may motivate you to learn something new - something that requires lots of memorization. Read it and go take a bar exam, like the one for US Tax Court.
I do wish to warn you that if you try out the book's memory techniques, practicing them can be addicting, as they must have been for the author. Within six weeks, I passed all three of the FCC Amateur Radio license tests. Once starting to practice memorizing the concepts and answers behind the large question pools (1,450), I couldn't stop. Now, having reined in my compulsiveness, I just use the techniques learned from this book to give presentations without using notes and to study for exams. So if you are at all manic when it comes to learning, you may find that this book will magnify those learning habits.
This book is excellent journalism rather than a memory technique book. He states that fact and points you towards actual memory technique books. I have purchased and read some of them. Those books do not compare with the motivational aspects of this book to actually try out memory techniques to see if they can enhance your life.
This book is a fun read and it may motivate you to learn something new - something that requires lots of memorization. Read it and go take a bar exam, like the one for US Tax Court.
Top critical review
9 people found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsFun Read but not a Palace Builder.
ByBigBangFannon September 27, 2017
I just finished Moonwalking with Einstein and found it to be an interesting story about a journalist's self congratulatory pursuit of memory athletics but very, very little on actual techniques. The best part (for me) was two pages on Deliberate Practice. If you want some history on memory competitions - fun read. If you want memory techniques - The Memory Book by Lorayne and Lucas is far superior.
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Bydescarteson April 3, 2018
I bought this book after watching a youtube presentation by Joshua Foer regarding his research for the book. I read through this book impatiently, because the reason for buying it was to learn the memory techniques he described in his Youtube video. I found his accounts of the eccentric contestants in the US and world memory tournaments to be overly detailed. Nonetheless, his writing skill are strong.
I do wish to warn you that if you try out the book's memory techniques, practicing them can be addicting, as they must have been for the author. Within six weeks, I passed all three of the FCC Amateur Radio license tests. Once starting to practice memorizing the concepts and answers behind the large question pools (1,450), I couldn't stop. Now, having reined in my compulsiveness, I just use the techniques learned from this book to give presentations without using notes and to study for exams. So if you are at all manic when it comes to learning, you may find that this book will magnify those learning habits.
This book is excellent journalism rather than a memory technique book. He states that fact and points you towards actual memory technique books. I have purchased and read some of them. Those books do not compare with the motivational aspects of this book to actually try out memory techniques to see if they can enhance your life.
This book is a fun read and it may motivate you to learn something new - something that requires lots of memorization. Read it and go take a bar exam, like the one for US Tax Court.
I do wish to warn you that if you try out the book's memory techniques, practicing them can be addicting, as they must have been for the author. Within six weeks, I passed all three of the FCC Amateur Radio license tests. Once starting to practice memorizing the concepts and answers behind the large question pools (1,450), I couldn't stop. Now, having reined in my compulsiveness, I just use the techniques learned from this book to give presentations without using notes and to study for exams. So if you are at all manic when it comes to learning, you may find that this book will magnify those learning habits.
This book is excellent journalism rather than a memory technique book. He states that fact and points you towards actual memory technique books. I have purchased and read some of them. Those books do not compare with the motivational aspects of this book to actually try out memory techniques to see if they can enhance your life.
This book is a fun read and it may motivate you to learn something new - something that requires lots of memorization. Read it and go take a bar exam, like the one for US Tax Court.
16 people found this helpful
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ByBrianCOon April 4, 2018
While reading about such an esoteric competition seemed fruitless, the reality is the author understood what we remember is a function of our personhood. In the end our memories are all we have of the life we live. He shows that any person with diligence and effort can improve their memory significantly. My experience has been in the darker more chaotic moments of life it is the words from famous quotes or verses from the Bible that help me navigate those moments. It is the words I have in my memory are the ones I can count on in those times. This book gave me reason to believe I can memorize more than I think I can.
ByTalisa Swansonon August 10, 2016
I read through this book to prepare for my physical therapy program. As they seem to make you memorize a ton of information in school. Thought it was kind of helpful. The book goes through Foer's journey to get to a memory championship. Was hoping for more of a straight forward way to memorize many things quickly. Alas that will have to wait. This did give me a few ideas and ways to memorize more, but nothing to what I was hoping for. I bought this used for a good price and am not disappointing. Would recommend for a quick read if you have spare time. Would not recommend for prep to memorize things while I was in school. But reading the summer prior to my grad program was good.
Bydanddson July 24, 2015
This book is amazing! I found it on my son's bookshelf, and he told me I could borrow it, but had to return it because it's one of his favorites. So I bought it. From page 1 Mr. Foer grabs you with his style, wit and knowledge. He is clearly an excellent writer who knows how to connect with there reader. This book is not billed as a memory self help book, but it is. I am returning to school for a Master's degree and have prodigious amounts of information to memorize.
I am already using the techniques he discusses. This is not all dry stuff---he tells a story as well.
Buy it now before you forget about it!
I am already using the techniques he discusses. This is not all dry stuff---he tells a story as well.
Buy it now before you forget about it!
Byrobobarron January 21, 2015
I love learning new things, so this well written story about the crazy-good-memory industry was very fun to read. The author's story takes him from a total outsider to a serious competitor in this quirky group of memory aficionados. He gives just enough tips into the methods for those who are interested to pick it up themselves, but that is completely left as an exercise for readers to take up on their own. Instead, this book is really focused on the people involved in the memory scene and their curious stories. There are intellectuals, hard workers, societal misfits, and even charlatans, all of whom combine to paint an interesting cast of characters. I really wouldn't have expected a book about memorizing thousands of digits of pi to be that interesting, but it really was.
Although the title makes sense, I think it's unfortunate that very few people would ever pick this book out unless they were pointed to it. I personally only noticed it because I'm a physics geek and wanted to figure out what Einstein had said about walking on the moon.
Although the title makes sense, I think it's unfortunate that very few people would ever pick this book out unless they were pointed to it. I personally only noticed it because I'm a physics geek and wanted to figure out what Einstein had said about walking on the moon.
ByMatt Bellon August 8, 2018
It's a good book... before reading it I had thought he was going to teach more strategies for "remembering everything." However, his conclusions were that he is still forgetful and it didn't change his day to day life much. He now knows how to MEMORIZE, not remember. The title is slightly misleading. Also, the book is much more of a walk-through of how he came to discover memorizing techniques, the people he met along the way, and his theories behind brain functions than of teaching you how to remember everything. I think it is worth reading but not what I had expected.
Bypenguinboyon February 2, 2014
This is not a self-help book. It is not a complete guide to "unleash the power of your brain" or any other such nonsense. This is the story of an ordinary man who proved to himself and others that world-class memory is within our reach.
Joshua Foer was a journalist who went to cover the US Memory Championship, and soon found himself falling down the rabbit-hole of professional memory sport. As he trains with one of Britain's top memorizers, Foer delves into the history, science, and reality of human memory in every way possible. He looks at the self-help phenomenon with objectivity. He talks to people with incredible innate talent, and one man who can't remember if who he's talking to ten seconds after being introduced. He does it all with the eye of a journalist, and keeps the writing lively and interesting at all times.
There's also plenty of practical information about learning how to use memory the way World Memory Champs do. These techniques actually work as advertised. For example, in the beginning of the book, Foer gives a list of items that his trainer asked him to memorize. He walks the reader through the process of storing each item in a "memory palace", and invites us to try it out. I first read this book over two years ago. Having read his list only a couple of times, I still remember about two-thirds of the items. That's powerful.
It isn't as easy a a bunch of simple tricks, of course. Using memory the way the experts do is a grueling process, and requires daily practice. It takes a considerable effort to memorize even a shopping list. It's probably because of this extra effort that these techniques are so much more effective than rote memorization. That's also the reason that the memory champs don't consider themselves savants or extraordinary; they've just put in a great deal of effort, and they've reaped the rewards.
This is a fascinating, frequently funny, and genuinely useful book, if you want to know more about memory. Remember it well!
Joshua Foer was a journalist who went to cover the US Memory Championship, and soon found himself falling down the rabbit-hole of professional memory sport. As he trains with one of Britain's top memorizers, Foer delves into the history, science, and reality of human memory in every way possible. He looks at the self-help phenomenon with objectivity. He talks to people with incredible innate talent, and one man who can't remember if who he's talking to ten seconds after being introduced. He does it all with the eye of a journalist, and keeps the writing lively and interesting at all times.
There's also plenty of practical information about learning how to use memory the way World Memory Champs do. These techniques actually work as advertised. For example, in the beginning of the book, Foer gives a list of items that his trainer asked him to memorize. He walks the reader through the process of storing each item in a "memory palace", and invites us to try it out. I first read this book over two years ago. Having read his list only a couple of times, I still remember about two-thirds of the items. That's powerful.
It isn't as easy a a bunch of simple tricks, of course. Using memory the way the experts do is a grueling process, and requires daily practice. It takes a considerable effort to memorize even a shopping list. It's probably because of this extra effort that these techniques are so much more effective than rote memorization. That's also the reason that the memory champs don't consider themselves savants or extraordinary; they've just put in a great deal of effort, and they've reaped the rewards.
This is a fascinating, frequently funny, and genuinely useful book, if you want to know more about memory. Remember it well!
ByKindle Customeron January 13, 2018
This book is fascinating. I didn't think a book on memory and memorizing would hold my interest for long. I think the book is fascinating because the author's journey is fascinating. I tag along his explorations and adventures to the living rooms of savants like Kim and Brainman and his questions are the questions I want to ask these guys. The author has a great sense of humor and a delightful command of the written word. I'm enjoying reading Moonwalking very much.
ByJayliaon March 30, 2011
Our memory skills, just like our food cravings for fat and sugar, were better suited to our days as hunter gatherers, according to Joshua Foer in Moonwalking with Einstein. Back then, what our ancestors needed to remember was where to find food, what plants are poisonous, and how to get home. This makes us great at remembering visual imagery, and not so good at remembering multiple passwords, numerous phone numbers or detailed verbal instructions.
The trick to memory techniques is changing the tedious data you want to remember into something so flamboyant and sensational that you can't forget it. It works. With the help of images like the three Petticoat Junction sisters hula hooping in my living room I can still remember the fifteen item "to do" list Foer's memory coach used as an example more than a week after I read that section of the book.
Moonwalking with Einstein is part a history of mnemonic practices beginning long before the advent of writing, part a cursory introduction to some memory tricks including the memory palace, and part a chronicle of the year or so Foer spent developing his memory skills in preparation for the U.S. Memory Championship--this aspect of the book reminded me of Word Freak, a Scrabble championship account by Stefan Fatsis. Foer also covers the phenomenon of savants, what techniques you can use to push yourself past being just okay at any given skill and how memorizing can help you be more aware and maybe even a little wiser. Unfortunately, even after all his training Foer reports that he still sometimes misplaces his keys. This is an absorbing and entertaining book.
The trick to memory techniques is changing the tedious data you want to remember into something so flamboyant and sensational that you can't forget it. It works. With the help of images like the three Petticoat Junction sisters hula hooping in my living room I can still remember the fifteen item "to do" list Foer's memory coach used as an example more than a week after I read that section of the book.
Moonwalking with Einstein is part a history of mnemonic practices beginning long before the advent of writing, part a cursory introduction to some memory tricks including the memory palace, and part a chronicle of the year or so Foer spent developing his memory skills in preparation for the U.S. Memory Championship--this aspect of the book reminded me of Word Freak, a Scrabble championship account by Stefan Fatsis. Foer also covers the phenomenon of savants, what techniques you can use to push yourself past being just okay at any given skill and how memorizing can help you be more aware and maybe even a little wiser. Unfortunately, even after all his training Foer reports that he still sometimes misplaces his keys. This is an absorbing and entertaining book.
ByEarl A PHLon February 16, 2014
More than anything, this book has entertainment value. This is definitely a light read, but also gives great insights on the skill of memorization. The author was able to cover most general aspects of visual memorization and mind mapping and introduces the readers to the who's who of the field. He also gives some history and scientific anecdotes on the nature of memory. Admittedly, after reading the book, I was left a bit more unimpressed about the lifestyle that these super memorizers live. Talk about anticlimactic. They literally live and breathe memorization and I often find myself asking if it must take total obsession to quirky levels and "geekdom" habits to achieve a supreme memory. Memorizing the order of decks of cards and thousands of digits of the value of pi really are impressive feats, but we all know these activities are impractical and pointless, in some ways though these are evidences of how a person can train his mind to do things that are beyond his very own expectations. Joshua Foer's journey from being a curious journalist to an actual competitor and champion in the US memorization circuit is an incredible story that people can draw inspiration from. The human brain is indeed an incredible piece of equipment, now only if I can stop forgetting where I put my car keys every time.
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