Moonwalking with Einstein

The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

by Joshua Foer

English language

Published July 10, 2011

ISBN:: 978-1-59420-229-2

The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.

3 editions

ASquareClaire reviewed Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

Review of 'Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The first third of this book had me full-on hooked, but it went downhill from there. It's an interesting study, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to anyone who's actually looking to learn realistic memory improvement techniques.

Rob Warner reviewed Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

Review of 'Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I bought this book on the strength of its title, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It explains how deeply ingrained memory skills used to be in the education and learning processes, and attempts to explain why memory skills have essentially been expunged from curricula. Though the book's purpose is not to teach you those memory skills, it explains enough about them that you can follow along and improve your own ability to memorize.

The book also examines the "Memory Athlete" subculture, which seems to attract folks who would consider both memorization and Dungeons and Dragons as sports, and gives a peek at not only what it takes to become a memory champion, but also who'll you'll find if you ever get there (hint: it's not exactly pretty).

Recommended.