Committed to Memory: How We Remember and Why We Forget

Fascinating science blends with engaging prose in this highly entertaining exploration of how memory works-- and how to make it work better.In this extraordinary book, scientist Rebecca Rupp explains how and why memory works the way it does. What are the chemical processes that occur in the brain when we remember--and how do they account for the "absentminded" or "steel trap" qualities in an individual? Rupp also tackles topics that have been the subject of intense public debate. She examines the concepts of repressed and fantasized memories, such as ones of alien abduction: are they the result of horrifying experiences that have been shunted off into the depths of the unconscious? Or are they fantastic constructs of the human mind?Memory decays with awful rapidity, and a vital aspect of the study of memory is its loss. Why does memory change as we grow older? How can we improve our ability to remember, and how can we keep forgetfulness at bay? Committed to Memory features useful memory-improving techniques and tricks to remember essential information. Learn to defeat that common bugbear of memory, the forgetting of proper names; pick up a quick trick for remembering telephone numbers; and find out how to enrich your mind (and impress your friends and colleagues) by memorizing lengthy poems. Tips like these lend a practical edge to this illuminating voyage through a largely uncharted realm.HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED . . . ¸ Why you can remember your first date but not what you had for lunch last Tuesday? ¸ What slugs, bugs, and squirrels have to tell us about human memory? ¸ Why we can't remember people's names? ¸ How the smell of pine trees or buttered popcorn can help you remember? ¸ Why dieting may make you forget? ¸ Why practice makes perfect? ¸ How a spell of the moody blues can affect your memory? ¸ Why dreaming may help us to remember?