"One of us (Elizabeth) had the opportunity to conduct research with a gentleman named Henry Molaison (better known by his initials, H.M.1), who had the interior portion of his left and right temporal lobes (the part of your brain next to your temples) removed in 1953 because of epileptic seizures that were difficult to control. From a technical standpoint, the surgical procedures went fine. But, as he recovered, the doctors and researchers soon noticed something very troubling: he was unable to form any new memories. He could read, and talk, and if you were having a brief conversation with him, you would probably not notice anything amiss. But family members would visit and, although he knew who they were, he would have no memory of them coming. New doctors would introduce themselves and the next day (or even the next hour) he did not recall that he had met them. It was then that the doctors understood that, somehow, the removal of those parts of the temporal lobe caused him to become completely amnestic"--
Remember things better by understanding how your memory works.
If memory is a simple thing, why does it so often go awry? Why is forgetting so common? How can you be certain about something you remember--and be wrong about it? Why is it so difficult to remember people's names? How can you study hard for an exam but not be able to recall the material on the test? In Why We Forget, Dr. Andrew Budson and Dr. Elizabeth Kensinger address these questions and more, using their years of experience to guide readers into better memory.
Why We Forget and How to Remember Better shows you how to use these answers to improve your memory. In its pages you will learn:
· How memory's most important function isn't to help you remember details from your past.
· How memory is actually a collection of different abilities.
· How you create, store, and retrieve memories of your daily life.
· Ways to control what you remember and what you forget.
· Ways to distinguish between a true and false memory.
· Effective ways to study for an exam.
· How to remember people's names, all your passwords, 50 digits of Pi, and anything else you wish.
· How memory changes in normal aging, Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and other disorders-including COVID brain fog.
· How exercise, nutrition, alcohol, cannabis, sleep, mindfulness, and music affect your memory.
Why We Forget and How to Remember Better uses the science of memory to empower you with the knowledge you need to remember better, whether you are a college student looking to ace your next exam, a business professional preparing a presentation, or a healthcare worker needing to memorize the 600+ muscles in the human body.