Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Joshua Foer

Mar 2011 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory

“Highly entertaining.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“Funny, curious, erudite, and full of useful details about ancient techniques of training memory.” —The Boston Globe

An instant bestseller that has now 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.

Ratings and reviews

Very well written and very interesting account of Mr. Foer's experience with the world of memory training. It held my attention fantastically and I found myself loathing the thought of putting it down. Even though this is not meant to be a self help book, I couldn't help but try some of techniques Mr. Foer was using to practice for the U.S. championships, and, even with only a half-baked effort, the results were fascinating. It certainly changed my perception of what the human mind is capable of. Thank you Mr. Foer for an excellent book.

This was really an excellent book that shed much light on memory and how it is that some people can perform seemingly impossible feats of recollections. The experience of the author as he starts his journey writing about a memory competition for publication, to competing in one is fascinating. The techniques discussed in this book used by the memory masters are attainable by most willing to put in the effort. I, for one, and going to start using these techniques to improve my recollection abilities. This book isn't just about techniques for enhanced memory, the author does a very good job of documenting the history of memory from antiquity when knowledge was passed along orally to the present when most knowledge is stored externally. I highly recommend this book.

There's nothing ground breaking about this book, but the author manages to tie together a good story and keep you turning the pages. Gets a bit pop-sci in places, but as long as you read it for the story rather than expecting to 'unlock your brain' or something you won't be disappointed.

About the author

Joshua Foer was born in Washington, DC in 1982 and lives in New Haven, CT with his wife Dinah. His writing has appeared in National Geographic, Esquire, Slate, Outside, the New York Times, and other publications. He is the co-founder of the Atlas Obscura, an online guide to the world’s wonders and curiosities. He is also the co-founder of the architectural design competition, Sukkah City. Moonwalking with Einstein is his first book.