Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Joshua Foer

Apr 2011 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

'Be prepared to be amazed' Guardian

Can anyone get a perfect memory?

Joshua Foer used to be like most of us, forgetting phone numbers and mislaying keys. Then he learnt the art of memory training, and a year later found himself in the finals of the US Memory Championship. He also discovered a truth we often forget: that, even in an age of technology, memory is the key to everything we are.

In Moonwalking with Einstein he takes us on an astonishing journey through the mind, from ancient 'memory palace' techniques to neuroscience, from the man who can recall nine thousand books to another who constantly forgets who he is. In doing so, Foer shows how we can all improve our memories.

'Captivating ... engaging ... smart and funny' The New York Times

'Delightful ... uplifting ... it shows that our minds can do extraordinary things' Wall Street Journal

'Great fun ... a book worth remembering' Independent

'A lovely exploration of the ways that we preserve our lives and our world in the golden amber of human memory' New Scientist

Ratings and reviews

This is a book different from other books on memory which are usually boring. This is the writers experience of interviewing mental athletes to becoming himself winner of us memory championship.

Excellent. My favourite kind of writing, informative and fascinating but in an story narrative that was interesting and fun on its own. Loved all the different angles that memory was explored from. So many learning to take away, but more than that, really enjoyable read.

This book was recommende material in the Udemy course, " superlearner 2.5". I loved the journey with Josh Foer and learnt a lot about memeory palaces and their uses.

About the author

Joshua Foer was born in 1982. He studied evolutionary biology at Yale University and is now a freelance science journalist., writing for the National Geographic and New York Times among others. Researching an article on the U.S. Memory Championships, Foer became intrigued by the potential of his own memory. After just one year of training and learning about the art and science of memory, he won the following year's Championship. Foer is the founder of the Athanasius Kircher Society, an organization dedicated to 'all things wondrous, curious and esoteric' and the Atlas Obscura, an online travel guide to the world's oddities. Moonwalking with Einstein is his first book.