Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 307 pages
Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 31 minutes
First Published: 2011
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Rachael’s Review
After covering the US memory championships, journalist Joshua Foer decided to embark on a quest to see if he could also become a memory specialist. Drawing on cutting-edge research and expert knowledge, Foer learned all the memory tips and tricks to become the US Memory Champion. Foer bounces between his training, the history of memory, the science of how our brains work, and the techniques used to retain massive amounts of information quickly.
After my husband’s review, I expected to like Moonwalking with Einstein more than I did. Although parts of the book were fascinating, I found some sections to be rather tedious. Still a great book to read if you are interested in memory techniques.
I will mention that while reading this, I gained a greater appreciation of Lisa Genova’s Remember, which I now realize gave me a solid understanding of how memory works, even if it was a little dry.
Publisher’s Description
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.
Quotes from Moonwalking with Einstein
Memory is like a spiderweb that catches new information. The more it catches, the bigger it grows. And the bigger it grows, the more it catches.
Life seems to speed up as we get older because life gets less memorable as we get older.
Our lives are the sum of our memories. How much are we willing to lose from our already short lives by … not paying attention?
When you want to get good at something, how you spend your time practicing is far more important than the amount of time you spend.
About Joshua Foer
Joshua Foer is a journalist, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, and the co-founder of the architectural design competition, Sukkah City. He was the 2006 U.S.A Memory Champion and author of the book Moonwalking with Einstein. Visit the author’s website →
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