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Gordon,
Barry Memory,
1996
Gordon, Barry
Memory, 1996
Remembering and forgetting in everyday life
Reviews
Journal of International
Neuropsychological Society, Winter 1998
Dr. Gordon does a masterful job of interlacing basis scientific research
and knowledge regarding memory functions with practical, everyday, "every
person" memory experiences, successes, and failures.
From the Back Cover
We all occasionally misplace the car keys, forget a name or go to the store
to buy milk and come back with everything but! In fact, 67 percent of Americans
claim they experience memory loss, but the truth is only a small proportion
develop real memory problems due to brain disease. With memory, some things are
serious; most are not, but count on a few surprises!
Contrary to popular belief, memory is not like a photographic record or a file
in a computer than can be saved and called up anytime. And not all memories are
created equal. You can improve your memory simply by adopting a positive
attitude. Believing you are likely to remember something, does increase the
chances you will.
In Memory: Remembering and Forgetting in Everyday Life, memory specialist Dr.
Barry Gordon tells you why you forget the way you do; how to increase and
improve your memory; the amazing feats your memory performs daily; and about
extraordinary clinical tales of memory loss. Memory will answer your questions,
such as: can a busy lifestyle cause forgetfulness; does stress or depression
affect my memory; is memory loss inevitable as I age; and how can I tell if I
have a memory problem.
About the Author
Barry Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., is a behavioral neurologist, cognitive
neuroscientist, and experimental psychologist and neuropsychologist. His
clinical and research work focuses on memory and language, particularly as they
are affected by disorders of the brain, and on possible treatments for memory and
language disorders. His specific research interests include: early detection
and treatment of Alzheimer's disease; communication and language deficits in
autism; direct brain mapping of language and memory functions in humans;
aphasia; and closed head injury.
Dr. Gordon is Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Science at The Johns Hopkins
University in
Dr. Gordon has lectured widely to both professional and public audiences,
including at the Smithsonian Institution. His work has received national and
international media attention, such as the PBS series "The Brain,"
NPR's Fresh Air, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NBC's Dateline, The
New York Times, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Parade
Magazine.
Excerpted from Memory; A Road Map to the
Mechanics of Memory by Barry Gordon.
How would you rate your memory?
(a) Really bad - I forget everything!
(b) Not too bad - but I forget more
often than other people.
(c)
(d) It's perfect. I never forget
anything.
Answer (a) Really bad - you can relax a bit. Keep in mind the old saying that
"the more you complain, the longer you live." In general, the worse
you think your memory is, the less likely it is that you have a serious brain
problem. There are at least two reasons for this. First, if you really had a
serious memory problem, then you would not remember what you forget; you would
not even be aware that you had a memory problem. If you can remember everything
that you have forgotten and the details of how you forgot it, then you are
showing at least part of your memory is working quite well.
Second, if you really did have a brain disease such as Alzheimer's, you would
be much less likely to think your memory is terrible - even though it may be!
This is because the damage to the brain caused by Alzheimer's frequrently
affects areas of the brain that impair your knowledge of your own abilities. So
people with Alzheiemer's tend to minimize or ignore the memory problems that
they have.
Answer (b) Not too bad, but more often that most people. You may have a
realistic appraisal of your own memory. If you are concerned that it is worse
than other peoples' or worse than it should be for you, or if you think that it
has gotten worse in the last year, then getting it checked is reasonable.
Answer (c) Normal with occasional forgetting. You may be normal. However, if
you had Alzheimer's disease, you might think the same thing. If your spouse or
friends do not notice anything wrong with your memory, then you can relax. But
if they have been rumbling about your forgetfulness, then it would probably be
best if you got it checked.
Answer (d) I never forget anything. If we can believe you, this is wonderful!
You should make a living showing off your memory skills! You should volunteer
for memory experiments! But without knowing more about you, it is more likely
that your memory is not so extraordinary. It may be good, but not perfect. No
one has a perfect memory for everything. In one study of ten people who thought
they had extraordinary memories (volunteers who presented themselves after
hearing a radio program), only one probably had a memory that was better than
average. Even people with amazing memories in some areas, such as the
mnemonists described in Chapter 19 do not remember everything. V.P., a man who
never forgot any story he ever read, could not remember peoples' faces.