Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer

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Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer

21 Critic Reviews

. . .he has a gift for communicating fairly complex ideas in a manner that is palatable without being patronising.
-Financial Times

Recommended by

Kirkus, NY Times, Guardian, The Washington Post, The Independent

Synopsis

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

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.

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About Joshua Foer

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JOSHUA FOER has written for National Geographic, Esquire, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate.

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Published March 3, 2011 by Penguin Books. 317 pages
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Self Help, Nature & Wildlife, Science & Math, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Professional & Technical. Non-fiction

Bestseller Status:

Peak Rank on Mar 27 2011

Weeks as Bestseller

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Critic reviews for Moonwalking With Einstein
All: 21 | Positive: 16 | Negative: 5

Kirkus

Dec 01 2010

He offers fascinating and accessible explorations into the workings of the brain. . .

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NY Times

Reviewed by Alexandra Horowitz on Mar 11 2011

Discussing the neurological underpinnings of memory, he repeats some commonly held myths about it...

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NY Times

Reviewed by Michiko Kakutani on Mar 07 2011

His narrative is smart and funny. . .it’s informed by a humanism that enables its author to place the mysteries of the brain within a larger philosophical and cultural context.

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Guardian

Reviewed by Tim Radford on Nov 21 2012

It's a good way to explore a certain kind of science, especially the essentially subjective science of memory.

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Guardian

Reviewed by Peter Conrad on Apr 16 2011

Foer's self-improvement manual reads like the script for a reality TV series. . .

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Guardian

Reviewed by Oliver Burkeman on Apr 08 2011

. . .it is Foer's detours down other side-streets of memory that make for some of the book's most compelling moments.

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WSJ online

Reviewed by Elizabeth Loftus on Mar 05 2011

. . .his account implies that all our past experiences are actually lurking somewhere in the brain. . .scientists have been debating the permanence of memory for decades. . .many reject the idea. . .

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Financial Times

Reviewed by Kevin Jackson on Apr 01 2011

. . .he has a gift for communicating fairly complex ideas in a manner that is palatable without being patronising.

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The Washington Post

Reviewed by Marie Arana on Mar 04 2011

. . .reminds us that though brain science is a wild frontier and the mechanics of memory little understood, our minds are capable of epic achievements.

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The Independent

Reviewed by Mark Turner on May 06 2011

Always fascinating and frequently mind-boggling, Moonwalking with Einstein is a book worth remembering.

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BookPage

Reviewed by Heather Seggel

Our memories hold the content of our relationships and give us a context in which to view it. . .

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Oregon Live

Reviewed by Marc Covert on Mar 26 2011

While Foer's remarkable achievement makes for a compelling story, it would soon wear thin as the sole premise of a book or movie...points out that dismissing memory development and ignoring its long history as an important, worthwhile discipline is to completely miss the point.

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Review (Barnes & Noble)

Reviewed by Tess Taylor on Mar 14 2011

. . .this wonderful, rich, philosophical, well-written premise devolves over its 277 pages. . .By the end, even Foer seems tired. . .

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Tampa Bay Times

Reviewed by Steven Rea on Apr 17 2011

. . .Foer's book is remarkable, and also remarkably practical.

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The Daily Beast

Reviewed by Casey Schwartz on Mar 01 2011

One of the more intriguing ideas in Foer’s book: to know something, really, in the first place, is to memorize it.

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Oprah.com

Reviewed by David Ulin

. . .charming piece of participatory journalism. . .

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The Seattle Times

Reviewed by Roger Miller on Mar 05 2011

. . .a beguiling exploration of the manifold aspects of memory and memorizing.

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The Spectator

Reviewed by William Leith on Jun 04 2011

But Foer’s speculations are fascinating, and he slides you through this material effortlessly.

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Scientific American

Reviewed by Frank Bures on Mar 25 2011

. . .rich with information about the nature of memory and how it makes us who we are.

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Mars Hill Online

Reviewed by Michael Biornstad on Mar 28 2012

. . .an enlightening read with a valuable message for a society that has made technology its surrogate memory.

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Gates Notes

Reviewed by Bill Gates on Sep 12 2012

The book reminds us that we all start off with pretty much the same tools for the most part, and we can be intentional about strengthening them, or not.

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rahul 31 Jan 2013

This is a really entertaining book. It is encouraging to learn that a guy with an average memory can train to become a 'memory athlete' and commit anything he likes to memory. The concept of a 'mem...

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