The Memory Book

Book Review: A major personal influence and a great place to start learning memory systems

I first read this book about 20 years ago, when I found it on my parent's bookshelves in high school. I was fascinated by the principles in it and it was some of the inspiration for LimitlessMindset.com! It's still sitting next to my desk at this moment. I owe a lot of my success, relationships, life experiences, and a sharp mind to utilizing the memory systems that I first learned from this book.

This book does an excellent job of getting you started using memory systems in your business and personal life. Memory systems are an often overlooked area of personal development that will make you more effective at everything you do. Without a doubt, anyone who wants to have a "Limitless" memory in real life should read some books on Mnemonics. Lots of smart, educated people have never even heard of using memory systems to improve their performance. I suspect this is because memory systems are not very commercially viable. Memory systems are a completely natural method of maximizing your brain's performance, they don't require you to purchase drugs or supplements, or expensive coaching programs. Once you learn them and get in the habit of using them, they will benefit you for the rest of your life.

Memory systems take a little persistence to get started with

At first, you will feel a little silly and wonder if you are just completely wasting time making up absurd visualizations. After about a week of consciously forcing yourself to use memory systems, you will find that they become easy and fun to use. After a few months of daily practice, you will begin to approach an unconscious competence level of skill using memory systems. Memory systems improve your social life since they upgrade your sense of humor and ability to banter with people and remember details about people.

The book was originally published in 1974, so some of the applications of memory systems in it are a little dated, for example, in today's culture of smartphones and Google how often does anyone need to memorize phone numbers? But the principles are completely timeless. The most valuable use of memory systems for me has been being able to mentally file away small details about people and recall them instantly at the most opportune moments, this has made a major positive impact on my social life and career.

This short book will teach you memory systems to attain a savant-like memory faculty for acquiring new skill sets, learning languages faster, improving your vocabulary, vanquishing absentmindedness, studying better in less time, and memorizing speeches to improve your public speaking ability. Along with never forgetting appointments or tasks, and improving your performance at school, even the AV Association technique for remembering names comes from this book.

SuperMemo is an algorithm-powered flashcard app for high-leverage learning and knowledge retention that works great in combination with memory systems, I've used it to learn to speak Spanish fluently.

SuperMemo

 

4.0

Category: Software & Apps

I actually created a free SuperMemo course, Biohacking & Beyond, which will help a bunch of fascinating Biohacking factoids stick in your head.

About The Memory Book

The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play

Unleash the hidden power of your mind

It’s there in all of us. A mental resource we don’t think much about. Memory. And now there’s a way to master its power. . . .

Through Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas’s simple, fail-safe memory system, you can become more effective, more imaginative, and more powerful at work, at school, in sports, and at play.

• Read with speed and greater understanding.
• File phone numbers, data, figures, and appointments right in your head.
• Send those birthday and anniversary cards on time.
• Learn foreign words and phrases with ease.
• Shine in the classroom and shorten study hours.
• Dominate social situations: Remember and use important personal details.

Begin today. The change in your life will be unforgettable