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 The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young
ASIN: 0786868260
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: "Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young"
Comments: I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's [ALZ] in June, 2001. [See my review of Shenk, "The Forgetting Alzheimer's . ." on Amazon for further details">
Unlike Shenk, this book is not directed to those of us with diagnosed ALZ, but rather to a broader spectrum of those who realize they have a failing memory, and wish to take steps to buttress and strengthen these facilities. I cannot comment directly on the effectiveness of the LOOK, SNAP, and CONNECT exercise for myself as my ALZ is a progressive regressive disease, with no plateau in prospec">
However, for those who fear that their memory loss is a precursor to ALZ, this book is a godsend. If you can strenghten your memory retention and recall by following the exercises, then you are NOT likely to have diagnosible AL">
For those of us with ALZ, this book is a treasure-trove of valuable information, such as the Glossaary, the pharmaceuticals used to deal with ALZ, and the Resources. Chapter 9: "Wise Up About Medicines" was particularly valuable. The subjective and objective tests in Chapter 2 were quite informative to me, a retired University Professor with a Mensa IQ, pre-ALZ, with apparent rapid onset at age 70">
A very small caveat, Small, who developed the protocols for Aricept
[Donepezil] waxes too enthusiastic for the amyloid vaccine which has been, perhaps temorarily, withdrawn from its human trial due to unexpected brain inflamations. The Index is mostly useless, perhaps due to an ignorant publisher: although Small mentions Shenk in the text, neither "The Forgetting" nor Shenk are found in the index nor the Bibliograph">
I have already recommended "The Memory Bible" to friends who are worried about their deteriorating memory skills, and they report substantial benefits from LOOK, SNAP, AND CONNECT. [For the record, I scored an 88 on the Subjective Evaluation, and 10% on the Objective Measures. Sigh!]
"Reverse Mike" is the name on my "Safe Return" bracelet. (:<))
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 Elite Word Power + Memory Course
ASIN: 0971930600
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: They laughed at my SAT verbal score. Now I laugh at theirs.
Comments: CDs make me say words that my redneck friends don't understand. I'm completely satisfied. These CDs are a must in self-improvement. The memory course helps with studying and remembering girlfriend's birthday. Highly recommended.
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 The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential
ASIN: 0452273226
Customer's Rating: 4
Summary: Does It Work? Do You Use It? Is It Helpful?
Comments: The majority of the reviews seem to focus on the reviewer's feelings: towards the author, his previous works, "it was too simple," "too complicated," "repetitive," and so on. However, if you're not familiar with mind-maps (which are creative techniques used to organize thoughts, identify key ideas, link themes, and remember more effectively, while using the both sides of the brain), you might think of it as a gimmicky New-Agey concept without practical applications. In other words, not useful, interesting but not useful. I'd just like to give personal endorsement. I've used mind maps for about twenty years to organize engineering projects at work, remember books I've read, identify daily goals, learn chess opening ideas, outline papers I'm writing, and identify the important from the trivial. This book does have flaws in that Buzan has already written it in his earlier works, and the title suggests to more impressive results than can be delivered ("maximize your brain's potential"). You won't become a genius, you will still have to work at thinking, you'll just have an additional tool to help you. Mind maps are fun, easy-to-use, useful ways to organize and retain information and generate ideas. Linear notes just don't jog the memory. It's still amazing to me how a hastily drawn mind map on an article, book, movie, lecture - a map I'll scribble with stupid little drawings and doodles and throw away days later - can help me remember so much years later ! It works. I use it. It helps.
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 Your Memory : How It Works and How to Improve It
ASIN: 1569246297
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: The complete memory book
Comments: Kenneth Higbee is very direct about his memory book. He writes that he fills in a very specific niche that isn't being filled by current memory books. I think that he is right.
I have recently read 4 other memory books, Kevin Trudeau's "Mega-Memory", Tony Buzan's "Use Your Perfect Memory", Harry Lorayne's "How to Develop a Superpower Memory" and Lorayne and Lucas's "The Memory Book". I have read some of them previously, but intentionally read them over with the intent to compare them to each other and see if there was any difference.
If you are already sold on various memory techniques (pegging, loci etc...) and only want to learn the techniques, it really doesn't matter which book you read, they all contain the same information about the actual techniques. All of them usually have a little history included as well about where the techniques come from and how they developed.
Higbee, however, goes one step further than all the other books. He is aiming this book at students (I'm sure this is a text book for his memory course), educators and intelligent readers. He gives answers to long time questions that are so often asked (what is a photographic memory? Do different systems interfere with each other?, will you forget what you remember? How good are the different techniques? etc...). Higbee answers all of these and more in a clear way with little ambiguity. He provides the latest research and references to medical and psychological journals on how the techniques work, results from various students in his classes and his own experiences. He looks directly at problems with the memory systems and addresses criticism from various sources.
The book left me impressed and addressed all of my questions and even questions that friends asked me after I'd read the book. I was able to answer all of their questions without problems. Also, I found that the extra chapter on study techniques changed how I read textbooks and technical information. In fact, I began reading the rest of his book in the same way that he suggested and found it worked very well for absorbing information.
To summarise, Higbee gives various memnonic techniques that are general enough to use every day, some suggestions on how to use them, references to books that give you even more suggestions and research evidence to back it up. Higbee also warns that these aren't always worth your time. If you are looking for an easy way to get a photographic memory, look elswhere. Most of these techniques take time and effort and some can even hinder your memory if you try to use them and only put only a little time in.
This book is the kind that I recommend to friends and I think every student should probably read at least once. There are tools here that are life changing and worth your time to learn. A simply outstanding book.
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 Building Mental Muscle : Conditioning Exercises for the Six Intelligence Zones
ASIN: 0916410625
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: Enlightening and Motivational
Comments: I had one main motivation for getting your book. To recapture my learning power! My second motivation was to understand why it needed to be recaptured.
Not only did I want to gain back my "Mental Muscle", but I wanted to understand why and how my learning capacity diminished in a few short years. I also wanted to understand preventative measures. And I wanted this information backed by research. So you see, your book was a perfect match.
The book is more entertaining than I anticipated! That has been the biggest surprise- it's fun. The mix of puzzles, exercises, research studies and explanations is like a song with an interesting and varied melody. It never stays in one place long enough to tire of it. Also, the information on how the brain functions (how it can become more/less powerful) was exactly what I wanted to know. Things like how the Hippocampus routes and retrieves data, how stress interferes with memory and how exercise helps the retention of mental function not only enlighten, but serve as positive motivation that the brain can be made strong again. Probably my favorite parts are those that explain the underlying logic needed to work through and solve the exercises. Like in the "Familial Dilemma" exercises.
As you can tell, I feel you have written a fine book and I am excited to see how my learning will be impacted. (bangonrecords.com -Music Production for film and television)
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 Your Miracle Brain: Maximize Your Brainpower, Boost Your Memory, Lift Your Mood, Improve Your IQ and Creativity, Prevent and Reverse Mental Aging
ASIN: 0060984406
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: Enjoyable to read and informative
Comments: Jean Carper has a wonderful writing style. She is able to take complex topics that may otherwise be boring and turn them into a fascinating read. In this book she strongly emphasizes the importance of food in brain health, particularly oils found in fish. I agree with her that many people in this country may not be getting adequate amounts of omega-3 or fish oils. Clinically I have found that fish oils do help improve mood and vision. I highly recommend this book, you will learn a lot. I first heard about Jean a decade ago from my mom who had her book Food: Your Miracle Medicine. You may also consider reading my book Mind Boosters. It compliments Jean's book and provides additional points of view, suggestions, and information about dozens of different supplements. There's a lot of information about new mind boosters such as vinpocetine, huperzine, methyl donors, etc. and more of a practical/medical approach on side effects, dosages, and how to combine various nutrients to improve mood, memory, vision, sex drive, and mental performance.
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 The Memory Book
ASIN: 0345410025
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: The basic fundamentals of how to memorize anything.
Comments: This book was an absolute joy to read. The book contains information on mnemonics, pegs, etc. This information is not particularly new, or unique to this book. But I've read other books on the subject and have not gotten as much use from it as I have this book.
In the first few chapters, you'll already begin to memorize things that you thought couldn't be memorized. I still remember a practice list of random objects in the first couple chapters, with no review or real thought about it since I purchased it back about 2 or 3 years ago (I can't remember when I purchased it, but can still remember the list - ironic, no?).
As much as I enjoyed this book and think how much it has helped me...this book did not provide me with solutions to memory issues such as "where I placed my keys" or "where I parked the car". However, I have memorized Pi to over 100 digits now using the techniques of this book.
Overall, this was a great book, as well as an enjoyable read. For memory books of it's genre, I highly recommend it.
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 Kevin Trudeau's: Mega Memory (8 Cssts)
ASIN: 9991335870
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: Best memory system i've ever bought
Comments: It's funny, and entertaining to listen to. Kevin is an enjoyable reader for the book, and speaks with much enthusiasm.
The material is original, and best of all - it works! I still remember with ease, and most vividly, the practices he uses to teach you the system. Some of them are so outrageously funny, you can't help but to enjoy doing it.
He teaches about the mind's memory function, and how images are what the mind works best with. This is the core of his system, and learning is so much easier to me now, thanks to it.
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 Dynamic Health: Using Your Own Beliefs, Thoughts and Memory to Create a Healthy Body
ASIN: 0944994091
Customer's Rating: 5
Summary: "THE" Owners Manual we should have been born with
Comments: This book has helped me so much physicially and emotionally. I had no idea where some of my physical problems originated from. After reading this book, it has helped me to connect my emotions and past experiences with my current place in life. I hope others will gain the insight from this great book that I have gathered.
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 Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises
ASIN: 0761110526
Customer's Rating: 4
Summary: offers interesting ideas
Comments: I'm surprised at the response of some other readers of this book. I read the book, and I found that it offered a very interesting explanation of how the brain processes information.
A lot of the points that the authors make are perfectly valid. We live in an increasingly complex society, and, as a result, rely on a lot of routines (like taking the same route to work each day, buying the same items at the same stores each day, etc.) to make our way through day-to-day life. The down side of this sort of lifestyle is that these routines are brain deadening.
This book offers ideas on ways to break free of mind-numbing daily routines like using the five senses in new ways or taking unexpected approaches to everyday events. Sure, some of the exercises are pretty silly, and I can't say that I've embraced a lot of their ideas, but the basic premise behind neurobics makes sense.
I suggest you read the first few chapters on how the brain works and skim through the exercises--essentially use the exercises as a springboard to living a more active, engaging life. The average person will learn a lot about the workings of the brain and may even take a new approach to living their life.
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