An effective memory manual with an unusual approach.
Actress and memory whiz Henner (Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want, 2009, etc.) unveils the secrets to unlocking the hidden recesses of the mind.
The author’s awe-inspiring memory skills, profiled in an episode of 60 Minutes, have eclipsed the fame she won for her portrayal of Elaine Nardo on the beloved TV sitcom Taxi. Despite realizing from an early age that she processed memory differently than other people, Henner didn’t know there was a name for her superlative powers of recollection until she began working with researchers at the University of California, Irvine. There, she learned that she is one of a very small number of people classified with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. The average person can recall up to 11 events from each year of their life; Henner remembers—in precise detail—every day of her life since the age of 12. By sharing her ability, Henner writes, readers will be able to “use these lessons to transform your memory, your past, and ultimately, your future.” Blending anecdotes from her personal life and career with scientific data and exercises designed to trigger specific types of memories, the author guides readers on a tour through their past. Henner forgoes typical approaches like mnemonics, place pegs and memory palaces. One test stimulates the olfactory nerves to turn up sense memories; another asks readers to revisit their 21st birthdays to uncover the different ways they archive memories. As the text progresses, Henner skillfully demonstrates how memories can help readers process their past, direct their present and shape their future. Other useful chapters address how to effectively record events in a journal and the ways parents can help their children preserve memories. Henner’s enthusiasm is infectious, though the number of exclamation points may distract some readers.
An effective memory manual with an unusual approach.Pub Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-5121-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
A dubious exploration of appetite as a metaphor in women's lives, from the author of When Food Is Love (1991), who conducts workshops on women, food, and self-esteem. According to Roth, women desire obsessively—a perfect body, success, love—instead of embracing themselves as they are and appreciating what they already have. A woman who overeats, for example, may be trying to fill a void within herself, not realizing that she already has what she needs. Roth gives examples from her own life: Having obtained what she thought she wanted—fame, a good man, a thin body, a life in scenic northern California—she still wasn't happy. Then she developed chronic fatigue syndrome and a vitamin deficiency that caused her hair to fall out, all of which made her realize that she should have appreciated her health while she had it. A series of chance disasters—an earthquake, a fire that nearly burned her house down—led her to understand that everything she has could easily be taken away, that her deepest satisfaction must come from herself. Though witty and lucid about her personal experience, Roth does, unfortunately, lapse into the occasional New Age, pseudo-Buddhist truism. Nor is it always obvious how particular parts of the narrative fit into her overall argument. Worse, the author can be downright maudlin: Anthropomorphic paeans to her cat's capacity for enlightened contentment, though mitigated by moments of self-mockery, get embarrassing after awhile. Roth's lack of self-consciousness about her own privilege is an even larger problem. It is easy enough to preach about finding happiness within yourself when you have what you always wanted from the world. But those who haven't found love, fame, rewarding work, or money may be less than sympathetic to the spiritual struggles of the ``woman who has everything'' and still isn't satisfied. (Author tour)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-525-94076-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Alice Trillin was 38 when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Bruno Navasky was 12 when he was diagnosed with cancer. Trillin wrote Bruno a letter of support and commiseration, which was saved for 20 years. Both survived their ordeals, and now the letter is being published, with illustrations by Ed Koren, for children and grown-ups alike who face cancer. Trillin is never patronizing; her blend of empathy, warmth, and simplicity are perfectly directed at her 12-year-old correspondent. On the vicissitudes of hospital life she writes, ``The thing that always astonished me was how incredibly well-behaved I was, even when I had to wait in the hallway until I thought I'd been abandoned.'' She allows Bruno to share her anger at being chosen for such a painful fate: ``After all, I am a reasonably nice person, had always done my best to behave myself, and there were all sorts of awful people wandering around perfectly healthy . . . while I had to lie in bed having tubes and needles stuck into me.'' Everyone needs a friend like Alice Trillin—and now everyone can have one.
Pub Date: May 8, 1996
ISBN: 1-56584-057-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: The New Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1996
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
