Memory Fitness: A Guide for Successful Aging

There have been several books published about memory and maintaining memory skills but this book is notable in its comprehensive look at the various facets of memory and how aging affects them. The book's first five chapters evaluate the current science of memory and explain how people use memory. Thereafter the book provides guidance on how one can work to improve memory in certain areas and develop strategies to cope with those natural impairments to memory that develop as a person ages. This book is very well written and notable for its optimistic outlook and lack of egotistical hype.

Professors Einstein and McDaniel, in their easy-to-read guide to "memory fitness," debunk the myth that growing old means that one's memory is certain to decline significantly. The book guides readers through understandable explanations of how our memories work, and the changes to expect. Best, strategies are offered to improve our memories, with emphasis on mental activity as well as physical exercise. Most practical and satisfying are the many graphic demonstrations throughout the chapters which allow the reader to understand how his or her own memory is working. Older adults should own this book, even if nothing else is learned, just to review the "cues" which one can use to serve as reminders to remember something. Younger adults need this book to complete a comprehensive approach to general fitness. Though I have owned a computer for 22 years, I thought, at 76, that my brain's "hard drive" was too full to tackle much more data. Einstein and McDaniel's book has convinced me that there is room for much, much more. So, this year I've learned 130 new square dance steps. MEMORY FITNESS: A GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFUL AGING will help you too.

Dr. Einstein was my Memory and Cognition professor and when I found out that he wrote a book, I decided to buy the book for my own information and for my parents to see it, if they so desired. I found the book to be not only a wonderful overview and recap of things that we learned in class, but also a great asset for everyone as they gain wisdom and years. People give up hope and expect to have increasing memory problems with age, but they don't imagine what they could do to help themselves beyond the use of post-it notes. I highly recommend this book!