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The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 153.12
EAN: 9780618219193
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 0618219196
Label: Houghton Mifflin
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: May 07, 2002
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Studio: Houghton Mifflin
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Editorial Review:
Illustrating decades of research with compelling and often bizarre examples of glitches and miscues, Daniel L. Schacter's The Seven Sins of Memory dusts off an old topic and finds material of both practical and theoretical interest. Chairman of Harvard's Department of Psychology, Schacter knows his stuff and how to present it memorably. Organizing the book by examining each of seven "sins," such as absent-mindedness and suggestibility, Schacter slowly builds his case that these sometimes enraging bugs are actually side effects of system features we wouldn't want to do without. For example, when we focus our attention on one aspect of our surroundings, we inevitably draw attention away from others:
Consider this scenario: if you were watching a circle of people passing a basketball and someone dressed in a gorilla costume walked through the circle, beat his chest, and exited, of course you would notice him immediately--wouldn't you? [Researchers] filmed such a scene and showed it to people who were asked to track the movement of the ball by counting the number of passes made by one of the teams. Approximately half of the participants failed to notice the gorilla.
Scientists concerned about interesting a general audience would do well to use more gorilla suits. Schacter elegantly weaves this curiosity into his text along with clinical stories and frontline research. Recent advances in brain imaging have boosted his field considerably, and the formerly remote psychological territory has yielded plenty of exciting discoveries. Though some of the practical material seems like reheated common sense (Haunted by a traumatic memory? Talk about it.), it's backed up by solid scientific work. Write a note, tie string around the finger, or hire an assistant for reminders, but by all means remember to pick up a copy of The Seven Sins of Memory. --Rob Lightner
A groundbreaking work by one of the world's foremost memory experts, THE SEVEN SINS OF MEMORY offers the first framework that explains common memory vices -- and their surprising virtues. In this intriguing study, Daniel L. Schacter explores the memory miscues that occur in everyday life: absent-mindedness, transience, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence. Schacter illustrates these concepts with vivid examples -- case studies, literary excerpts, experimental evidence, and accounts of highly visible news events such as the O.J. Simpson verdict, Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony, and the search for the Oklahoma City bomber. He also delves into striking new scientific research, giving us a glimpse of the fascinating neurology of memory. Together, the stories and the scientific results provide a new look at our brains and at what we more generally think of as our minds.Winner of the William James Book Award
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - scientific but easy to digest
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in memory problems. The author describes memory glitches that happen to many of us, and provides the scientific background for what's going on. But it's always fun to read and never heavy-handed.
Rating: - Not all sins are bad!
As a frequent presenter on the subject of memory, there is much to appreciate in this book. I have pulled it off my bookshelf several times since 2001, and it is highlighted and sprinkled with notes to remind me about the author's most intriguing points. Nevertheless, there were several excellent magazine summaries of the book published in 2001 that might well satisfy the reader who wants to know the 7 sins but is not interested in his elaboration. On the other hand, the book has much to offer, ... Read More
Rating:  - Could be more compact
This was a well written book by a knowledgeable researcher. Nevertheless, I believe the book would have been more interesting if it were not as lengthy. Some critics have pointed out the book was overly technical, however, it was written by a leading researcher in this field of neuroscience. I found the sin of persistence most interesting and informative. On the other hand I am still confused as to why two people suffering the same kind of trauma, for example, react differently to memories. ... Read More
Rating: - explanation of memory
The author describes how memory works and why we fail to recall things at times. A great chapter is the one that details how incidents that never happened are explained years afterwards by people who thought that they had happened after the incidents were spoken about enough times. A very detailed book that is easy to read.
Rating: - A great read for anyone interested in Memory & Forgetting
This book is for anyone interested in memories and just how malleable they really are!
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