Pieces of Light: The new science of memory - Couverture rigide

Fernyhough, Charles

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 184668448X ISBN 13 : 9781846684487

Editeur : Profile Books Ltd, 2012

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

'Crisp and knowledgebale' -- Guardian

'An immense pleasure ... shines new light on the reader's own life' New Scientist

'In this enthralling tour of human memory, Charles Fernyhough himself a hybrid of science and poetry reveals the mysterious forces behind these stories that shape our lives.' Jonah Lehrer, bestselling author of 'Imagine: How Creativity Works'

'Fernyhough weaves literature and science to expose our rich, beautiful relationship with our past and future selves' Dr. David Eagleman, Neuroscientist and author of 'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain'

'Combining the engaging style of a novelist with the rigour of a scientist, Charles Fernyhough has written an insightful and thought provoking meditation on the nature of memory and its implications for our everyday lives. 'Pieces of Light' will both linger in your memory and change the way you think about it.' Daniel L. Schacter, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of 'The Seven Sins of Memory'

'A beautifully written, absorbing read a fascinating journey through the latest science of memory' Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine

'Both playful and profound, a wonderfully memorable read' Douwe Draaisma, Professor of History of Psychology, University of Groningen and author of 'Why Life Speeds Up As You Get Older'

'Exhilarating ... a compelling case' -- Times Literary Supplement

'A gifted writer' -- Financial Times

'Tells stories to explore the deepest nature of memory, and does it beautifully ... Fernyhough takes us on a captivating journey into the mind. And he does so with great style' -- Telegraph (*****)

'A fascinating snapshot of where our thinking stands on the subject' --Independent

Quatrième de couverture :

How is it possible to have vivid memories of something that never happened?

How can siblings remember the same event from their childhoods so differently?

Do the selections and distortions of memory reveal a truth about the self?

Why are certain memories tied to specific places?

Does your memory really get worse as you get older?

A new consensus is emerging among cognitive scientists: rather than possessing fixed, unchanging memories, we create recollections anew each time we are called upon to remember. As the psychologist Charles Fernyhough explains, remembering is an act of narrative imagination as much as it is the product of a neurological process. In Pieces of Light, he eloquently illuminates this compelling scientific breakthrough via a series of personal stories—a visit to his college campus to see if his memories hold up, an interview with his ninety-three-year-old grandmother, conversations with those whose memories are affected by brain damage and trauma—each illustrating memory's complex synergy of cognitive and neurological functions.

Fernyhough guides readers through the fascinating new science of autobiographical memory, covering topics including imagination and the power of sense associations to cue remembering. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, Pieces of Light brings together science and literature, the ordinary and the extraordinary, to help us better understand the ways we remember—and the ways we forget.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Profile Books Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2012
• ISBN 10: 184668448X
• ISBN 13: 9781846684487
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 352