Moonwalking with Einstein
Moonwalking with Einstein follows the author, Joshua Foer, as he embarks upon competing in the United States Memory Championship. As a journalist with no prior experience in memory competitions, Foer documents his journey learning how to memorize large volumes of information and train his brain to retain and recall that information at the snap of a finger. Without spoiling the ending, Foer’s story is living proof in the power of focus, consistency and time.
My primary takeaways:
Our capacity to remember images is much stronger than that of words.
Everything we learn is permanently stored in the brain. It is our ability to access that information that varies.
A photographic memory might not actually exist. There is only one person in the world ever reported who might have had one.
Memories are formed and created through a web of associations and clues.
A great memory is the essence of expertise. Experts in a field have a greater capacity to memorize information within their field.
The United States education system does not teach us how to learn. We are told what to learn and expected to figure it out.
Learning to master the art of the memory palace unlocks your brain and maximizes the potential to learn large volumes of information quickly.
Systems discourage free thinkers.
The combination of consistency, focus and time leads to success.
This book was really inspiring and a great read. I was reminded that, as generic as it sounds, putting your mind to something is truly powerful and there is no telling what you might be able to accomplish. Definitely recommend reading this one, you won’t regret it.
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