Book Review : Moonwalking with Einstein - The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Genre: Non-Fiction/ Self Improvement ​

Moonwalking with Einstein is a book that is curious into exploring the factors of the Human Brain in terms of Memory. Foer has set out a task of unravelling concepts that has existed over many decades and pens it in his set-out nature as a journalist. Foer gets interested in the topics of Memory and searches for the Smartest man in the world in google and finds if not the smartest person in the world, at least some kind of freakish genius, who can memorise 1,528 random digits in one hour and any poem handed to him. His interest in “Memory” as a way to understand how the mind works begins here and leads him to train for a year to become a “Mental Athlete” 

It is during this time he learns about mnemonics and memory palaces and uses these concepts and many other that are similar and are considered natural (Mind Maps, Savant syndrome, Eidetic Memory or, photographic memory) in the eleven chapters of the book, which is beautifully structured by research, absorbing inspirations and comparing it with his personal experiences. 
In short, the book points out that humans go through 3 stages when learning a new skill - cognitive, associative, and autonomous.

The book achieves the impossible feat of having a cerebral discussion that is palatable to everyone.

Side note: Bill Gates reviewed this book to be “Absolutely Phenomenal” and lists under his top reads of 2012 and under the worth reading this summer recommendations in 2020. 

Written by Bhavana Kasirajan

Bhavana is the Assistant to Equity Partner at J. Sagar  Associates, a prominent Law firm in India. She is an avid reader of Leadership books. Connect with her on LinkedIn!