Forgetting brings together a variety of areas of brain research to explore the benefits of our tendency to forget。 This is examined through the experience of autistic people and those with ptsd in early chapters。 Both show ways that too much memory can make it difficult to function。 Other chapters explore the role sleep plays in helping us forget, making room for our ability to make new memories the next day。 The last two chapters explore alzheimers disease through the research that currently ex Forgetting brings together a variety of areas of brain research to explore the benefits of our tendency to forget。 This is examined through the experience of autistic people and those with ptsd in early chapters。 Both show ways that too much memory can make it difficult to function。 Other chapters explore the role sleep plays in helping us forget, making room for our ability to make new memories the next day。 The last two chapters explore alzheimers disease through the research that currently exists。 There are still many questions about the disease that have of been answered。 As someone without a scientific background I was able to follow along without much difficulty。 The ending may frustrate readers looking for more answers because there is still much to learn about the disease。 But it is good to know that research is rapidly progressing。Most of us will witness alzheimers in a friend or family member so I find it comforting to learn more about how the disease progresses。 This book won't give you any tools to help stop your own experience of forgetting。 But it might help you better accept it as a necessary part of life。 Anyone interested in neuroscience and how the brain works should pick this up。 It is accessible and easy to read for the science enthusiast。 。。。more
Cat,
It would be nice to pick and choose forgetfulness, but that isn't how it works。 I just visited an elderly relative who is beginning to suffer from some form of dementia。 Her short term memory is vanishing, sadly, she seems to recognizes that fact。, scary。 This was as an enlightening read about memory and forgetfulness。 As I am creeping into my senior years, it's feeling like I should go armed, aware of my brain and how it works and how it can impact my future life。 Well worth the read。I received It would be nice to pick and choose forgetfulness, but that isn't how it works。 I just visited an elderly relative who is beginning to suffer from some form of dementia。 Her short term memory is vanishing, sadly, she seems to recognizes that fact。, scary。 This was as an enlightening read about memory and forgetfulness。 As I am creeping into my senior years, it's feeling like I should go armed, aware of my brain and how it works and how it can impact my future life。 Well worth the read。I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
J Earl,
Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A Small is a fascinating and accessible look at how forgetting works in the brain and why it is beneficial when functioning normally。 While the explanations are detailed Small manages to explain neurological concepts in terms most readers can understand and appreciate。The funny thing about forgetting is that it has long been subtly believed to be good to an extent (for instance, my long time comments about not bothering to remember things I do Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A Small is a fascinating and accessible look at how forgetting works in the brain and why it is beneficial when functioning normally。 While the explanations are detailed Small manages to explain neurological concepts in terms most readers can understand and appreciate。The funny thing about forgetting is that it has long been subtly believed to be good to an extent (for instance, my long time comments about not bothering to remember things I don't need) while also being something we're all afraid of。 Basically the difference between selective forgetting and pathological forgetting。 What we haven't understood until recently is just how much forgetting is a natural part of our memory and knowledge making as well as how forgetting plays a role in many different conditions。Small does a wonderful job of walking us through understanding the processes involved and the different disciplines where forgetting is important, whether our natural forgetting or when we forget too much or too little。Highly recommended for readers who enjoy more detailed popular science books and especially those curious about our brains, our psychological make-up, and what the current science has to say about it all。 While I have played up the accessibility aspect, this book is also an engaging read that was fun from beginning to end。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Jeff,
Intriguing New Science。 For much of human history and even for much of the last few hundred years - when our scientific knowledge has seemingly gone into warp drive itself, sleep was said to be nothing more than the land of dreams, that humans could work at peak efficiency without much of it at all。 Forgetfulness, even in many circles now, has been seen as a negative of various extremes, from embarrassing to debilitating。 But what if we've had it all wrong, and forgetting is actually one of our Intriguing New Science。 For much of human history and even for much of the last few hundred years - when our scientific knowledge has seemingly gone into warp drive itself, sleep was said to be nothing more than the land of dreams, that humans could work at peak efficiency without much of it at all。 Forgetfulness, even in many circles now, has been seen as a negative of various extremes, from embarrassing to debilitating。 But what if we've had it all wrong, and forgetting is actually one of our more *useful* adaptations? What if sleep actually plays a significant part of this process?Here, neuroscientist Small examines what we've learned - in many cases, much of it over the last decade in particular - about just how imperative forgetfulness is to the very existence of the human body and human society more generally。 From the social/ societal benefits all the way to the molecular, intra-cranial benefits, Small examines it all in a text that is clear enough to work in the "popular science" realm while still giving plenty of technical and precise details。 Very much recommended。 。。。more