Book Review 💫
Remember by Lisa Genova

I can tell you in specific parts of my childhood with incredible detail and yet forget why I headed into the kitchen 5 minutes ago...

I can memorize dates but also forget to pick up something from the grocery store.

I can read 50 books last year and remember details but then can’t remember the article I read last night.

How is this possible? What is the importance of the hippocampus? How do concussions add to the memory retrieval process? And even more so, let’s start to understand the brain so that we can understand how to treat our family members that have Alzheimer’s with compassion.

There is no question that I fell in love with @lisagenova writing back when I picked up Still Alice. I was drawn to it because my beloved Gram had the disease before she died but we never really had the tools that care for her. I mean that sincerely as looking back, perhaps none of us would have corrected her when she forgot. Would have just gone with whatever she said as to make her feel less scared and frustrated ... and even more so less scared.

I was gifted this book as an early release. And I’m grateful for it. It was easy to read with relatable antidotes. Gives comfort to ways in which we can strength our memory. And ends with an appendix of key points that are easy to go back and review.

For anyone who has experienced Alzheimer’s within friends or family, this book pulls back the details on years and years of research and compiled it in a book.

Ps. If you haven’t read her other novels, then add them. Still Alice is where I would begin. And would be a great book to read in connection with this nonfiction one

To be honest, I was looking forward to another book in typical Lisa Genova style … a novel with a story line. So I was a little sad when I started reading Remember. Having worked for 38½ years in a Psychology department in a University, and specifically with neuroscience faculty and memory experts, the information provided was very interesting.

The brain is an amazing thing and all of the ways it works ... remembering, forgetting, tasting, seeing, hearing, touching, the sense of pain, pleasure, stress, joy, etc. What an awesome job our brains do and the ability it has is unbelievable. The recommendations for how to keep your brain active and decrease the likelihood of dementia are very useful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harmony Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A very engaging, accessible, and reassuring look at how memory works. She doesn't get too technical with science terms - enough for a lay person to understand without it feeling dumbed down. I say reassuring because with the onslaught of information we all receive on a daily basis as well as our awareness of the older generation suffering from Alzheimer's and wondering, wait, is that a sign that I've got it, too? it is nice to learn that memory is not meant to be flawless and the lapses in memory we have are normal and not signs that something is amiss. A fascinating read overall and one that I'll be recommending to everyone!

Memory is a topic of interest for everyone. This book explains the neuroscience of how our memory works, More importantly, it addresses why we forget things and why we shouldn't automatically fear it is a problem.

5 stars for Remember by Lisa Genova. I have been a fan of Genova’s work ever since I picked up Still Alice at a used book sale in a beach town where I used to live. Is this an oddly specific memory? Do I remember the place I bought every book I own? No, I just encoded it with extra information like the book sale and the beach town, so my brain was more likely to remember it.
Remember teaches us how the brain stores memory, how we retrieve those memories, and how we forget those memories. We learn how Alzheimer’s works and how it’s different than “normal” forgetting and memory decline. And we learn how to prevent Alzheimer’s (spoiler-get some sleep!). All in all, this book is an easily digestible manual for all things memory. If you are a fan of Genova’s books, you will appreciate her light hearted way of handling serious subjects. It felt so personal, like I was reading emails from a friend. The only criticism I had was that it left me wanting more in most chapters!
I highly recommend this book for a quick nonfiction read, you won’t forget it ;)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

This is a book that has a lot of good information about memory and how memory works. I think it is a useful resource for anyone who knows and loves someone experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's. Lisa Genova gives us a lot of detailed information about how memory works. I especially appreciated the Appendix at the end which summarizes some key takeaways with tips and ideas to incorporate in life for preventing cognitive decline. This would be a great resource for caregivers and family members of patients suffering from memory loss of any kind.

I read Still Alice when my father was in the last stages of Alzheimer’s and Every Note Played came out soon after a close friend was diagnosed with ALS. Both of these fictional books helped me understand and helped me deal with my Dad and friend. I am so glad I have been able to read Lisa Genova’s new non-fiction book, Remember. I learned so much in this easy-to-read book about memory.

Lisa Genova explores for the reader how we remember, why we forget, and how we can improve. Genova has a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard. She has the ability to present information in a conversational way with examples that readers can understand. For myself, I learned about the importance of seven plus hours of sleep and its connection to memory and explanations of why it hard to concentrate at times of stress (for me the beginning of the pandemic). This book can be read quickly or over time. I know I will be reading sections of it again and recommending it to friends. My thanks to Rodale Inc. Harmony and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions are my own.

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting is an important, valuable, and highly informative read. Ms. Genova has taken a very complicated subject which affects us all and not only made it easy to understand but fascinating as well.

I highly recommend this book to everyone because it is so well done; but I especially recommend it to those who are personally, or who have a loved one dealing with memory issues.

Thank-you, Ms. Genova, for writing this book which will help so many!

My thanks also to NetGalley and Harmony for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book which is scheduled to be published 3/23/2021. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lisa Genova's new book on memory offers some fascinating insights into how our brain not only forms and stores memories, but also lets us forget the mundane and unimportant and also what we can do to improve our ability to remember. Her lively writing style and way of delivering information simply with anecdotes to illustrate makes it very readable and easy to understand.

Divided into three sections, the book deals firstly with how we make and retrieve memories and the different types of memory, then with why we forget and why poor retrieval of memory (such as forgetting names at a party) can happen to anyone and finally how to improve our memories and do what we can to fend off Alzheimer's with exercise, diet and sleep (unfortunately not with red wine but coffee is beneficial as long as it doesn't't affect sleep). Reducing stress, meditation, learning to pay attention and be in the moment and mental stimulation are also discussed as important ways to improve brain function and memory. It was also a relief for my ageing brain to be told that making lists and using Google are both perfectly valid memory aides. This is a book most people would enjoy reading, especially if you're interested in memory and how it works.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Geneva’s works of fiction and enjoyed Remember, a work of non-fiction, just as much. I admired how Genova took a complicated topic and made it easy to understand; her writing makes me want to learn and know more. Remember dives in to the difference between remembering and memory and offers great tips on how to improve both. The reader will learn about “making connections as a gateway to your memory.”

Genova’s fiction has dealt so beautifully with memory loss. Her nonfiction work shows you why she had the knowledge to write about the subject so well.

Thank you to Rodale and NetGalley for this ARC.

When I saw Lisa Genova had a new book coming out, I had to jump on that! Finally got a chance to read it and was disappointed to see it wasn't her typical story but rather a nonfiction book on the science of your memory, how it works, and what causes forgetting - definitely not my typical type of read. I was ready for a boring science and history book and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It does not read like a boring biology text but rather, an insightful deep dive into how our brains work in a fun and 'paly along with fun test your memory examples' along the way. Being a biology major, there were some things mentioned that I already knew about and some interesting concepts I now know. Ever the optimist, I did not know that helps me recall happy events and experiences and that's where my brain takes me in my memories. My favorite quote is this: Speak nicely to and of your memory, and it will remember more and forget less.

I have written and re-written this review about a dozen times and still don’t know what I want to write, other than I loved this book. It is so “user friendly” and the author’s style is almost haimish, it’s so accessible and cozy. But if you’re looking for the scientific terminology, it’s all there too. There’s an explanation for almost every type of memory or loss of memory, how we remember, how we alter our memories, even how we remember things that we never even experienced, merely by hearing someone else’s description of a memory. How it is possible that our most vivid memories can be completely wrong. Do I want to remember everything? No! keeping a diary or other exercises will work, I know, but why would I want to remember the banal or unimportant. There are things that you do want to remember forever – or at least fondly and for a very long time. But not every happy moment in your life can be remembered (alas). Dramatic episodic memories may last a lifetime – whether happy or sad. So, now I understand a little better, what makes my brain tick and how different parts of the brain are responsible for different types of memory - for short-term memories of just a few numbers or words, how and where longer memories are stored, in what way I remember how to walk and talk, ski, drive or ride a bike, memorize telephone numbers or methods for remembering long lists of things (anyone who has ever studied for a Bar Exam, probably learned to employ similar techniques for memorizing procedure, jurisdiction, elements of a section of law, etc.). I don’t think there is anyone who hasn’t (on numerous occasions) parked their car and then walked back a block to two to make sure they remembered to lock it, or later on remember where they parked it, or fell into a hypnotic trance while driving only to suddenly become disoriented and not remember passing familiar landmarks. This book answers many questions this layman has often pondered – and many more I never knew to ask. And, I read it like a layman – for pleasure and not for study – so fun!

Thank you NetGalley and Rodale Inc./Harmony for and ARC of this amazing book. I LOVED IT!

Very interesting to read the scientific background to Still Alice. I felt like I learned a lot but it was presented in a friendly easy to follow way.

This book was so informative that everyone should read it. Being over 60 I do have thoughts of maybe getting Alzheimer's disease in the future. I have been known to forget things and repeat myself and also of entering a room to get something and forgot what that something was. Thank you Lisa Genova for explaining that everyone forgets things and I am not on the way to Alzheimer's (at least not yet). If you forget where you parked your Jeep that is OK, if you forgot that you own a Jeep, that is something to worry about. She went into the science of why this happens and what you can do to help your memory in a very easy to understand way. I am definitely recommending all my friends to read this. It will help to ease your worries .

Thanks to #rodaleinc, #netgalley #Remember and @authorlisagenova for an ARC of this book

A diehard fan of Lisa Genova's novels, I was delighted to read REMEMBER, a nonfiction book focusing on memory that ultimately offers poetry, compassion, encouragement, and insight into what we gain and what we lose as we grow older, life becomes more complex, and it seems impossible to recall our best times and most important others. Fantastic, uplifting, motivating -- I can't praise this immensely readable, always clear and insightful book. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

Adding to my personal “best of 2021 shelf” for non-fiction. Written in a down to earth manner that is easy to understand and relateable. Really very interesting; we all have gone to another room and can't remember why. Lisa Genova explains how and why ... and that you likely don't have Alzheimer's.

If the name Lisa Genova sounds familiar, she has written novels Still Alice and Left Neglected.

In case you don't remember all the details provided in the text, the Appendix summarizes the concepts provided and is really well done. Remember to read it! For additional information the Suggested Reading list contains dozens of books and articles.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Rodale Inc. Harmony) and the author Lisa Genova for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of this book. Publication date is March 23, 2021.

Wow! When I requested this book I didn't initially realize it was non fiction, I just knew I loved Lisa Genova. I'm so glad it was! I learned so much and am not wanting to re-read Still Alice with the lens of Remember in mind. I think all readers will find something to connect with.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Even though I received a free reviewer copy, I purchased a signed copy and a ticket to her book tour. I can't wait to hear her talk about this!

The thing I love most about Lisa Genova, which is probably because of her extensive experience writing fiction, is that her books are extremely educational but also extremely *readable*. Her books pack in more information than some text books, but she crafts them in a way that makes them easy to digest and understand. I absolutely love learning from them!

With this book in particular, I found that a couple things were not new (They've ever been discussed in 'Still Alice' or are relatively well known facts concerning Alzheimer's Disease), but rather than feeling like you're reading information you already understand, Genova provides it in more a basic recap way before moving on to more in depth discussions. It was really perfect both for people who have read about memory and cognition before and people who haven't.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Remember" by Lisa Genova. Her writing style drew me in and made nonfiction read like fiction. I was already interested in the topic of memory but she broke the subject down in such a clear and relatable way that I think all types of readers will enjoy this book. The book in clearly organized into three parts. The first third discusses how memories are made, the second third is about why memories are forgotten, and the last third is about how to improve our memories. It also provides a reassuring voice to emphasize that most memory lapses are typical for people of all ages. This book gives practical takeaways that I have found my self using and thinking about. Thank you NetGalley for providing access to this book. I highly recommend it!

This book had me riveted! I’m not a huge nonfiction reader. So the fact that this book had me hooked from page 1 and I made time to finish it in 1 day speaks volumes.

I confess I only picked this up because I’ve loved Genova’s other books. I am so glad I didn’t miss this one.

Thank you Lisa Genova for this lovely, informational read. Now I’m off to get to bed on time!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.