Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Remember by Lisa Genova.
A very interesting and intriguing look into the mind, how you remember and forget things

A huge thanks to Lisa Genova, NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy!
I’ve read and loved some of Genova’s fiction titles and learned much from them about neurological disorders. I’m not a big NF reader but when I saw this title I immediately knew I wanted to read it.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time pondering memory issues over the years. My maternal grandmother started with dementia in her early 80’s and quickly slid into Alzheimer’s. Remember does have a specific chapter on Alzheimer’s and references throughout. The thing that struck me most in the Alzheimer’s section is how someone suffering with this terrible disease may not know who you are, but they understand how you make them feel. They are capable of understanding joy and love, even if they don’t remember how they got to that emotion or who is eliciting it.

Overall, Remember is a comprehensive book about how the brain’s memory works, in easy to read, understand, and relatable format. Genova explains the differences between semantic (what you’ve learned to do), episodic (memory for what happened), and prospective (what we intend to do later). It’s fascinating learning about the differences of these types of memories and immensely helpful to know what affects them, how we can strengthen them, and what we should and shouldn’t worry about. Lately I’ve struggled with something we’ve all experienced. I can remember the most inane thing from 30 years ago, yet I can’t remember something from yesterday. Or more disheartening, I have trouble remembering times from when my 3 (now grown) children were growing up. Through this book I’ve learned that sleep has a vital role in securing our memories. Well now, that makes a lot of sense. Even though those were some of the best times I’ve had and times I’d want to remember the most, I was quite often sleep deprived with sick kiddos, babies that wouldn’t sleep, or just plain busyness of life.

I also learned to continue something I’ve been doing for awhile which is writing things down. Whether it’s simply a grocery or to-do list (a one and done memory need) or details about the undergrad & graduate studies of my adult children (a term which includes their significant others). The details of Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry & Biology classes, Masters in Counseling & Counseling licensure, Law School/Bar completion & Insurance Law, Exercise Science & Physical Therapy, and Doctorate in Psychology work (specifically in phenomenological study), are so mind blowing that I have to write them down, and reference them often.

Whatever your age, life situation, or memory status is, I highly recommend reading Remember. And take notes and reference them often!

Many thanks to NetGalley and especially to Harmony Publishing for granting my wish to receive a digital ARC of the new non-fiction book by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Genova. 5 stars for a book I won't soon forget (sorry!).

As we get older, memory becomes something we think about a lot. I can't find my phone - am I getting dementia? Where did I park my car? Why can I remember all the words to that song I loved in the 70s but can't remember why I came into this room? If you have a relative who suffered from dementia, the fear is even worse. Take a deep breath and read this book! Lisa Genova, a neuroscientist and author of Still Alice, a novel on early-onset Alzheimer's, walks us through how we remember and how we forget and why both are important. Plus, she gives practical tips on helping our brains - sleep, eat right, exercise, use Google and lists. This is a fascinating book with loads of studies to emphasize points. It's never dry reading material but actually a book you want to just sit down and read through.

If you are new to Lisa Genova, her novels are completely wonderful - she is a gifted storyteller who also teaches you about disease and its impacts. All of her books are highly recommended - don't miss this one!

Do you ever wonder why you remember certain things and forget others. I know I do and sometimes I wonder if it's normal or the sign of a more serious issue. I wasn't sure if this book would be full of scientific brain jargon that was beyond my level of comprehension. I can tell you that I had nothing to fear as the topics covered were clearly presented with real-life examples and at times, I almost forgot(ha) that I was reading nonfiction.
Split into three sections: How We Remember, Why We Forget, and Improve To Repair, I learned many interesting facts about how the brain works and how memories are made. Did I just drive over that bridge? Why can't I remember where I parked my car? How come I can tell you where I was and what I was doing on 9/11, but not on 9/7? Why can't I remember a coworker's name? These and many more questions will be answered.
Really, you would expect this kind of information to frankly be dry, but the author has an engaging way with words and I flew through this book. Not the best way to remember everything that was shared, but I highlighted quite a few topics.
Nobody ever chose a book they weren't going to like,( at least I wouldn't)so I knew this would interest me, what I didn't know was how much I would enjoy it. If you want to know more about memory, I can't say enough good things about Remember.

I must admit that this informative book made me feel better about my mental status. Those of us of a certain age may panic just a bit inside when unable to recall something and it's good to know that we aren't alone. Genova, who has written so eloquently as a novelist about Alzheimers and other neurological problems here had provided an accessible and highly readable look at memory, especially the different types of memory. And importantly, she's provided information about when to worry as well as tips to improve recall. It's educational and useful. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Readers know Lisa Genova from her award-winning novels (Still Alice, Every Note Played, Left Neglected ...), but did you know that she has a degree in Biopsychology and holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard? In her latest book, Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, Genova turns her focus from fiction to memory and all its complex, awesome powers and its limitations.

She is clearly knowledgeable about the topic and her down-to-earth style includes personal anecdotes which helps put not-so-sciencey readers at ease as she explains the science of memory - how our brains store information, recall it and sometimes forget it - and relates it to our daily lives. I loved learning about how memory works, why it doesn't always work and why our memory declines as we age. She highlights the differences between normal memory issues ("What's that actor's name from Titanic?" and my personal favourite "Why did I come into this room?") as well as serious issues of dementia and Alzheimer's - an issue near and dear to the author's heart.

I got a lot out of this book and highlighted to my heart's content on my Kindle. This was a book that I couldn't shut up about and my husband got the abbreviated version after every section - 'Did YOU know that ...' and 'Now I know why I have trouble remembering ...'. I related to many issues discussed often muttering to myself as I read "Oh thank goodness that's common, I do that all the time!" Genova gives her readers tips and tricks and suggests lifestyle changes to help improve their memory, understand it and help to prevent its deterioration as best we can. This book will alleviate a lot of fears about memory decline and Alzheimer's and gives readers actionable ways of how to strengthen their memories.

Told with a conversational tone and a touch of humour, Genova breaks down the science of memory and forgetting for the average reader. This is a great read for everyone, particularly those of us who have concerns about memory loss or dementia. I highly recommend reading the Appendix at the end which goes over the key points of the book and makes for a great quick reference.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book reviews and answers the age old question “how do we remember?”
This book is split into three sections: How We Remember, Why We Forget, and Improve To Repair. Genova answers all these questions and then some.
It’s not her typical book but let me assure you it’s a great one. Not only is Genova a great story teller but she has a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard. She’s able to engage the audience by using her personal experiences and allows the reading to flow by using conversational dialogue.
This is a great read and definitely something different to put on your shelf!

Lisa Geneva’s books leave me so much smarter and more informed then when I started. I have even shared info from her books with family and friends dealing with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. I am also highly fascinated with the brain and the science behind memories. Lisa is amazing! The way she explains the process of how memories are created was so interesting. I also appreciated the examples of things we can do to strengthen our brains and to be able to remember!!

From the author of Still Alice, comes a look at how memories are made. Neuroscientist Lisa Genova explains why we remember some things and why we forget others. Genova presents a basic primer of how memories work, what you can reasonably expect from your memory as you age, and how to help protect your memory. While extremely informative and easy to understand, Remember isn't particularly captivating. Genova does a great job explaining how memory works but I wish she had taken a more journalistic approach and dived deep into the complicated real-life implications.

Excellent and readable explanation about memory and dementia. Hopeful ways to care for memory. Lisa Genova gave some interesting facts about different aspects of memory with lots and lots of examples.

Fascinating and highly readable. A recommended first purchase for general fiction collection, particularly where psychology-related topics are popular.

Have you ever known an answer to a Jeopardy question but just couldn’t get it out? Have you ever met a neighbor and forgotten his/her name? Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? What about September 7 that year? Yes, memory is a strange thing.

The science of memory is complicated and author/neuroscientist Lisa Genova explains it in Remember, a well organized lesson on how we remember and how we forget that reads like a novel. The basics of how of memory is formed are simple: encoding, consolidation, storage and retrieval. There are different types of memory, for example: Semantic (knowledge like driving, typing, things we’ve memorized), Flashbulb ( where were you when Princess Diana died), Autobiographical ( the way your remember your life - Genova calls it your “highlights reel”) and Prospective (to do lists, calendars). Doesn’t all that sound pretty dry? Not the way Lisa Genova writes it. Examples, tests, word lists and personal stories make Remember readable and…memorable! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rodale and Lisa Genova for this ARC.

This book is a fascinating look at the brain and memory by neuroscientist Lisa Genova. As a nurse, I work with people who have impaired brains frequently but never thought about the science behind memory. While reading this book I learned about where memories are stored, how to make sure to create memories and many things we can do to enhance our ability to remember. Lisa writes in such a way the layperson could understand and yet remains true to her scientific background. After reading this book I have added her prior fiction novel to my Wishlist due to how much I loved the author's look at Alzheimer's

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own. .

Do you think you have a good memory? It might not be as good as you think. This book laid out truths about memory that are both scary and reassuring. Scary because it is so easy for us to misremember or believe something that never really happened. Reassuring in that those times we forget where we parked our car or left our keys are not necessarily a memory loss and totally normal regardless. This should be required reading.

Thank you to net galley.com for the opportunity to read this book in an exchange for an honest review. We know Ms. Genova from her amazing works of fiction. Books like Still Alice and Left Neglected moved me and unsettled me to my core. This book is non-fiction and incredibly reader friendly. She writes in a very friendly and easy to understand style about how the brain processes information and forms memories. She leaves us with great ideas for improving our memories. I took several anatomy and physiology courses in school, but in recent years have had no need for that information. Her book awakened those memories and built on them. Do I have dementia? No. Do I have a tendency to yell, "Where are my car keys???" while I am holding them? Yes. Good grief. I understand why this happens. I can make easy changes to avoid these situations.

It really is a quick read. Make some notes. Making notes is one of those suggestions for helping to improve our memories. She touched on the Pandemic as well. I don't know about you, but I definitely have Pandemic-brain. I don't care what day it is. They all look the same. It might as well be March 2020 all over again. My only issue with the book is that she repeats herself to the point that you can't take it any more. Did it help me remember? No. My brain had moved on to other things thus impairing my ability to read what she was writing.

I have read some of Lisa Genova's works of fiction, and really enjoyed those. This book; however, outshines all of her works of fiction. This is nonfiction work, but reads as easily as a novel. The book is about memory, an area which Genova's has quite a bit of expertise. Genova discusses what normal and abnormal memory look like. She reassures us that lapses in memory are quite normal, and that memory depends heavily on attention (which many of us lack these days since we are glued to our electronic devices). I am a neurologist, and I would recommend this book to any of my patients who are concerned about their lapses in memory (many of which are completely normal). I have tried for years to reassure people (the worried well) that not remembering things is different then forgetting them. If information was never encoded to begin with, it was not forgotten. If your attention is divided, your ability to remember is signficantly impaired. Genova discusses this eloquently in her book. I think many people would find her book very reassuring for themselves and for family members where they have concerns that dementia is developing. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Harvard-trained neuroscientist Lisa Genova is the acclaimed author of Still Alice, a fictional story about a 50-year old woman diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. In Remember, Genova continues the conversation about memory, this time in nonfiction format. She describes the different types of memories we form and how we can keep our brains in tip-top shape. She also talks more specifically about memory loss—about what’s normal and what’s not.

While I did find learning about different types of memories interesting, and while I did feel reassured that those “tip of the tongue” mind-blank moments are totally normal at any age, my favorite chapters were at the end, where all of Genova’s research came together. Basically, if I want to improve my memory, I need to pay attention to details I want to remember, decrease distractions, rehearse facts, self-test (quiz myself on what I know), attach meaning to moments, use visual and spatial memory, use lists, and keep a diary. I loved the idea to replicate context during memory retrieval, too. So if I study for a botany test while drinking a Mocha Frappuccino, I’ll try to drink the same thing while I’m taking the test so that I can recall information better.

I especially appreciated all the advice for keeping my brain (and therefore my memory) healthy (while decreasing my risk of getting Alzheimer’s at the same time). Some of my fave tips:

--Eat a Mediterranean diet (lots of leafy greens and veggies, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, beans, and fish). This diet will cut my Alzheimer’s risk by half.
--Exercise. A brisk walk every day lowers my risk of Alzheimer’s by 40%.
--Sleep! Seven to nine hours, no exception.
--Decrease chronic stress, which causes increased inflammation and blood pressure.
--Get enough vitamin D.
--Take care of my heart. Eighty percent of people with Alzheimer’s also have cardiovascular disease.
--Don’t drink. No, red wine has not been proven to be good for your brain or your heart.
--Learn new things. I know we’ve all heard that “brain puzzles” keep you from losing memory, but that’s actually not true. What does help your brain is trying new socially and mentally stimulating activities—for example, learning piano, reading about a new subject, traveling, or making new friends.
--Meditate. If I meditate for 30 minutes a day for 8 weeks, I can actually physically grow the part of my brain responsible for memory.

A fascinating book, overall. I found it comforting and instructive.

Thank you, Lisa Genova, for letting me know I’m not doing anything wrong. I’ve always had bad memory (because I’m easily distracted), so I’ve always written everything down. Through this fascinating look at how our brains make, store and retrieve memories, the author says it’s OK to consider our smartphones as an external upgrade to our brains. Forgetting is necessary and our memories may not be as reliable as we think. Neuroscience is a complicated and dry subject, but Genova makes it easy to understand and even fun. The book is full of anecdotes, comparisons and an easy to follow language that sounds like a very smart friend discussing something she’s passionate about. She gives great advice to improve not only your memory but your life. Thank you, NetGalley/Rodale Inc. Harmony!

In this wonderful, non-fiction, easy to follow and comprehend novel, Lisa Genova taught me much valuable information about memory. Was very interesting, comforting and productive to learn about how our memories are formed, the different varieties, about forgetting, the difference between typical and the fretted Alzheimer's forgetfulness, as well as prevention and better habits. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and amazing author Lisa Genova for this e-book for review. All opinions are my own.

This is the memory manual everyone needs! Lisa Genova is clearly an excellent writer as well as a highly-trained neuroscientist. In clear, accessible langue, she explains not only what we know about memory but also what we can do to improve it at any age. Highly readable, relatable, and recommended.