Books I don't recommend

It’s not often I say skip a book I’ve picked out to read, but skip Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Step to Maximum Memory Fitness by Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D.  I’ve made it roughly half way through the book and have found little useful information.  So far, much of the book is on things that affect memory but most of it is standard scientific research from the late 1980s.  Much of the information has been debunked or in debate. 

The author talks about something called the AM principle.  That means “attention” and “meaning”.  The author says to gain attention you should block out outside distractions and focus on the subject at hand.  But the book is written completely opposite of that.  Every page or two is some anecdote or byline that breaks the attention of the reader, forcing you to lose your train of thought and attention.  Most are anecdotes that could have been shoved somewhere in the book if the author had been trying.  The anecdotes could have made the reading more memorable, as well.  As bylines, they really seem like the author was trying to increase the page count when she was out of ideas.

Unless the last half of the book gets better, I’m going to have to say skip this one.  Not a good start for chapter 5.  Third page of the chapter and the author is whining about how others have learned the memory palace and peg techniques.  “Let’s be honest: are you really that concerned with remembering absolutely everything?”  Yes, the answer is yes.  In doing so, I am more capable of serving the company I work for.  In better serving the company I work for, I get paid more.  Do I want to spend the right amount of time on each subject so as to not waste time?  Yes.  I want to improve the efficacy of my learning.  It doesn’t feel good to read an entire book and fail the practice tests because you don’t remember the subject.

So Ms. Green, I do want to remember everything.  Now stop whining and giving yourself a way out before you've even started.  Successful people decide where they want to go, and burn the bridge behind them so they can't back up.  Work smarter, not harder.