Why We Remember: The Science of Memory and How it Shapes Us

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

''Radically new and engaging.'' MATTHEW WALKER

''Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they''ll also never forget this life-changing book.'' SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE

''Ranganath turns much of what we think we know about memory on its head.'' DANIEL J. LEVITIN

''Just fabulous . . . You learn that you don''t have to be a victim to your past and the way you used to think – you have agency because of the fact that the brain can change.'' DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE

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We talk about memory as a record of the past, but here''s a surprising twist: we aren''t supposed to remember everything. In fact, we''re designed to forget.

We talk about memory as a record of the past, but here’s a surprising twist: we aren’t supposed to remember everything. In fact, we’re designed to forget. Over the course of twenty-five years, Charan Ranganath has studied the seemingly selective and unreliable nature of human memory to find that our brains haven’t evolved to keep a comprehensive record of events, but to extract the information needed to guide our futures.

Using fascinating case studies and testimonies, Why We Remember unveils the principles behind what and why we forget and shines new light on the silent, pervasive influence of memory on how we learn, heal and make decisions. By examining the role that attention, intention, imagination and emotion play in the storing of memories, it provides a vital user’s guide to remembering what we hold most dear.