Groundbreaking anthropologist and memory champion Lynne Kelly reveals how we can use ancient and traditional mnemonic methods to enhance and expand our memory.
Our brain is a muscle. Like our bodies, it needs exercise. In the last few hundred years, we have stopped training our memories and we have lost the ability to memorize large amounts of information—something our ancestors could do with ease. After discovering that the true purpose of monuments like Easter Island and Stonehenge were to act as memory palaces, Kelly takes this knowledge and introduces us to the best memory techniques humans have ever devised, from ancient times and the Middle Ages to methods used by today’s memory athletes. A memory champion herself, Kelly tests all these methods and demonstrate the extraordinary capacity of our brains at any age. For anyone who needs to memorize a speech or a script, learn anatomy or a foreign language, or prepare for an exam, Memory Craft offers proven techniques and simple strategies for anyone who has trouble remembering names or dates, or for older people who want to keep their minds agile. In addition to getting in touch with our own human and anthropological foundations, Memory Craft shows how all things mnemonic can be playful, creative, and fun.
Dr. Lynne Kelly is a science writer and an Honorary Research Associate at La Trobe University. She lives in Melbourne, Australia and is the author of Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies (Cambridge).
You can also read a long forum thread about it here:
Thank you, Artmemorylover. I would love to hear how you go with the lukasa. I get so many emails from people who are astounded how well it works. But then again, Indigenous cultures have been using memory boards for millennia so we shouldn’t be surprised!
Thank you so much for your interest in Memory Craft. I am sorry that this is an issue. I really don’t understand the publishing world and rules. I am told the Australian edition will be available in Europe in the next few days. Amazon.co.uk has the Kindle edition now. I am told it will have the paperback as well. It should be available on other online sites as well. Memory Craft is also available from Book Depository for everywhere in the world.
I wish I could be more help. I’ll ask my publisher again.
I’m also from Finland and purchased the book last summer from Australia through bookdepository.com. Price was then 18.27 €, free shipping, no tax, no customs, no hassle, only fun!
Seems that the price is though now 22.75 € which is 0.75 € over the Finnish tax free limit, so in worst case you might need to pay the 10% book VAT on 22.75 €, still affordable for this great book!
I think “Memory Craft” is terrific, and is even more charming and helpful after hearing a few of Lynne Kelly’s podcast appearances. Her engaging personality shines through the book and especially in interviews. As an amateur mnemonist since the late 1980’s (thanks to Harry Lorayne’s “The Memory Book”), I’ve read a lot on this subject and was struck by how she weaves scholarship and cultural history into practical techniques for improving memory.
As a psychiatrist who also tries to help patients with useful psychological techniques and ideas, I’ve been thinking for a while of trying to integrate memory palace/mnemonic techniques into helping patients remember important ideas. After all, if you can’t remember what to think and do in certain situations, what’s the use of learning new ways to reframe and respond to circumstances beyond your control? I haven’t put the time into this, but a book like “Memory Craft” is another important bit of inspiration along the way. Thanks, Lynne!
PS I ordered my book from Book Depository in Australia a few months ago.
I’m going to embarrass everybody when I take it upon myself to say that this forum is very fortunate to have Lynne as a regular participant. Despite her obligations, she gives generously of her time, always accessible, straightforward and personable. While we do have knowledgeable enthusiasts here, AFAIK, no one else has done this kind of extensive research at a professional level and nobody had heard of the Lukasa.
She wears no pretensions or attitudes. I have spent a lot of time in Academia and this is a real problem. It can be a problem with authors too. I have two college profs and two writers in my immediate family and sometimes their smug condescension make me wanna slap’em upside the head.
Thank you so much for saying such lovely things. I really appreciate your comments and the idea of using memory techniques with patients psychological issues. I hope that we will hear more about that.
