Joshua Foer

Moonwalking with Einstein

1. IDEA 1

   A journalist became a memory champion

   Foer went to report on the USA Memory Championship and ended up training to compete. Within a year, coached by memory athletes, he took part himself, showing that unusual memory skill can be learned.

2. IDEA 2

   Memory champions use old techniques

   Foer learned that competitors were not born with special brains. They used ancient memory techniques, turning dull information like numbers or card orders into vivid images that are far easier to remember.

3. IDEA 3

   Build a memory palace

   The core method is the memory palace, or method of loci: imagining a familiar building and placing images of things to remember along a route through it. Walking the route in your mind brings the items back.

All 8 ideas from Moonwalking with Einstein →