Summary: A very clear, very scientific and very readable book explaining you the whole field of human memory, from neurology, biology and the different theories and studies of memory to a chapter on how to improve it! Definitely recommended.
This book is a rare kind: An insightful and entertaining textbook!
I bought this book outside my Unviversity Course out of a pure interest in memory. I read a lot of self-help literature on "how to improve your memory" like How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week: 52 Proven Ways to Enhance Your Memory Skills, Use Your Memory: Understand Your Mind to Improve Your Memory and Mental Power (Mind Set) and The Memory Doctor: Fun, Simple Techniques to Improve Memory and Boost Your Brain Power but was very unsatisfied for a simple reason: they all throw out some pseudo neurology and psychology, quote a few selected "studies" and anecdotes and then teach you very effortful techniques (Mnemonic systems) to remember things.
The problem with these books is very simple: They teach you things that work - but they cannot tell you why they work and how your memory actually functions and most importantly their techniques usually require your full concentration and lots of persistence to learn and apply them. So, self-help books in general are pretty useless because they teach you something that won't help you because you won't use it!
This book, being not a self-help book but a psychology textbook that is used at many Universities for their Psychology modules on Memory. The authors are the most renowned psychologists in the field and have published extensively on memory and the human mind. Alan Baddeley is the most respected researcher and author in the field. So, what you can expect: The book has a proper scientific founding, never makes unfounded claims and cites several hundred academic papers. This is undoubtedly the currently best scientific book on memory!
To understand yourself, your memory and even your consciousness better it is essential to understand how your memory works and this book does a great job: In an amusing way, with many explanatory tables and graphics, explanations for all important terms and many explanatory and enlightening anecdotes and critical description of studies this book will tell you everything the scientific community knows and believes about memory. While doing that the writing style is very engaging, humorous and often connections are drawn between the cited studies and real world situations and experiences. The chapters each are written by just one author and so the styles differ and sometimes there are minor repetitions, but in general there are few moments that feel like you are reading a textbook - the authors know their field and know how to best explain and combine the different approaches, studies and the like. While doing that they seem to be very objective and never force you to take "their viewpoint".
In general you get a good foundation
My only criticism is this: The last chapter, which is supposed to give you hints and techniques on how to improve your memory is very weak and only gives you very general and common-sensical techniques. You don't find a recipe for a powerful memory here - which all the self-help books offer but never deliver! - but you will find a lot of information that makes you understand yourself, other people and all our funny memory errors. You will definitely gain a deeper understanding and as your understanding grows you realise why your memory sometimes fools you.
The book will not make you a super-brain, but when you read it you will understand why that is impossible anyway and you can forgive you for the small mistakes we do all the time and appreciate how amazing it actually is that we remember so well as we usually do!
It is a great read and I can recommend it whole-heartedly.
Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Chapters:
What is memory?
Short-term memory
Working memory
Learning
Episodic memory: Organizing and remembering
Semantic memory and stored knowledge
Autobiographical memory
Retrieval
Incidental forgetting
Motivated forgetting
Amnesia
Memory in childhood
Memory and aging
Eyewitness testimony
Prospective memory
Improving your memory
the main competitor to this book:
Memory: From Mind to Molecules
and more books in the same line
Working Memory, Thought, and Action (Oxford Psychology Series)
Memory (BPS Textbooks in Psychology)
Outlines & Highlights for Learning and Memory: From Brain to Behavior by Mark A. Gluck, ISBN: 9780716786542