The Book of Memory - by Mark Rowlands (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Reveals how memories aren't fixed. They soften and consolidate -- and are distorted -- each time we revisit them, even those memories most deeply ingrained. The way we call on memory is closer to a 'negotiation with the past.' From episodic memories like 'shining islands in dark waters' and forgotten 'Rilkean' memories that underpin our personalities and essential style to the memories we might hold that have been authored by others close to us, The Book of Memory draws on philosophical argument, a range of writers and thinkers, the latest neurological research, and psychology experiments to chart how memories are made, lost and remembered, with important consequences for how we understand ourselves."--

Book Synopsis

A brilliant journey through the nature of memory, helping us understand how what is lost--and what is remembered--shapes who we are.

In this revelatory and intimate exploration of the way memory works, Mark Rowlands, author of The Philosopher and the Wolf, reveals how memories aren't fixed. They soften and consolidate--and are distorted--each time we revisit them, even those memories most deeply ingrained. The way we call on memory is closer to a "negotiation with the past."

From episodic memories like "shining islands in dark waters" and forgotten "Rilkean" memories that underpin our personalities and essential style to the memories we might hold that have been authored by others close to us, The Book of Memory draws on philosophical argument, a range of writers and thinkers, the latest neurological research, and psychology experiments to chart how memories are made, lost and remembered, with important consequences for how we understand ourselves.

Review Quotes

"Mark Rowlands reveals how porous the boundaries are among types of memories and how much we unwittingly distort our memories in the act of retrieving them. Rowlands writes in a wry, amicable style, skillfully layering on his chosen leitmotifs."--The Wall Street Journal

"An expansive look at how memory shapes identity. Throughout, Rowlands provides perceptive insights into how the brain negotiates the past, how memory shapes the self, and how identity is therefore best understood as a complex, shifting entity that exists beyond "the spatial boundaries of your body" and experience. A mind-expanding meditation on what humans recall and why."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"A concise yet profound examination of the nature of memory and its role in shaping who we are. It is both scientific and wonderfully human. Short, readable chapters are like genial conversations with readers as Rowlands describes his experiences and memories of his father, along with explaining the science behind how and why these memories have evolved."--Library Journal, Starred review

"A charming philosophical take on a fact that ought to be much more widely known: that our memories may be stories, but they are our stories."--Charles Fernyhough, author of Pieces of Light: The New Science of Memory

"Fascinating, disturbing and ultimately reassuring--a deep dive into the messy filing cabinet of self. If you only remember one book you read this year, it will be this one."--Tim Dowling, author of How to be a Husband and columnist for The Guardian

"Rowlands recovered his own humanity by loving a noble beast and (with a little help from Aristotle, Descartes, and Jack Daniel's) learning to howl at the moon."
-- "Oprah Daily"

Praise for Mark Rowlands

"Rarely has a single animal inspired such deep reflections on morality, mortality, and misanthropy."-- "Frans de Waal, author of Mama's Last Hug"

"Delightful and eye-opening."-- "The Miami Herald"

"One of the most intense reading experiences of my life. It is a profound and beautiful book."-- "Jeffrey Masson, author of When Elephants Weep"

About the Author

Mark Rowlands is the author of The Philosopher and the Wolf, which was translated into fifteen languages. He is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Miami.