An innovative strategy for keeping your brain young

   You stand in front of the refrigerator unable to remember why you're there… introducing a friend at a party, you can't recall her name…the paragraph you just read is a blank. Sound familiar?

   The Memory Bible explains what to do about it.

   Gary Small directs the UCLA Center on Aging. In plain language he explains how we can avoid most of our forgetfulness.

Look - Snap - Connect

   In Chapter 2, he asks the reader to rate their current memory, both subjectively (by self-evaluation) and objectively (by taking a brief test).

   In Chapters 3 and 6, Gary Small outlines memory skills. Chapter 3 focuses on the author's Look-Snap-Connect technique. (Look - actively observe what you want to learn.  Snap - create a vivid mental image.  Connect - visualize a link to associate images.)

   In Chapter 6, he focuses on the next level of memory adeptness. Techniques covered include chunking, the peg method, and the Roman room. Throughout the remainder of The Memory Bible Gary Small explains how stress, diet and lifestyle influence what we can remember.

   On his 90th birthday, Art Linkletter called The Memory Bible "a book that I read constantly." He credits it as the reason he's avoided the loss of memory associated with aging.

   Readers who are interested in learning just the skills of memory may want to read The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas.

   A fascinating book on memory is Carved In Sand by Cathryn Jakobsen Ramin. Ramin, a journalist, began losing her memory and concentration after she turned 40. This book is about her quest to get them back.

From The Memory Bible:

-- "Memory and other cognitive skills often vary according to gender: women tend to have better verbal and language abilities, while men generally have the edge in spatial and mathematical abilities. However, when I mentioned this to my wife, she nearly managed to talk me out of it."

-- "If you are reading this, you are most likely seeking knowledge on how to maintain a young and healthy mind, maximize your memory performance, and protect your brain from Alzheimer's disease. The memory program described in the chapters ahead will help you accomplish these goals. What's more, you will see your memory improve as soon as you get started."

(The quote from Milton Berle is from The Memory Bible by Gary Small.)