The Nostalgia Factory: Memory, Time And Ageing

Author: Douwe Draaisma

Stock information

General Fields

  • : $27.95 AUD
  • : 9780300205398
  • : Yale University Press
  • : Yale University Press
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  • : August 2014
  • : 198mm X 129mm
  • : United States
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  • : books

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  • : Douwe Draaisma
  • : Paperback
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  • : 155.671312
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  • : 176
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Barcode 9780300205398
9780300205398

Description

You cannot call to mind the name of a man you have known for 30 years. You walk into a room and forget what you came for. What is the name of that famous film you've watched so many times? These are common experiences, and as we grow older we tend to worry about these lapses. Is our memory failing? Is it dementia? Douwe Draaisma, a renowned memory specialist, here focuses on memory in later life. Writing with eloquence and humour, he explains neurological phenomena without becoming lost in specialist terminology. His book is reminiscent of Oliver Sacks's work, and not coincidentally this volume includes a long interview with Sacks, who speaks of his own memory changes as he entered his sixties. Draaisma moves smoothly from anecdote to research and back, weaving stories and science into a compelling description of the terrain of memory. He brings to light the "reminiscence effect", just one of the unexpected pleasures of an ageing memory. The author writes reassuringly about forgetfulness and satisfyingly dismantles the stubborn myth that mental gymnastics can improve memory.
He presents a convincing case in favour of the ageing mind and urges us to value the nostalgia that survives as recollection, appreciate the intangible nature of past events, and take pleasure in the consolation of razor-sharp reminiscing.

Author description

Douwe Draaisma is professor of history and theory of psychology, Heymans Chair, University of Groningen. He is the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including Disturbances of the Mind and Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older.