The memory illusion : remembering, forgetting, and the science of false memory / Dr Julia Shaw.

  • Shaw, Julia (Professor)
Date:
2016
  • Books

About this work

Description

Think you have a good memory? Think again. Memories are our most cherished possessions. We rely on them every day of our lives. They make us who we are. And yet the truth is they are far from being the accurate record of the past we like to think they are. True, we can all admit to having suffered occasional memory lapses, such as entering a room and immediately forgetting why, or suddenly being unable to recall the name of someone we've met dozens of times. But what if we have the potential for more profound errors of memory, even verging on outright fabrication and self-deception? Dr Julia Shaw uses the latest research to show the astonishing variety of ways in which our brains can indeed be led astray.

Publication/Creation

London : Random House Books, 2016.

Physical description

xv, 288 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Contents

Why identity and memory are inherently linked -- Why some of our childhood memories are impossible -- Why to remember is to perceive -- Why brain physiology can lead our memories astray -- Why no one has infallible memory -- Superiority, identity crisis, and making monsters -- Why our memory for emotional events is flawed -- Why media moulds our memory -- Why we can falsely remember traumatic events -- Why we should embrace our faulty memory.

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-275) and index.

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    History of Medicine
    PQK /SHA
    Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 184794762X
  • 9781847947628
  • 9781847947611
  • 1847947611