★ 12/18/2023

Ranganath, a psychology professor at the University of California Davis, debuts with a riveting overview of how memory works. He explains that the prefrontal cortex helps coordinate brain activity and direct attention, influencing what details are remembered or forgotten, and that the hippocampus enables recall by reactivating the neuronal connections that were active at the moment a memory formed. Discussing memory’s fallibility, the author describes how in the 1990s psychologist Elizabeth Loftus presented study subjects with a list of memories, three real and one made-up, assembled by a “trusted close relative” and found that, after repeated questioning, the participants began to “remember” and embellish the fake event. A contributing factor to false memories, he suggests, is that information about “what’s happening at the time you are trying to reconstruct the experience” gets incorporated into the original memory during recall, so that “every time you recall the event, the memory updates a little bit more.” Ranganath has a knack for describing neuroanatomy in accessible terms, and the science consistently surprises, as when he reports on research showing how individuals often have worse recall when working in groups because listening to the recollections of others can crowd out one’s own memories, producing a “homogenizing” effect in which information that’s not shared is more readily forgotten. Approachable and enlightening, this is worth seeking out. Agent: Rachel Neumann, Idea Architects. (Feb.)

This is popular science at its best: entertaining, thought-provoking and an encouragement to the reader to keep an open mind."
—The Financial Times

"Illuminating"
—The New York Times

"Clever, insightful and humorous...The most significant lesson is that we need not be prisoners to our incompletely remembered past."
—The Wall Street Journal

"It has never been easier to fact-check our memories against an external record and find ourselves lacking, but Ranganath is intent on giving us a new way of understanding memory."
—The New Yorker

"[Ranganath's] descriptions of complex studies are entertaining and clarifying, and he vividly paints the intellectual history of the science of memory...He’s a generous, humble narrator...What’s most compelling about Why We Remember is that it offers a scientifically robust rationale to accept with grace that, no matter what happens in this new world, we will not remember everything we want. Memory research makes clear that there is no use in fighting the tide of forgetting that leaves some memories ashore even as it sweeps away — mercifully, at times — the rest."
—The Washington Post

"Ranganath is an astute and affable tour guide"—Undark Magazine

"A riveting overview of how memory works...Ranganath has a knack for describing neuroanatomy in accessible terms, and the science consistently surprises...Approachable and enlightening, this is worth seeking out."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"In this magnum opus, leading memory researcher Charan Ranganath turns much of what we think we know about memory on its head, revealing through hard evidence that the primary mission of our brain’s memory system is, in many respects, to forget things, in order to prepare us for a changing and uncertain future. Ranganath is a master explainer and storyteller."
—Daniel J. Levitin, author of Successful Aging and This Is Your Brain on Music
 
"Prominent neuroscientist and Guggenheim Fellow Charan Ranganath guides us through the science of our memories with incredible insight and clear science. He combines fascinating tales of the peculiarities of memory with practical, actionable steps. Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they'll also never forget this life-changing book."
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of Maladies and Gene
 
​"Why We Remember offers a radically new and engaging explanation of how and why we remember. More than just a record of our past, Dr. Ranganath shows us that memories are deeply involved in the present, and a path toward an anticipated future. It is a tour de force of both individual and collective importance.”
—Dr. Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep

"Why We Remember is terrific. Ranganath balances original first-class science with lighter, more personal writing. This will be a mind-changing read for anyone who wants to better understand and use their own brain."
—Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave
 
"Why We Remember is going to transform readers' understanding of memory. It’s hard to think of a topic more timely and important to communicate to the world, or a scientist who is better positioned to do so than Charan Ranganath."
—Ethan Kross, author of Chatter

"This book captures a transcendent truth about our lives. Memories serve to guide our future, our engagement of the world. They are not rigid, static pictures of our past. Ranganath has delivered a compelling picture of how basic science can help us all understand the human experience. It is a major accomplishment."
—Mike Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct
 
"This book shows us how understanding the brain can help us change minds for the better. By giving us a clear map of memory, we are better able to take charge of our lives, learn from the mistakes of the past, make better decisions in the present, and positively predict our futures."
—Tali Sharot, author of The Optimism Bias and The Influential Mind
 
"Dr. Ranganath is the perfect messenger to fight the lack of knowledge in the society about our dearest organ – the brain and its role in memory. Why We Remember is an exciting and important book project, that will help us heal and be better, both individually and as a society."
—May-Britt Moser, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2014

"Charan Ranganath offers answers to universal questions: how do we stop worrying about the future, let go of the past, and live in the present? Through fascinating science, deeply compelling personal stories, and with a strong voice, Why We Remember delivers on all it promises.."
—Dr. Amishi Jha, author of Peak Mind

"There is no one on earth who could share the recent achievements in the study of human memory better than Charan Ranganath. With a passion for communication and sharing of knowledge, and the ability to take a broad perspective, he is the ideal person to write this book."
—Edvard Moser, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2014
 
"Charan Ranganath uses his cutting edge science to explain how our present shapes our past, and how the stories we tell ourselves ultimately impact our futures. Why We Remember is the key to moving beyond our inner narratives, and into a life of purposeful decision making and joy. An absolute must-read!"
—Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Spiritual Child
 
"Why We Remember is a complete, much needed, appealing, poetic, and practical view of the field of memory—and there is no one better positioned than Ranganath to guide readers on a tour of this inner landscape."
—David Eagleman, author of Incognito

2023-10-27
A professor of neuroscience and psychology delivers a wide-ranging study of how memories make us who and what we are.

Memory is a quirky thing, writes Ranganath, director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis. We can remember song lyrics from 20 years ago, but we can also forget what we ate yesterday. The author has been trying to understand memory for decades, and he admits that a huge amount still remains a puzzle. He explains the mechanisms of memory in the brain and the different types and levels of memory, as well as the evolutionary reasons for it. Many theories have been posed about how memories develop, but the current thinking involves “a phenomenon called error-driven learning,” where memory is a constant process of reworking experiences to fit our larger mental picture. Memory failures have been linked to depression, poor sleep, and other ailments. Ranganath explains how fake “memories” can be inserted by repeated suggestion, to the point that people have “remembered” and confessed to crimes they didn’t commit. Some memories, especially those of traumatic events, break into our consciousness unbidden. The author suggests that they can be kept under control by persistent and intentional rejection, although it takes effort. He also offers tips on how to not forget routine things (phone, keys) by connecting their image to something else. It’s useful advice, but much of the book is devoted to Ranganath’s examination of theories of memory and the new generation of testing. Anyone expecting a simple how-to guide on improving their memory may be disappointed. The author’s research is undeniably intriguing, but the book will appeal to specialists more than general readers.

A well-informed tour of a mysterious and crucial part of the brain, promising greater self-awareness and mental clarity.