Fred Chernow The Sharper Mind

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Chernow, Fred B.: The sharper mind. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press, 1997.

Content: General memory and mental strategies, with the usual basic information about how memory works. Chapters include: Boosting your learning potential; Remembering what you hear and read; Making others remember what you say and write; Conquering absentmindedness; Recalling numbers with speed and accuracy; Surefire techniques for remembering names; Age-proofing your memory; Mental math shortcuts; Mental creativity boosters; Mental aerobics workouts.

Author’s qualifications: Fred Chernow runs popular seminars on improving your memory.

Readability: Very easy to read.

Accuracy: This book is concerned with explaining memory techniques, it is not an account of current research, therefore accuracy is not a big issue. The extremely basic information about how memory works is reasonably accurate, although I would quibble with a few statements. There are no references.

Currency: Because this is a book about strategies, its currency is not really an issue. It's reasonably up-to-date with modern research understanding.

Comprehensiveness: If anything, this book tries to cover too much ground, as you can see from a glance at the chapter headings mentioned above. Nothing is covered in much detail.

Amount of background knowledge assumed: None.

Usefulness: The book covers a lot of different strategies. Because of its broad coverage, and superficial detail, this is a book more for the novice than for anyone who has some experience with the memory improvement literature. Its chief usefulness lies in having so many different strategies all described in one place, and for the exercises and examples it provides. I was particularly impressed by the author's efforts to think up everyday practical applications of various strategies.

Memorability: Not particularly laid out for memorability, but it is clearly written, well-organized, with reasonable (if not great) headings. Each chapter concludes with a list of "Momentos", which are the main points of the chapter for you to remember.

Interest:As I say, there is nothing particularly new or original in the book, but it's all reasonably good advice.

Balance: The emphasis is all on positive practical advice.

Availability: Readily available. Amazon prices it at US$11.20.

Length: around 290 pages(no pictures)

Includes an index.

Overall rating (reflects my own opinion of the book’s worth, not its usefulness to you): ***