The psychologist who worked with a famous amnesiac patient for fifty years explains what his studies show about how memory functions and ways to keep the brain sharp.
Remembering is about an ordinary man who became famous by devoting his life to helping scientists understand his memory, mind, and brain, trusting in the promise that what they learned about him would "help others." His name was Henry Moliason, but until recently, the general public knew him only as H.M. At age twenty-seven, Henry underwent brain surgery to remedy life-threatening epilepsy. This operation inadvertently destroyed his hippocampus, the engine in the brain for forming new memories. Henry suffered catastrophic memory failures for the rest of his life and he became the most studied amnesia patient in the history of the world.
Dr. MacKay worked with Henry for fifty years. His research shows how to keep memories sharp at any age and how to offset the degradation that aging and infrequent use inflict on memory. His studies also reveal the profound importance of memory: Memory decline impacts everything that makes a normal human mind and brain worth having: creative expression, artistic endeavors, awareness, the ability to plan, to comprehend, to detect and correct errors, to appreciate humor, to imagine hypothetical situations, and to perceive novelty in the world. Remembering summarizes other results of the revolution in scientific understanding of mind and memory that began with Henry. Importantly, however, it makes good on the promise that research with Henry would "help others." Its primary focus is what readers wishing to maintain the everyday functioning of memory, mind, and brain (their own or others') can learn from the still ongoing revolution that Henry inspired.
Written in an accessible style, this engaging story combines insights into Henry's personal psychology with important new findings about memory and the brain.
Donald G. MacKay
