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A review by borborygm
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova
3.0
I was expecting a harder science book on memory - this is science-lite:
"When the amygdala senses a challenge or threatening situation, it instantly sends an alarm signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then passes the baton via a neurotransmitter to the pituitary gland, which then releases a hormone into the bloodstream. The hormone then acts on the adrenal glands, which sit on the top of your kidneys, telling them to release stress hormones."
Genova writes about the fallibility of memory, likening it to the telephone game. She uses the space shuttle Challenger disaster as an example. An amusing bit to this is that she continually refers to the explosion of the shuttle. This is how it was reported and talked about. However, the Challenger did NOT explode. The rockets did NOT explode.
In the section on flashbulb memories (where were you on Sept 11, when JFK was murdered, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, etc) she mentions the night Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her role in Still Alice, written by Genova. Genova is illustrating a personal flashbulb moment. I found that a bit of hubris. Perhaps I'm just envious of her vast accomplishments academically and as a writer. Nevertheless how many of her readers will be able to identify with that example in the way they could identify with other more typical personal flashbulb memories (births, deaths, etc.)?
"When the amygdala senses a challenge or threatening situation, it instantly sends an alarm signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then passes the baton via a neurotransmitter to the pituitary gland, which then releases a hormone into the bloodstream. The hormone then acts on the adrenal glands, which sit on the top of your kidneys, telling them to release stress hormones."
Genova writes about the fallibility of memory, likening it to the telephone game. She uses the space shuttle Challenger disaster as an example. An amusing bit to this is that she continually refers to the explosion of the shuttle. This is how it was reported and talked about. However, the Challenger did NOT explode. The rockets did NOT explode.
In the section on flashbulb memories (where were you on Sept 11, when JFK was murdered, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, etc) she mentions the night Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her role in Still Alice, written by Genova. Genova is illustrating a personal flashbulb moment. I found that a bit of hubris. Perhaps I'm just envious of her vast accomplishments academically and as a writer. Nevertheless how many of her readers will be able to identify with that example in the way they could identify with other more typical personal flashbulb memories (births, deaths, etc.)?