6 options
The nostalgia factory : memory, time and ageing / by Douwe Draaisma ; translated by Liz Waters.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Draaisma, D.
- Standardized Title:
- Heimweefabriek. English
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Reminiscing in old age.
- Reminiscing.
- Autobiographical memory.
- Memory--Age factors.
- Memory.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (176 p.)
- Edition:
- 1st ed.
- Place of Publication:
- New Haven : Yale University Press, [2013]
- Language Note:
- English
- Summary:
- You cannot call to mind the name of a man you have known for 30 years. You walk into a room and forget what you came for. What is the name of that famous film you’ve watched so many times? These are common experiences, and as we grow older we tend to worry about these lapses. Is our memory failing? Is it dementia? Douwe Draaisma, a renowned memory specialist, here focuses on memory in later life. Writing with eloquence and humor, he explains neurological phenomena without becoming lost in specialist terminology. His book is reminiscent of Oliver Sacks’s work, and not coincidentally this volume includes a long interview with Sacks, who speaks of his own memory changes as he entered his sixties. Draaisma moves smoothly from anecdote to research and back, weaving stories and science into a compelling description of the terrain of memory. He brings to light the “reminiscence effect,” just one of the unexpected pleasures of an aging memory. The author writes reassuringly about forgetfulness and satisfyingly dismantles the stubborn myth that mental gymnastics can improve memory. He presents a convincing case in favor of the aging mind and urges us to value the nostalgia that survives as recollection, appreciate the intangible nature of past events, and take pleasure in the consolation of razor-sharp reminiscing.
- Contents:
- Front matter
- Contents
- Preface
- CHAPTER ONE. The longest stage
- CHAPTER TWO. Forgetful
- CHAPTER THREE. The forgetfulness market
- CHAPTER FOUR. Reminiscences
- CHAPTER FIVE. The joy of calling up memories
- CHAPTER SIX. The good son: A conversation with Oliver Sacks
- CHAPTER SEVEN. Wisdom in hindsight
- CHAPTER EIGHT. The nostalgia factory
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- Notes:
- Translation of the author's De heimweefabriek : geheugen, tijd & ouderdom.
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Description based on print version record.
- ISBN:
- 9780300205398
- 0300205392
- 9780300198522
- 0300198523
- OCLC:
- 857972195
The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.