Moonwalking with Einstein
by Joshua Foer
The Penguin Press 2011
Have you ever wished that your memory could be expanded by a few gigabytes? Did it then occur to you that with a bit of effort you might be able to compete in the U.S. or world memory championships?
We have all seen people perform memory exhibitions on stage or television. Sometimes, these demonstrations have the feeling of a circus performance. On other occasions, we may be baffled as to how someone could recall so much information, without being a savant or having a photographic memory.
In my travels, I have had occasion to listen to lengthy recitations ofreligious or historical stories, including heroic tales akin to the Iliad and Odyssey, the Torrah scrolls, or Biblical passages. I am often marveled at the skill and memory of the performer.
I also enjoy discussion of religion with people who have different views than my own. In such discussions, an inevitable issue concerns whether religious texts are the verbatim words of God or His prophets, or other religious figures. Sometimes, I have debates with people who seem to feel that their own faith would be compromised if the Torrah, Koran, or Bible were not absolutely literal. On such occasions, I ask whether it is possible that the holy words were most likely passed along via oral tradition for hundreds of years, then written down and translated to an extent that the general meaning may be traceable to origin, but the literal words are the product of innumerable iterations. This question always produces intense comment.
All of these thoughts were brought vividly to mind in this marvelous book. Joshua Foer was a young, struggling reporter, living in his childhood basement when he happened upon memory competition. He had many of the same thoughts that I am sure we all have about memory display. But he became intrigued.
Moonwalking with Einstein is the story of Mr. Foer’s journey. He summarizes extended research into memory and oral tradition, including scientific study. He also recounts his own trip to becoming U.S. then world champion, even being initiated into KL& after many rounds of beer in a pub.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating story. It was interesting to compare my own means of memorizing detail in college and law school with the mechanics of how Mr. Foer and his competitors perform Olympic feats of memory.
My was sad that Moonwalking with Einstein did not address the holy text issue noted above in the context of its excellent narrative of oral tradition. Perhaps, the topic of a sequel.
You will enjoy this read. Be prepared to think.
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