You Must Remember This: Easy Tricks and Proven Tips to Never Forget Anything, Ever Again

While they may not help us find our keys, Dobly believes that the mnemonic techniques and other "memory systems" are key to recalling information. Rhymes, diagrams, acronyms, and onomatopoeia are often used by actors and public speakers to learn and remember lines, and Dolby provides a wealth of such tools to help readers with everything from remembering a name to learning a foreign language to memorizing Shakespeare, which is much more involved than spending hours pouring over the play; "Increasingly evidence suggests that memory is not just a mental process but something that involves the whole body," she finds. Though she believes wholeheartedly in the power of mnemonics, Dolby also includes a survey of other "memory systems," such as Peg, Major, and Loci, "used by memory masters" and explains how readers should pursue these systems if interested. Though her focus is ultimately narrow – mnemonics and mnemonics alone – Dolby's guide will appeal most to those already interested in the subject; the casual forgetter may leave more frustrated than stimulated. (Aug.)