Table Of Content
the
Sharper
Mind
FRED B. CHERNOW
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
Prentice Hall Direct
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chernow, Fred B.
[Memory plus]
The sharper mind / Fred B. Chernow.
p. cm.
1. Mnemonics. 2. Memory. I. Title.
BF385.C453 1997 97-23322
153.1’4 - dc21 CIP
To my dear wife, Carol, who for more than 40 years has made our days
together worth remembering.
© 1997 by Prentice Hall, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or
by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 0-7865-8732-6
On the World Wide Web at http://www.phdirect.com
Prentice Hall International (UK) Limited, London
Prentice Hall of Australia Pty. Limited, Sydney
Prentice Hall Canada, Inc., Toronto
Prentice Hall Hispanoamericana, S.A., Mexico
Prentice Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi
Prentice Hall of Japan, Inc., Tokyo
Simon & Schuster Asia Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Editora Prentice Hall do Brasil, Ltda., Rio de Janeiro
Contents
x
What This Book Will Do for You
Chapter One
1
Unlocking Your Memory Power
How You Can Improve Your Short-Term Memory
Five Ways to Hold on to Permanent Memory
How Your Memory Encodes Information
How Your Memory Recollects Data
How Your Brain Uses Your Mind’s Eye to Remember
Forging Memory Links into a Chain
Enhance Your Memory by Using Your Five Senses Using Color
to Energize Your Memory Six Ways to Remove
the Memory Blocks That Hold You Back Mementos
Chapter Two
27
Building Memory Associations
How to Use Conscious Associations
How to Put the Association Circle to Work for You
Learn This Better Way to Memorize Lists of Items
How to Use Visual and Verbal Elaboration
Get Good Results Using the Link System
Using the Story System to Help You Remember
Combining the Link System with Association
Pairs Putting the Peg System to Work in Your Daily Life
Visualizing a Number-Shape System
How You Can Benefit from Hearing an Alphabet Peg System
How to Use Pegs to Keep Track of Appointments
Mementos
Chapter Three
54
Boosting Your Learning Potential
How Motivation Enhances Memory
Testing Your Short-Term Memory
How to Boost Your Brain Power
How Rhythm Helps You Learn
Six Strategies for Better Learning
How Interference Affects Learning
How to Better Retain What You Read
Using Your Extrinsic Memory
Mementos
Answer Key
Chapter Four
71
Remembering What You Hear and Read
Remembering What You Hear
Guidelines for Effective Listening
A Remembering-What-You-Hear Workout
Taking Notes to Help You Remember What You Hear
Three Successful Techniques for Remembering What You Hear
Five Ways to Sharpen Your Listening Skills in a One-to-One
Situation
How to Handle the Repetitive Speaker
Seven Ways to Remember Conversations Better
How to Remember What You Read
Improving Your Level of Concentration
Guidelines for Improving Reading Recall
Twelve Ways to Increase Your Reading Efficiency
Taking Notes to Help You Remember What You Read
Mementos
Chapter Five
Making Others Remember What You Say and
97
Write
Making Sure What You Say Is Remembered
Making Your Writing Memorable
Mementos
Chapter Six
121
Conquering Absentmindedness
Eight Ways to Reduce Forgetfulness
Follow-Up Evaluation
Mementos
Chapter Seven
143
Recalling Numbers with Speed and Accuracy
How You Can Remember Telephone Numbers More Easily
Sharpen Your Memory by Seeing Shapes in Numbers
How the Letter-Count System Helps You Remember
How to Use Rhyme to Recall Numbers
Making Obvious Number Associations
Using Pattern Recognition to Increase Your Memory
Improve Your Memory by Changing Numbers into Phrases
Putting the Number-Consonant System to Work for You
Mementos
170
Chapter Eight
Using Five Surefire Techniques for Remembering
Names
Paying Attention to Introductions
How to Use Association
Sharpening Your Powers of Observation Focusing on
Organization
Using Visualization
Five Thing Never to Do When Being Introduced
What to Do When the Name Is on the Tip of Your Tongue
Mementos
Chapter Nine
Age-Proofing Your Memory 190
How Aging Affects Memory
Steps You Can Take Now to Ensure a Strong Memory in Later
Life
Mental Calisthenics to Help Your Brain Grow
How Sleep Keeps Your Mind Sharp
Using Techniques of Memory Self-Management
Preserving Mental Vitality
Understanding the Medical Factor in Memory
Identifying Secrets of Lifelong Memory Agility
Special Techniques for the Older Learner to Use
Ten Basic Principles of Memory Retention for Seniors
Mementos
Chapter Ten
216
Mental Math Shortcuts
A Diagnostic Test of Your Basic Math Skills
Seven Shortcuts for Mental Multiplication
Eight Shortcuts for Mental Division
Four Shortcuts to Use in Both Multiplication and Division
Three More Shortcuts to Gain Mastery in Mental Math
Repeating the Diagnostic Test
Mementos
Answer Key
Chapter Eleven
239
Mental Creativity Boosters
Identifying the Six Kinds of Intelligence
How Your Memory Benefits from Creativity
Exercises for Creativity Training
Mementos
Answer Key
Chapter Twelve
261
Mental Aerobics Workouts
Seven Daily Warm-Up Exercises for Mental Agility
Ten Weekly Basic Workout Exercises
Build Mental Dexterity with This Cool-Down Exercise
Mementos
A Final Memento
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book was conceived on the Long Island Campus of the Albert
Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Ronald Kanner, chairman of the
Department of Neurology, and Dr. Steven Mattis of the Department
of Psychiatry, were my co-panelists at a public forum on “Improving
Memory Skills” at the Teaching Center. They encouraged me to put
my strategies for strengthening memory into a book for the lay
reader. My thanks go to them and to Dr. Seymour Cohen of the De-
partment of Public Affairs of Long Island Jewish Medical Center for
helping me reach a huge audience of memory-enhancement seekers.
Needed encouragement during the incubation process came from
Sybil Grace at Prentice Hall who was my indefatigable coach and
helped me make the manuscript user-friendly.
Jon Keith, an early leader in memory training for the business
community, as well as Dr. John Mitchell, a consultant in memory and
management assessment, made valuable suggestions.
Special thanks to Clara Blackman, coordinator of Lifelong Learning
for University Seniors at New York University, and Dean John J.
Brennan of Notre Dame College, St. John’s University, for their faith
in my ability to improve the memories of their students.
