The Memory Illusion
  • Published: 29 May 2017
  • ISBN: 9781847947611
  • Imprint: Random House Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $24.99

The Memory Illusion

Remembering, Forgetting, and the Science of False Memory

Formats & editions
EBook
16 Jun 2016
Paperback
29 May 2017
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A fascinating exploration of the fallibility of memory and how easily our brains can be misled.

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'Truly fascinating.' Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2


- Have you ever forgotten the name of someone you’ve met dozens of times?
- Or discovered that your memory of an important event was completely different from everyone else’s?
- Or vividly recalled being in a particular place at a particular time, only to discover later that you couldn’t possibly have been?


We rely on our memories every day of our lives. They make us who we are. And yet the truth is, they are far from being the accurate record of the past we like to think they are. In The Memory Illusion, forensic psychologist and memory expert Dr Julia Shaw draws on the latest research to show why our memories so often play tricks on us – and how, if we understand their fallibility, we can actually improve their accuracy. The result is an exploration of our minds that both fascinating and unnerving, and that will make you question how much you can ever truly know about yourself. Think you have a good memory? Think again.


'A spryly paced, fun, sometimes frightening exploration of how we remember – and why everyone remembers things that never truly happened.' Pacific Standard
  • Published: 29 May 2017
  • ISBN: 9781847947611
  • Imprint: Random House Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $24.99
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About the author

Julia Shaw

Dr Julia Shaw is a psychological scientist in the Department of Law and Social Sciences at London South Bank University. She is best known for her work in the area of false memories – memories of things that never actually happened. She regularly consults as a memory expert in legal cases, and has given talks to businesses, the police and the military on how to avoid common memory mistakes. Her work has been featured in publications including the Guardian, The Times, the Daily Mail and the New Yorker, and she writes regularly for Scientific American.

Praise for The Memory Illusion

Shaw’s debut book is a spryly paced, fun, sometimes frightening exploration of how we remember – and why everyone remembers things that never truly happened … Her book is equal parts breezy guide through the recent lessons we’ve learned about memory, and a loving tribute to the sometimes eccentric researchers who toiled away in the laboratory to uncover them … Shaw's quirky charm enlivens the book throughout.

Pacific Standard

Illuminating and instructive

The Tablet

Truly fascinating.

Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2
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