Books: Moonwalking with Einstein

If you liked the movie "Memento" or Oliver Sacks's "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat," you'll probably like Joshua Foer's "Moonwalking with Einstein." It's an enjoyable nonfiction exploration of pretty much every facet of human memory, interweaving extracts of the latest neuroscience research, historical anecdotes about memory techniques, and Foer's own experiences interviewing amnesiacs and savants and training to compete in the 2006 USA Memory Championship.

I find Josh Foer's writing is underrated compared to the stuff from his often-insufferable older brother. In "Moonwalking with Einstein," Foer comes off as a relatable Average Joe when it comes to forgetfulness, despite his upper-crust upbringing and Yale education. The final chapters, which track the final rounds of the Memory Championship, are sports-movie tense in a way that's surprising for such a cerebral subject.