Moonwalking with Einstein

by Joshua Foer

I love this book.  This writer did some research into the Mental Olympics and ended up training to become a competitor himself.  It’s fascinating how the research paralleled the training itself, and how he learned about his own mind in the process.

The ending is very satisfying.  I knew a little bit about it because I saw the author interviewed on a talk show, but still it came as a surprise.  He sums up his learnings very well at the end, and makes some great observations about mindfulness.  My favorite quote:

“What I had really trained my brain to do, as much as to memorize, was to be more mindful, and to pay attention to the world around me.  Remembering can only happen if you decide to take notice.”

Thank you Joshua for putting yourself through such rigorous training to give the world this amazing book!