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  • The Memory Illusion

  • Why You May Not Be Who You Think You Are
  • By: Julia Shaw
  • Narrated by: Siri Steinmo
  • Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (370 ratings)
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The Memory Illusion

By: Julia Shaw
Narrated by: Siri Steinmo
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Summary

Think you have a good memory? Think again.

Memories are our most cherished possessions. We rely on them every day of our lives. They make us who we are. And yet the truth is they are far from being the accurate records of the past we like to think they are. True, we can all admit to having suffered occasional memory lapses, such as entering a room and immediately forgetting why or suddenly being unable to recall the name of someone we've met dozens of times. But what if we have the potential for more profound errors of memory, even verging on outright fabrication and self-deception?

In The Memory Illusion, forensic psychologist and memory expert Dr Julia Shaw uses the latest research to show the astonishing variety of ways in which our brains can indeed be led astray. She shows why we can sometimes misappropriate other people's memories, subsequently believing them to be our own. She explains how police officers can imprison an innocent man for life on the basis of 300 denials and just one confession. She demonstrates the way radically false memories can be deliberately implanted, leading people to believe that they brutally murdered a loved one or were abducted by aliens. And she reveals how, in spite of all this, we can improve our memory through simple awareness of its fallibility.

Fascinating and unnerving in equal measure, The Memory Illusion offers a unique insight into the human brain, challenging you to question how much you can ever truly know about yourself.

Dr Julia Shaw is a psychology lecturer and memory researcher at the University of Bedfordshire and is one of only a handful of experts in the world who actively conduct research on complex memory errors related to emotional personal events - so-called 'false memories'. Dr Shaw has published research articles in various international academic journals, written textbook chapters, and presented at many international conferences. She is also heavily involved in teaching classes on memory at the undergraduate and graduate levels, for which she has won two teaching excellence awards.

Besides her teaching and research, she has delivered general business and police-training workshops, has given guest lectures at universities around the world, has evaluated offender diversion programs and works with the UK police to advise on historical sexual and physical abuse cases. She has also been featured as an expert on TV and radio and in UK and international newspapers.

©2016 Julia Shaw (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about The Memory Illusion

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  • 08-02-18

Insufferable narration

While I found the topic of the book fascinating, I did not enjoy my listening experience. The narrator’s monotone voice and repetitive intonation make this audiobook grating to listen to. The condescending tone adopted by the reader is truly insufferable.

Narration aside, Shaw misrepresented some of her previous empirical findings. For example, her paper from 2015 said that number of participants with induced false memories was 70%. Actual number is somewhere between 26% and 30%. Her findings have been widely critiqued by other researchers in that area.

Still - an interesting book (but get it in print!)

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36 people found this helpful

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Your past is an illusion

What did you like most about The Memory Illusion?

What a great listen! Dr Shaw presents us with a huge weight of scientific evidence to demonstrate why our cherished memories could well be a work of fiction. I particularly liked the way she goes through the various research providing both a technical but also a lay person's explanation of what it means in the context of current memory research and its implications on both the individual and society, in particular the criminal justice system.

It made me appreciate how much our memories shape who we are and how they define us and influence our decisions. There is some biology in there on how the brain works, but this is explained clearly and succinctly. The bulk of the book focuses on how our brains (and sometimes those around us) can be deceived into thinking we have a clear memory of something when it didn't happen.

I chose this book on a whim, and am glad I did so, or at least I have a memory of enjoying it.........

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Memory Illusion?

Hearing that 'hypnosis' in the sense that most people use it does not exist and coming to the realisation that I may not be the person I think I am!

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15 people found this helpful

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There is no multitasking or photographic memory...

Overall: It is very good book. Should be read in schools. Everybody should read it. Memory is fundamental to understand the humans. Our perception of the world and our life depends on it. The performance is ok but it's a bit too quick to my opinion. Persevere to the end, the book gets better and better.

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7 people found this helpful

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Brilliant!

Brilliantly book! Very detailed but easy to understand and written in an engaging way, definitely recommend for anyone interested in the brain and memory

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3 people found this helpful

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Some things to remember

Very interesting topic. I didn't find the reader to be bad. Didn't bother me at all.
The story is thick with real life examples which makes topics easy to follow and understand. The middle part is quite heavy on the science stuff, but the author does give you the permission to skip it.
I would have hoped a bit more every day examples and a more down to earth take on some things. Not many of us probably are police or judges or the like. But sure, the crime and legal stuff is entertaining, albeit if not very useful.

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2 people found this helpful

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Really good reading/list to understand memory more

Accessable information

Great stuff on the research

Would like more on how to use it for learning, but that's probably a whole other, focused, book

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find out why can't you even trust your own brain

book that will help you understand how false memories work and why... and how implanting false memories is done

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1 person found this helpful

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Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant.

What a fascinating listen this is, very interesting and fantastic insight in how our brains and memory's work. Or don't work.

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Interesting book.

I have learn many things and now far more insightfully inform to areas of the mind and it's functions.

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Memories may not be what you think - excellent

The author is still early in her career so she is not quite a Kahnemann (yet). But her enthusiasm and "knowing her stuff" is palpable and draws the listener in. The narrator is very credible and reflects the enthusiastic and competent style of the author.

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