Memory & Retention

Joshua Foer is a journalist who went in 2005 to write a feature about the US Memory Championship. A year later, after training with memory masters, he won the same competition. 'Moonwalking with Einstein' is the story of that transformation — and at the same time the best popular-science book ever written about memory. Foer walks the reader through the basic mnemonic techniques: the **Memory Palace** (method of loci, used by ancient Greeks), the **Major System** (encoding numbers into words), the **PAO System** (Person-Action-Object for memorising cards). All these techniques rely on one mechanism: **the brain remembers images and stories far better than abstract data**. Instead of remembering the number '4815162342', you remember a little story about a sailing ship (4-8-1-5...). The book has a second, deeper thread: a meditation on **what it means to remember** in an era when everything is 'in Google'. Foer argues that people lose something important when they outsource memory — because thinking requires material to work on, and that material is memory. About 6-8 hours of reading. After this book you'll know how to memorise a list of 50 words in 10 minutes — and perhaps start thinking differently about your own mind.

The book is good for understanding *why* memory techniques work. A course is essential for actually learning to use them. Udemy has dozens of memory courses, but look for those rated 4.5+ and taught by instructors with documented experience (memory champions, educational neuroscientists). A good course will walk you through: building your first **Memory Palace** step by step (most people read about this but never actually build one — a course forces you to construct your own, usually based on your childhood home); memorising lists, numbers, cards, faces, foreign vocabulary; extending the system over weeks to the level where you reliably memorise information 5-10x faster than before. Realistic expectations: a course won't make you a memory champion in a week. But after 4-6 weeks of daily practice (15-20 minutes), you'll notice a clear difference — remembering names at a conference, shopping lists, passages from books, historical dates. Udemy runs perpetual promotions ($90 course for $15 is normal — never pay full price). The Udemy affiliate cookie lasts 7 days, so it's worth recommending specific courses inside product content.

Readwise (described in detail in Set B) is especially relevant for people working on memory. The classic reader problem: you read a book, highlight key passages, finish it — a month later you remember the title and 2-3 general ideas. The rest has vanished. Readwise solves this with daily random reminders from your own highlights in Kindle, Apple Books and articles. The mechanism is exactly the same as in Anki — spaced repetition — but instead of building flashcards from scratch, you use passively-collected notes. For people with a 'Memory & Retention' profile Readwise is essentially *must-have*: it combines two methods (spaced repetition + active recall of your own notes) with almost zero friction (highlight syncing from Kindle is automatic). Subjective feeling after a year of use: you start to remember ideas from a year ago that you would normally forget after a week. That's a real change in how much *stays* from your reading.

The Kindle Paperwhite is not a 'memory tool' in a direct sense, but it is the most important complement to the read-and-remember ecosystem. Why an e-reader and not a tablet or phone: the e-paper screen emits no blue light, doesn't tire the eyes, and the absence of other apps eliminates distraction (when reading on an iPad your attention is split between book and 47 notifications). Research on attentive reading consistently shows better retention on paper or e-paper compared with LCD/OLED. The key feature for anyone building a memory system: **built-in highlighting**. You mark passages while reading, and Kindle syncs them with Amazon's cloud. From there, Readwise pulls them automatically — and you have material for daily review. The whole read-highlight-review workflow runs almost without friction. The Paperwhite (~$140-180) is the sweet spot: it has water resistance, good backlighting, long battery life. The Oasis and Scribe versions are more expensive but unnecessary for most readers.

Upfront disclaimer: these are not 'IQ-boosting supplements' — such things don't exist. They are, however, three substances with the strongest research base indicating **support for brain health** in people who are deficient in them. **Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)**: DHA makes up about 30% of fatty acids in the brain. Most Western diets are deficient in omega-3 (too much omega-6 from vegetable oils). Meta-analyses show a modest but consistent supplementation effect on cognitive function in those with low baseline levels. **Magnesium (preferred forms: glycinate, threonate)**: magnesium deficiency is common (especially glycinate — often recommended for anxiety and sleep issues). Magnesium L-threonate (Magtein) is the only form documented in research as crossing the blood-brain barrier in significant amounts — with signals supporting working memory. **Creatine**: traditionally a sports supplement, but the past five years of research also point to cognitive benefits, especially in vegetarians/vegans (since dietary creatine comes mostly from meat). 3-5g daily. Critical caveat: supplementation only makes sense **if you are deficient**. Get blood work first (omega-3 index, RBC magnesium, vitamin D, B12, ferritin), then supplement. Buying supplements without testing is gambling. Consult a doctor, particularly if you take medication.