Review: Fading memories
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2014
I am at that age where you start worry about body parts not working as well as they used to, and the brain is the one I worry about most. So anything that offers advice on that topic captures my interest. This is a book on that very subject, but it concentrates on the higher level of memory improvement. There are no parlor tricks for memorizing the entire starting lineup of Major League Baseball, but rather suggestions on keeping your brain healthy.=== The Good Stuff ===* Most of the suggestions certainly sound plausible. Reputable websites (Mayo Clinic) support the relation between loss of memory and Vitamin B12 deficiency. I found reasonable references to some of the other suggestions offered in the book. (A disclaimer- I am very careful about medical advice on the internet, and rely on sites like the Mayo clinic. I do not read or believe info from "hypedVITAMINS" dot coms.* Bill McDowell seems careful with his facts. He is careful about separating Alzheimer's, dementia and aging as causes of memory loss, and keeps their causes and treatments segregated. He also seems well grounded in science, concentrating on nutrition, exercise, and other basic health strategies. He does not get carried away in the latest crazes, and notes that the latest trend of "brain exercises" are generally not shown effective at reversing brain power loss.*McDowell writes in a reasonably easy-to-read style, although he is prone to long paragraphs, something I find hard to read on a Kindle. The book is relatively short- I read it in a single sitting-but does cover a lot of ground.=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===* My biggest complaint is the lack of references, either in-line or as a formal series of footnotes. The writing has many instances of language such as "studies show that...". As anyone who has ever played around with internet search knows, you can find "references" for just about anything, including the role of cats in alien abductions. I would be far more at ease if I could see the names and affiliations of the studies that are referenced.=== Summary ===While there was a nice mix of material, and it seemed well grounded, this is one of my least favorite types of non-fiction. It is not really written in a "popular", fun-to-read format, but also does not meet the standards of a more serious scientific publication. In short, it is in that no-man's land where I am not 100% sure of the quality of the facts. While the info certainly seems to pass the common-sense test, that is always a dangerous assumption to make with medical info.Still, if you are approaching the age where you start to worry about stuff like this, I believe you will find the book helpful at least as a starting point for analyzing your lifestyle and how it can affect your memory. Well worth the hour or two it takes to read.=== Disclaimer ===I was invited by the author to download a free copy of this book during a Kindle promotion. I have no relationship with the author or publisher of this work.