Description
Book SynopsisWhat is memory? It is at the same time ephemeral, unreliable and essential to everything we do. Without memory we lose our sense of identity, reasoning, even our ability to perform simple physical tasks. Yet it is also elusive and difficult to define, and throughout the ages philosophers and psychologists have used metaphors as a way of understanding it. First published in 2000, this fascinating book takes the reader on a guided tour of these metaphors of memory from ancient times to the present day. Crossing continents and disciplines, it provides a compelling history of ideas about the mind by exploring the way these metaphors have been used - metaphors often derived from the techniques and instruments developed over the years to store information, ranging from wax tablets and books to photography, computers and even the hologram. Accessible and thought-provoking, this book should be read by anyone who is interested in memory and the mind.
Trade Review'A fascinating survey of ideas on memory across the centuries, showing that suggestive metaphors have been essential stepping stones in our understanding of the mind. Highly recommended!' Jean Aitchison, University of Oxford
'A superb history … richly thought-provoking.' Stephen Rose, The Times Higher Education Supplement
'An intellectually sophisticated book, rich in insight and detail.' The Economist
'Metaphors of Memory is fascinating, informative, accessible, and highly recommended to students of psychology and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the nature of memory and its relationship to the human mind.' Amazon.com
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The mystic writing-pad; 2. Memoria: memory as writing; 3. The splendour of the Bologna Stone; 4. A vast labyrinth; 5. A mirror with a memory; 6. Digital memory; 7. Holographic memory; 8. An enchanted loom; 9. The homunculus.
