In Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife, journalist Cathryn Jakobson Ramin sets out to explain and possibly cure her midlife forgetfulness, and by extension that of most of her friends. In this quest she talks with memory experts, sleep specialists, nutritionists, doctors, and pharmacists. She tackles the questions that many of us have about our diminished performance. Is this early dementia, stress, or nutritional imbalance? Do I need sleep, drugs or exercise?
In each successive chapter the author under goes a brain scan, a battery of neuropsychological tests, memory training, special diets & exercise, takes "a Ziploc bag full of vitamins" (p58), participates in a web based memory improvement program, takes psychostimulants, tries meditation and neurofeedback, and Cognitive behavioral therapy. She intertwines what she learned from each of these methods with the latest research in these fields about memory loss.
This book is written in a clear and engaging fashion. Each avenue that she explores brings up several new areas to look at. She uses real life examples from forgetting the name of a restaurant to forgetting to pick up one's kids after their activities. She asks some interesting sociological questions such as, 'are we entering an age when older people will have to take memory enhancing drugs to compete in the market place?' She also interviews a person who actually has Alzheimer's disease, to show the extent of a true disorder.
The book ends with a summing up of steps every person can take to lessen mid-life memory problems, including keeping body and brain agile with new experiences. She reports that she feels her memory problems have improved, although she is not totally sure which interventions caused the change. This book is a ray of hope for those with mid-life memory loss.
Published by YBP Library Services
999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA
v: 800.258.3774 f: 603.746.5628
w: www.ybp.com
e: academia@ybp.com
