Mother Night


Book Description

“Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer . . . a zany but moral mad scientist.”—Time Mother Night is a daring challenge to our moral sense. American Howard W. Campbell, Jr., a spy during World War II, is now on trial in Israel as a Nazi war criminal. But is he really guilty? In this brilliant book rife with true gallows humor, Vonnegut turns black and white into a chilling shade of gray with a verdict that will haunt us all. “A great artist.”—Cincinnati Enquirer “A shaking up in the kaleidoscope of laughter . . . Reading Vonnegut is addictive!”—Commonweal




Remember


Book Description

*A New York Times bestseller* 'Using her expertise as a neuroscientist and her gifts as a storyteller, Lisa Genova explains the nuances of human memory' - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and bestselling author of How The Mind Works 'No one writes more brilliantly about the connections between the brain, the mind, and the heart. Remember is a beautiful, fascinating, and important book about the mysteries of human memory - what it is, how it works, and what happens when it is stolen from us. A scientific and literary treat that you will not soon forget.' - Daniel Gilbert ( New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness) Have you ever felt a crushing wave of panic when you can't for the life of you remember the name of that actor in the movie you saw last week, or you walk into a room only to forget why you went there in the first place? If you're over forty, you're probably not laughing. You might even be worried that these lapses in memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia. In reality, for the vast majority of us, these examples of forgetting are completely normal. Why? Because while memory is amazing, it is far from perfect. Our brains aren't designed to remember every name we hear, plan we make or day we experience. Just because your memory sometimes fails doesn't mean it's broken or succumbing to disease. Forgetting is actually part of being human. In Remember, neuroscientist and acclaimed novelist Lisa Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. In explaining whether forgotten memories are temporarily inaccessible or erased forever and why some memories are built to exist for only a few seconds while others can last a lifetime, we're shown the clear distinction between normal forgetting (where you parked your car) and forgetting due to Alzheimer's (that you own a car). Remember shows us how to create a better relationship with our memory - so we no longer have to fear it any more, which can be life-changing.




Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory


Book Description

As you age, you may find yourself worrying about your memory. Where did I put those car keys? What time was my appointment? What was her name again? With more than 41 million Americans over the age of 65 in the United States, the question becomes how much (or, perhaps, what type) of memory loss is to be expected as one gets older and what should trigger a visit to the doctor. Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory addresses these key concerns and more, such as... · What are the signs that suggest your memory problems are more than just part of normal aging? · Is it normal to have concerns about your memory? · What are the markers of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative diseases? · How should you convey your memory concerns to your doctor? · What can your doctor do to evaluate your memory? · Which healthcare professional(s) should you see? · What medicines, alternative therapies, diets, and exercises are available to improve your memory? · Can crossword puzzles, computer brain-training games, memory aids, and strategies help strengthen your memory? · What other resources are available when dealing with memory loss? Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory is written in an easy-to-read yet comprehensive style, featuring clinical vignettes and character-based stories that provide real-life examples of how to successfully manage age-related memory loss.




Moonwalking with Einstein


Book Description

The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory “Highly entertaining.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker “Funny, curious, erudite, and full of useful details about ancient techniques of training memory.” —The Boston Globe An instant bestseller that has now become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Joshua Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory. From the United States Memory Championship to deep within the author's own mind, this is an electrifying work of journalism that reminds us that, in every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories.




Forgetting


Book Description

“Fascinating and useful . . . The distinguished memory researcher Scott A. Small explains why forgetfulness is not only normal but also beneficial.”—Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Code Breaker and Leonardo da Vinci Who wouldn’t want a better memory? Dr. Scott Small has dedicated his career to understanding why memory forsakes us. As director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University, he focuses largely on patients who experience pathological forgetting, and it is in contrast to their suffering that normal forgetting, which we experience every day, appears in sharp relief. Until recently, most everyone—memory scientists included—believed that forgetting served no purpose. But new research in psychology, neurobiology, medicine, and computer science tells a different story. Forgetting is not a failure of our minds. It’s not even a benign glitch. It is, in fact, good for us—and, alongside memory, it is a required function for our minds to work best. Forgetting benefits our cognitive and creative abilities, emotional well-being, and even our personal and societal health. As frustrating as a typical lapse can be, it’s precisely what opens up our minds to making better decisions, experiencing joy and relationships, and flourishing artistically. From studies of bonobos in the wild to visits with the iconic painter Jasper Johns and the renowned decision-making expert Daniel Kahneman, Small looks across disciplines to put new scientific findings into illuminating context while also revealing groundbreaking developments about Alzheimer’s disease. The next time you forget where you left your keys, remember that a little forgetting does a lot of good.




Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia


Book Description

Your needs as a caregiver are just as important as those your family member with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. This book will provide just the insight and guidance you need. Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or dementia is hard. It's hard whether you're caring for your spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, other family member, or friend. Even if you had an extra ten hours each day to do it, it's hard to manage all the problems that come with dementia. And caring for a loved one with dementia can sometimes feel like a long, lonely journey. Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia can help, addressing concerns such as: · Is the problem Alzheimer's, dementia, or something else? · How do you approach problems in dementia? · How do you manage problems with memory, language, and vision? · How do you cope with emotional and behavioral problems? · What are the best ways to manage troubles with sleep and incontinence? · Which medications can help? · Which medications can actually make things worse? · How do you build your care team? · Why is it important to care for yourself? · How do you sustain your relationship with your loved one? · How do you plan for the progression of dementia? · How do you plan for the end and beyond? Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia is comprehensive yet written in an easy-to-read style, featuring clinical vignettes and character-based stories that provide real-life examples of how to successfully manage Alzheimer's disease and dementia.




Why We Forget and How to Remember Better


Book Description

"One of us (Elizabeth) had the opportunity to conduct research with a gentleman named Henry Molaison (better known by his initials, H.M.1), who had the interior portion of his left and right temporal lobes (the part of your brain next to your temples) removed in 1953 because of epileptic seizures that were difficult to control. From a technical standpoint, the surgical procedures went fine. But, as he recovered, the doctors and researchers soon noticed something very troubling: he was unable to form any new memories. He could read, and talk, and if you were having a brief conversation with him, you would probably not notice anything amiss. But family members would visit and, although he knew who they were, he would have no memory of them coming. New doctors would introduce themselves and the next day (or even the next hour) he did not recall that he had met them. It was then that the doctors understood that, somehow, the removal of those parts of the temporal lobe caused him to become completely amnestic"--




Memory Loss, Alzheimer's Disease, and Dementia


Book Description

Now presented in full color, this updated edition of Memory Loss, Alzheimer's Disease, and Dementia is designed as a practical guide for clinicians that delivers the latest treatment approaches and research findings for dementia and related illnesses. Drs. Budson and Solomon — both key leaders in the field — cover the essentials of physical and cognitive examinations and laboratory and imaging studies, giving you the tools you need to consistently make accurate diagnoses in this rapidly growing area. Access in-depth coverage of clinically useful diagnostic tests and the latest treatment approaches. Detailed case studies facilitate the management of both common and uncommon conditions. Comprehensive coverage of hot topics such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, in addition to new criteria on vascular dementia and vascular cognitive impairment. Includes new National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association and DSM-5 criteria for Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Learn how to use new diagnostic tests, such as the amyloid imaging scans florbetapir (Amyvid), flutemetamol (Vizamyl), and florbetaben (Neuraceq), which can display amyloid plaques in the living brains of patients. Updated case studies, many complete with videos illustrating common tests, clinical signs, and diagnostic features, are now incorporated into the main text as clinical vignettes for all major disorders. Brand-new chapters on how to approach the differential diagnosis and on primary progressive aphasia. Expert Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, references, and videos from the book on a variety of devices.




Inside the O'Briens


Book Description

A New York Times bestseller ▪ A Library Journal Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪ A St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Books of 2015 Pick ▪A GoodReads Top Ten Fiction Book of 2015 ▪ A People Magazine Great Read From New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova comes a “heartbreaking…very human novel” (Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves) that does for Huntington’s disease what her debut novel Still Alice did for Alzheimer’s. Joe O’Brien is a forty-three-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure, and each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate. Praised for writing that “explores the resilience of the human spirit” (San Francisco Chronicle), Lisa Genova has once again delivered a novel as powerful and unforgettable as the human insights at its core.




Love Anthony


Book Description

'Remember how you couldn't put down Still Alice? Well, clear your schedule-because you're going to feel the same way' Jodi Picoult From the bestselling author of Still Alice and Every Note Played comes a heartfelt novel about friendship and a mother coping with the loss of her autistic son. Olivia Donatelli's dream of a 'normal' life was shattered when her son, Anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. He didn't speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realise that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died. Now she's alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son's short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way. In a piercing story about motherhood, love and female friendship, Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change who discover the small but exuberant voice that helps them both find the answers they need. Fans of The Reason I Jump and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time will love Lisa Genova's story: always authentic and utterly moving.