Libri di Joshua Foer migliori da leggere e consigliati

Quaranta giorni. È il tempo che ciascuno di noi impiega in media ogni anno per rimediare a ciò che dimentica: per andare a recuperare il cellulare lasciato chissà dove, per cercare le chiavi di casa o per rintracciare informazioni importanti. Joshua Foer rientrava a pieno titolo in questa media, ma dopo un anno di allenamento si è ritrovato alla finale del Campionato statunitense della memoria. Dunque la memoria si può davvero migliorare e chiunque può riuscire a imparare 1528 numeri a caso in un’ora e ricordarseli tutti, come il pluricampione del mondo Ben Pridmore. Ripercorrendo la storia della mnemotecnica dall’antica Grecia ai giorni nostri e illustrando metodi concreti grazie ai quali possiamo tenere a mente le informazioni che ci interessano, Joshua Foer ci dimostra che «in ognuno di noi si nasconde un piccolo Rain Man» Che la memoria è un dono che tutti possediamo, ma di cui spessissimo ignoriamo le potenzialità.

The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory. An instant bestseller that is poised to 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.

Praised as the “bestest travel guide ever” (Mary Roach) and “a joy to read and reread” (Neil Gaiman), Atlas Obscura is a phenomenon of travel books: “Odds are you won’t get past three pages without being amazed” (San Francisco Chronicle). It rocketed to the top of bestseller lists and has over 626,000 copies in print since its publication in late 2016. Now the best gets better and the weirdest gets weirder with this completely revised and updated second edition that includes 120 new entries that offer readers even more of the most unusual, curious, bizarre, and mysterious places on earth. In addition, the second edition includes a full-colour gatefold Atlas Obscura road trip map, with a dream itinerary. Created by the founders of AtlasObscura.com, the vibrant travel community that’s grown substantially since the original edition – not only online but in stores, too, with the recent publication of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid – Atlas Obscura expands the reader’s sense of what’s possible. Oversized, beautifully packaged, compellingly written, scrupulously researched, and filled with photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and more, it is the book that inspires equal parts wonder and wanderlust. It informs us on every page of something we never knew – and paints a rich panorama of what a marvellously strange world we live in. For the travel lover and curious reader, it’s a gift book that’s literally impossible to put down.