The Mnemonics Book: 30 Ways in 30 Days to Maximize Your Memory

I am the founder and Executive Director of The Mnemonics Institute, the only educational institution dedicated solely to the advancement of memory training utilizing mnemonics. Thank you for stopping by. A mnemonic, or mnemonic device, is a strategy for improving your memory. The idea behind mnemonic devices is simple. To associate what is unfamiliar to what is already known. To make the incomprehensible understandable. Generations of students have learned the Great Lakes by recalling HOMES, an acronym for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. A person s abilities to perform such physical feats as moving boulders, removing trees, or lifting heavy objects are quite limited. Our human powers increased tremendously by the invention of tools. This includes levers, bulldozers, cranes, cars, saws, etc. Like our physical powers, our inherent mental powers are also quite limited. The use of an appropriate conceptual mnemonic is the mind s most powerful tool. Like a good hammer, for example, a mnemonic can help us perform mental tasks that otherwise would be difficult, or even impossible to perform. However, just as a hammer may be appropriate for some tasks but not others (pounding nails versus tightening a bolt), a particular mnemonic strategy may or may not be appropriate depending upon the nature of the memory problem. The exploration and eventual selection of strategies must therefore be preceded by a careful identification and analysis of the particular memory problem to be solved. The appropriateness of the strategies must be evaluated by actively applying them and analyzing their effects. You never need to spend more than 15 minutes a day on this book. This book is unique in that it combines many techniques in a step by step program that links the interrelationships of mnemonic approaches, and makes them easily assailable. It has been one of my principle goals in writing this book to make all available strategies available in one volume. I have defined and refined the mechanics of memorization and my book is the only encyclopedia of mnemonic techniques available. Most memory books list several methods, but I list every mnemonic tool ever utilized. Mnemonics are like iron swords - they must first be forged with fire in your mind, and then honed sharp with practice. My book is worth its weight in solid gold. My books are concerned with Adult Learning - the mastery of meaningful material in school, university, or on the job. The process of applying mnemonics to improve your memory consists of three steps: Get to know the technique. Know when to apply the strategy. Practice using them. Often. The 30 Ways 1. Rhyming, rhythm, and Memory Concepts 2. Chunking 3. Chain and Link (AKA Stack and Link) 4. Imagination 5. Concentration 6. Organization 7. Attention Span 8. Acrostics 9. Anagrams and Vocabulary Improvement 10. Association 11. Sensory Perception 12. Extra Sensory Perception 13. Numbers 14. Names and Faces (The Name Game) 15. Rapid Reading 16. Focus on the Locus 17. Visualization and Graphic Representations 18. Brain Boosters Food and Nutrition, Part 1 19. Brain Boosters Food, Nutrition, and Sleep, Part 2 20. Schemata 21. Encoding 22. The Brain Hardware 23. The Brain Software 24. Peg Board Lists 25. Kaizen 26. Advertisements and Commercials 27. Memory, Mnemonics, Learning, and Intelligence 28. Acronyms, Initalisms, and Abbreviations 29. Self Concept and Self Esteem 30. Methods of Mnemonics. Conclusions. Thank you for considering my book.