The Art of Making Memories
Books | Self-Help / Personal Growth / Memory Improvement
4.1
Meik Wiking
The New York Times–bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge shows how to create—and retain—the happy memories that make life sweet: “An inspiration.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)Do you remember the day you graduated? Your favorite vacation? Or the best meal you ever had? Happiness researcher Meik Wiking has found that memories are the cornerstones of our identity, shaping who we are, how we act, and how we feel. In his work, he’s learned that people are happier if they hold a positive, nostalgic view of the past. But how do we make and keep the memories that bring us lasting joy?The Art of Making Memories examines how mental images are made, stored, and recalled in our brains, as well as the “art of letting go”—why we tend to forget certain moments to make room for deeper, more meaningful ones. Meik uses data, interviews, global surveys, and real-life experiments to explain the nuances of nostalgia and the different ways we form memories around our experiences and recall them—revealing the power that a “first time” has on our recollections, and why a piece of music, a smell, or a taste can unexpectedly conjure a moment from the past. Ultimately, Meik shows how we each can create warm memories that will stay with us for years.Filled with infographics, illustrations, and photographs, and featuring “Happy Memory Tips,” The Art of Making Memories is an inspirational and practical handbook to help us make the memories that will bring us joy throughout our lives.
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Author
Meik Wiking
Pages
285
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2019-10-01
ISBN
0062943391 9780062943392
Community ReviewsSee all
"Funny and easy to read. Meik Wiking makes remembering and creating memories so easy."
Lori-ann Kirkwood
"The whole series of books is great. This one I did as an audiobook read by the author. This was a nice change. It was like chatting with a friend. "
E
EJ
"This was a solid book, with good research and some nice inspiration to take a few concrete steps to focus on happiness ans good memories. Wiking does a good job of remembering that his readers are very international (refreshing, since most English language nonfiction writers seem to think everybody lives in the USA). He is definitely writing to a “middle class” audience though; I think the lessons in this book could apply to anybody, but he does a poor job of talking about what these strategies may look like for people under a lot of financial or other stresses. Travel is a big theme as a way to make happy memories - and this isn’t an option for many, and can have a huge environmental impact as well! I found a lot of the psychological research way too basic but I think it was probably a good target level for his main audience. Much of this book is review and rehashing of very well-known concepts about memory and happiness from the field of psychology. I’m glad he’s making them accessible. However, as somebody with a psychology background, this was more about review. <br/><br/>Main takeaways: <br/>Don’t forget to do something new<br/>Focus on happy memories by talking about them and telling stories with spaced repetition <br/>Get around to organizing your photos, darn it! <br/>I have a responsibility to my child to hold happy memories for her and give them back to her when she’s old enough to remember them herself. <br/><br/>Also one small piece of sad irony: Wiking writes near the end about wanting to go on a big writer’s retreat in Italy in 2020 and how he had already found the right villa to rent out. I’m sure his plans were not able to come to pass. I hope he gets his retreat someday."
T P
Teresa Prokopanko