by Karen Dolby
Broadway, $13.99, 285 pages
What a nifty book! And, as the author puts it, it’s full of easy tricks and proven tips to never forget anything ever again. Can Queen Victoria Eat Cold Apple Pie?… to recall the seven hills of Rome. Roy G. Biv… to bring out the colors of the rainbow. Or, Leaves of three, let it be… to avoid the sting of poison ivy. You Must Remember This (even though it doesn’t stand for anything) is full of handy poems, lists and acronyms that cleverly entice the reader to commit common knowledge to memory.
While the book is strong on rhymes, jingles and anecdotes; it is less forthcoming on the how of stimulating one’s memory. For instance, Winston Churchill used memory pictures to help him deliver speeches. So can you! (Unless you forget the clue you tried to commit to memory.) With a little practice the author claims you can remember anything — colors of the rainbow or when to starve a cold or feed a fever.
If you have the capacity to memorize a few select hints this book is a must! Especially if you need help recalling Ohm’s Law, The Seven Deadly Sins or the four oceans of the world. Nifty, indeed!
Bryan Burch