Where Did I Leave My Glasses?: The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss

Perhaps the greatest source of anxiety for America's aging boomers is what's happening to their memory. Based on interviews with more than 15 neuroscientists and others in the field, veteran health journalist and bestselling author Lear (Heartsounds) provides reassurance along with a succinct introduction to what memory is. Lear says that a certain amount of forgetfulness in the middle-aged and young elderly is normal and not a harbinger of Alzheimer's. She also explains how emotions like guilt lead us to continually edit our memories, making them less accurate. Lear underscores the holy quartet of memory aids: eat healthily, avoid stress,... get lots of sleep, and exercise both body and mind regularly. For those who fear early-onset Alzheimer's, she provides a useful chart differentiating normal memory loss from dementia. While skeptical of most products promising memory enhancement, Lear offers a fascinating chapter on new research promising drugs to improve memory and cognition, and artificial intelligence that will leave you with glorious memories of experiences that you never actually had. Lear writes clearly, personably and gracefully, and her new book deserves to attract many of the worried well who want to know more about why they're remembering less. (Feb. 12)
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So your memory's not what it used to be? You forget people's names, or what you were just about to say, or why you went into the kitchen. Often you forget where you left your keys (your wallet, your glasses, your list of Things to Do Tomorrow). And you worry. You wonder: Could this mean I am losing it? Join the crowd, friend. there are seventy-eight million baby boomers in the country, and memory loss is the number one concern of the boomer generation. The "Worried Well," specialists call them. They worry because they do not know that most memory lapses that begin in middle age are universal and normal. Award-winning journalist Martha Lear, who gave voice to widespread frustration with medical care in her New York Times bestselling memoir Heartsounds, now explores this kind of forgetfulness--why it happens, and when, and what can be done about it. She interviews distinguished neuroscientists, psychologists, and evolutionary biologists, as well as friends and strangers about their own memory lapses. Interweaving dramatic new findings from brain-scan studies with often-hilarious anecdotes, Lear covers topics as fresh and provocative as the upside of memory loss, the differences between His and Her memories, why we are actually wired to forget, and what the future holds for memory enhancement (you can't imagine what's in store). You'll learn things you never knew before about why your memory behaves in such maddening ways. You'll find comfort and reassurance. And you'll probably find yourself on every page.

"An informative (and enjoyable to read) overview of our current understanding of how memory changes with normal aging and what the future might hold for memory enhancement." --Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, director, Neuroscience Imaging center, UCSF Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco

"Well-researched . . . presents a complex topic with clarity and humor." --Margaret Sewell, PhD, director, Memory Enhancement Program, Mount Sinai Hospital

"Oh how loved this book! Rarely do you find one that informs as it entertains; Martha Lear does both. I laughed out loud and was reassured to know that when my friends and I forget names (as we so often do), it's normal!" --Mary Tyler Moore


"Hallelujah, it's not Alzheimer's! It's Normal Memory Loss, and everyone over thirty must read WHERE DID I LEAVE MY GLASSES? by what's-her-name."--Patricia Volk, author of To My Dearest Friends and Stuffed

"With wit, insight, and comfort, Martha Weinman Lear takes you through the embarrassments and hilarities of dealing with normal memory loss." --Ethel S. Person, MD, professor of psychiatry and member of the Center for Psychoanyltic Training & Research, Columbia University


"Lear writes reassuringly . . . pungently and wittily. This book is more than informative; it is a pleasure to read." --Lewis P. Rowland, MD, professor of neurology, Neurological Institute, Columbia University Medical Center

Martha Weinman Lear authored two bestselling books, Heartsounds (which was made into a Peabody award-winning film) and The Child Worshipers. A former staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, Lear continues to write articles for national magazines. She lives in New York City with her husband, screenwriter Albert Ruben.