"Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering" by Scott A. Small is a fascinating exploration into the oft-overlooked benefits of forgetfulness. In a world that prizes memory and retention, Small challenges our assumptions and delves into the science behind why forgetting is not only normal but also beneficial.

Through engaging anecdotes and compelling research, Small guides readers through the complexities of memory and forgetfulness. From the intricate workings of the brain to the societal implications of memory loss, he presents a nuanced perspective that encourages readers to rethink their relationship with forgetfulness.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The title made me laugh. I may be the world's best "forgetter." When they're over, I shed memories of events and places. I never remember restaurants or hotels. I forget people and meetings. I hardly remember anything - which is why I blog (Peaceful Ones). Writing it down means I can go back to remember what's just happened or who we met a few years ago in that town somewhere on the plain or in the valley.

Small insists that we don't have to remember everything and that forgetting is a gift to the mind and heart. The rigidity and inflexibility of having to tell a joke exactly the same way or putting a book back on the shelf in the same order (for all but librarians?!) takes a lot of energy and causes anxiety.

The author examines the gift of forgetting - that we can redo memories, find new joys in old places, and reinvent ourselves - past and future. Read this book as part of the adventure of exploring the wonderful and complex beings God created. You'll appreciate those forgotten moments more than ever!

This is a detailed, yet readable book on the workings of the brain and. its role in the memory process.
Fascinating look at how forgetting is a normal and natural process and not necessarily something to worry about. Wouldn't it be great if we could choose what we forgot and what we remember, but I digress.

A consideration of the research and brain science that guides our current understanding of memory and memory loss, Forgetting reads more like a yard sale of stories and information than a coherent narrative. I was interested in the book’s thesis - that forgetting is actually a good thing, an optimal capacity of a healthy brain - but the chapters never quite settled in to deliver on that promise. I did appreciate the author’s sensitivity and sense of humor, which makes his storytelling enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

Forgetting by Scott A. Small is a non-fiction title dedicated to explaining the benefits of forgetting memories, experiences, and information. Many believe that forgetting is a problem, but the research of Dr. Small's lab suggests that forgetting is a critical process to ensure optimal health. This book combines anecdotes and research to detail how forgetting helps our emotions, cognition, and society.

This book is well-written and makes it easy for the layperson to understand. The variety of examples such as a reference to Jorge Luis Borges’s short story “Funes, the Memorious” helped develop the reader's understanding on the points the author was making. The book details two types of forgetting which are selective forgetting and pathological forgetting. This definition is funny as growing up my mother told me I had selective memory which apparently everyone has!

This book is helpful for not just understanding the process of forgetting, but understanding more about memory and how memories are formed and retained. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to read more about the importance of forgetting! However I also think this can be a very helpful read for those that beat themselves up for their bad memory so they can realize that it can actually be protective!

Many thanks to the publisher Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This book by physician Scott Small discusses the process of forgetting; what happens to the neurons in the brain, and why this process is more beneficial than previously thought. The book has seven main chapters, in addition to a prologue and epilogue. In the Prologue, Small contends that forgetting is actually required for extracting abstract concepts, for emotional well-being, and even for creativity.

In the first chapter, Small recalls attempting to diagnose one of his patients that had been complaining of recent memory problems. As Smalls walks the reader through his thought process, he explains the relevant parts of the brain that deal with memory; from the posterior area to the hippocampus to the prefrontal cortex. As Small describes the functions of the different regions, he is able to explain why he came to the conclusion that his patient's symptoms seemed to be related to the hippocampus. He had narrowed the causes down to either early stage Alzheimer's, or normal age-related memory decline; and in this case it turned out to be normal decline, for which he prescribed physical exercise. This window into the thought process and troubleshooting paths of a neuroscientist was fascinating!

Smalls describes how modern research has shown that we need to be able to forget in order to properly generalize and adapt. He explains that data from tests on lab animals, and research on autism in humans, have together been able to demonstrate that forgetting can result in being able to easily adapt to changes. It seems to be an inability to decrease dendritic spine length and “forget” things, that causes patients with autism to have a hard time dealing with change.

Another interesting example Smalls uses is the development of facial recognition software. Computer programmers eventually learned that they had to add in the ability to “forget” certain details in the lower level hubs of the process, in order to correctly generalize and accurately identify faces. Without this tweak, computer programs and people would both get stuck on over-analyzing the minute details of one part of a face and focusing on the subtle differences between images.

Smalls covers several other topics in the book, including emotional memory, PTSD, the amygdala, creativity, the effects of sleep, decision making and social interactions.

I found the book to be well written and easy to follow, with great analogies and helpful diagrams. I love this subject matter, and it was interesting to read about a part of neurobiology that I hadn't considered before. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how the brain works, especially with regards to memory; and also anyone interested in autism or Alzheimer’s disease.

It would be nice to pick and choose forgetfulness, but that isn't how it works. I just visited an elderly relative who is beginning to suffer from some form of dementia. Her short term memory is vanishing, sadly, she seems to recognizes that fact., scary. This was as an enlightening read about memory and forgetfulness. As I am creeping into my senior years, it's feeling like I should go armed, aware of my brain and how it works and how it can impact my future life. Well worth the read.

Forgetting brings together a variety of areas of brain research to explore the benefits of our tendency to forget. This is examined through the experience of autistic people and those with ptsd in early chapters. Both show ways that too much memory can make it difficult to function. Other chapters explore the role sleep plays in helping us forget, making room for our ability to make new memories the next day.

The last two chapters explore alzheimers disease through the research that currently exists. There are still many questions about the disease that have of been answered. As someone without a scientific background I was able to follow along without much difficulty. The ending may frustrate readers looking for more answers because there is still much to learn about the disease. But it is good to know that research is rapidly progressing.

Most of us will witness alzheimers in a friend or family member so I find it comforting to learn more about how the disease progresses. This book won't give you any tools to help stop your own experience of forgetting. But it might help you better accept it as a necessary part of life. Anyone interested in neuroscience and how the brain works should pick this up. It is accessible and easy to read for the science enthusiast.

Intriguing New Science. For much of human history and even for much of the last few hundred years - when our scientific knowledge has seemingly gone into warp drive itself, sleep was said to be nothing more than the land of dreams, that humans could work at peak efficiency without much of it at all. Forgetfulness, even in many circles now, has been seen as a negative of various extremes, from embarrassing to debilitating.

But what if we've had it all wrong, and forgetting is actually one of our more *useful* adaptations? What if sleep actually plays a significant part of this process?

Here, neuroscientist Small examines what we've learned - in many cases, much of it over the last decade in particular - about just how imperative forgetfulness is to the very existence of the human body and human society more generally. From the social/ societal benefits all the way to the molecular, intra-cranial benefits, Small examines it all in a text that is clear enough to work in the "popular science" realm while still giving plenty of technical and precise details. Very much recommended.