Scott A. Small

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.… (plus d'informations)

Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott A Small is a fascinating and accessible look at how forgetting works in the brain and why it is beneficial when functioning normally. While the explanations are detailed Small manages to explain neurological concepts in terms most readers can understand and appreciate.

The funny thing about forgetting is that it has long been subtly believed to be good to an extent (for instance, my long time comments about not bothering to remember things I don't need) while also being something we're all afraid of. Basically the difference between selective forgetting and pathological forgetting. What we haven't understood until recently is just how much forgetting is a natural part of our memory and knowledge making as well as how forgetting plays a role in many different conditions.

Small does a wonderful job of walking us through understanding the processes involved and the different disciplines where forgetting is important, whether our natural forgetting or when we forget too much or too little.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy more detailed popular science books and especially those curious about our brains, our psychological make-up, and what the current science has to say about it all. While I have played up the accessibility aspect, this book is also an engaging read that was fun from beginning to end.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)