In its stunning blend of the literary with the scientific, Pieces of Light illuminates ordinary and extraordinary stories to remind us that who we are now has everything to do with who we were once, and that identity itself is intricately rooted the transporting moments of remembrance. We are what we remember.” — André Aciman, author of Out of Egypt and Harvard Square
“A multidisciplinary approach to explaining memory. . . . Will be intriguing for readers interested in the borderlands where memoir, fiction and science overlap.” — Kirkus Reviews
“His examination [is] welcoming and accessible to lay readers. His analysis is wide-ranging . . . He also covers a wide swath of literary and historical ground . . . A refreshingly social take on an intensely personal experience.” — Publishers Weekly
“[A] thoughtful exploration of recent memory research. . . . Fernyhough, who writes fiction as well as psychological studies, is a deft guide to discoveries that have led memory researchers to stress the centrality of storytelling. Pieces of Light can be seen as a series of the author’s stories that display the molecular, neural, and cognitive elements of memory and its emotional, personal, social, and cultural components.” — Booklist
“A thoughtful study of how we make sense of ourselves.” — Nature
“An immense pleasure, as Fernyhough casts the emerging science of memory through the lens of his own recollections. . . . In the hands of a lesser writer, such reliance on personal experience could rapidly descend into self-indulgence and cliché, but Fernyhough — a psychologist and published novelist — remains restrained and lyrical throughout.” — New Scientist
“Fernyhough is a gifted writer who can turn any experience into lively prose. . . . The stories in Pieces of Light . . . will entertain anyone who reads them.” — Financial Times
“Pieces of Light is utterly fascinating and superbly written. I learned more about memory from this book than any other. There are few science books around of this class. — The Guardian
“Outstanding. . . . Fernyhough’s skills as a writer are evident both in the beautiful prose and in the way he uses literature to illustrate his argument . . . He draws on both science and art to marvelous effect.” — Observer (UK)
“A beautifully written, absorbing read—a fascinating journey through the latest science of memory.” — Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine
“Both playful and profound, a wonderfully memorable read.” — Douwe Draaisma, author of Why Life Speeds Up As You Get Older
“Fernyhough weaves literature and science to expose our rich, beautiful relationship with our past and future selves.” — Dr. David Eagleman, Neuroscientist and author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
“Combining the engaging style of a novelist with the rigour of a scientist. . . . Pieces of Light will both linger in your memory and change the way you think about it.” — Daniel L. Schacter, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers
“Fernyhough takes us on a captivating journey into the mind. And he does so with great style.” — Telegraph
“A sophisticated blend of findings from science, ideas from literature and examples from personal narratives. . . . Refreshing, well judged and at times moving.” — Times Higher Education
“An immense pleasure, as Fernyhough casts the emerging science of memory through the lens of his own recollections. . . . Remains restrained and lyrical throughout.” — New Scientist
“A fascinating snapshot of where our thinking stands on the subject.” — Independent
“In its stunning blend of the literary with the scientific, Pieces of Light illuminates ordinary and extraordinary stories to remind us that who we are now has everything to do with who we were once, and that identity itself is intricately rooted the transporting moments of remembrance.” — André Aciman, author of Out of Egypt and Harvard Square
“[A] thoughtful exploration of recent memory research. . . . Fernyhough, who writes fiction as well as psychological studies, is a deft guide to discoveries that have led memory researchers to stress the centrality of storytelling.” — Booklist
“Remarkable storytelling skills. . . . Seamlessly intersperses the personal aspects of [his] journey with descriptions of cutting-edge research into spatial naviation and memory manipulation, as well as new ideas about how memory works.” — Moheb Costandi, Scientific American MIND Moheb Costandi, Scientific American MIND Moheb Costandi, Scientific American MIND
“As absorbing as it is thought-provoking.” — Sunday Business Post
“Exhilarating… Most strikingly Fernyhough breaks free from the ‘silo mentality’ separating science and art… makes a compelling case that memory ‘allows us to “see” time’, something of what happened then and of who we are today, albeit through what he delightfully calls its ‘slippery charms’.” — Times Literary Supplement
A thoughtful study of how we make sense of ourselves.
In its stunning blend of the literary with the scientific, Pieces of Light illuminates ordinary and extraordinary stories to remind us that who we are now has everything to do with who we were once, and that identity itself is intricately rooted the transporting moments of remembrance. We are what we remember.
A beautifully written, absorbing read—a fascinating journey through the latest science of memory.
Pieces of Light is utterly fascinating and superbly written. I learned more about memory from this book than any other. There are few science books around of this class.
[A] thoughtful exploration of recent memory research. . . . Fernyhough, who writes fiction as well as psychological studies, is a deft guide to discoveries that have led memory researchers to stress the centrality of storytelling. Pieces of Light can be seen as a series of the author’s stories that display the molecular, neural, and cognitive elements of memory and its emotional, personal, social, and cultural components.
Outstanding. . . . Fernyhough’s skills as a writer are evident both in the beautiful prose and in the way he uses literature to illustrate his argument . . . He draws on both science and art to marvelous effect.
Fernyhough is a gifted writer who can turn any experience into lively prose. . . . The stories in Pieces of Light . . . will entertain anyone who reads them.
An immense pleasure, as Fernyhough casts the emerging science of memory through the lens of his own recollections. . . . In the hands of a lesser writer, such reliance on personal experience could rapidly descend into self-indulgence and cliché, but Fernyhough — a psychologist and published novelist — remains restrained and lyrical throughout.
A sophisticated blend of findings from science, ideas from literature and examples from personal narratives. . . . Refreshing, well judged and at times moving.
As absorbing as it is thought-provoking.
A fascinating snapshot of where our thinking stands on the subject.
Fernyhough weaves literature and science to expose our rich, beautiful relationship with our past and future selves.
Remarkable storytelling skills. . . . Seamlessly intersperses the personal aspects of [his] journey with descriptions of cutting-edge research into spatial naviation and memory manipulation, as well as new ideas about how memory works.
Fernyhough takes us on a captivating journey into the mind. And he does so with great style.
Combining the engaging style of a novelist with the rigour of a scientist. . . . Pieces of Light will both linger in your memory and change the way you think about it.
Exhilarating… Most strikingly Fernyhough breaks free from the ‘silo mentality’ separating science and art… makes a compelling case that memory ‘allows us to “see” time’, something of what happened then and of who we are today, albeit through what he delightfully calls its ‘slippery charms’.
Times Literary Supplement
Both playful and profound, a wonderfully memorable read.
A thoughtful study of how we make sense of ourselves.
In its stunning blend of the literary with the scientific, Pieces of Light illuminates ordinary and extraordinary stories to remind us that who we are now has everything to do with who we were once, and that identity itself is intricately rooted the transporting moments of remembrance.
Fernyhough is a gifted writer who can turn any experience into lively prose. . . . The stories in Pieces of Light . . . will entertain anyone who reads them.
An immense pleasure, as Fernyhough casts the emerging science of memory through the lens of his own recollections. . . . In the hands of a lesser writer, such reliance on personal experience could rapidly descend into self-indulgence and cliché, but Fernyhough — a psychologist and published novelist — remains restrained and lyrical throughout.
[A] thoughtful exploration of recent memory research. . . . Fernyhough, who writes fiction as well as psychological studies, is a deft guide to discoveries that have led memory researchers to stress the centrality of storytelling. Pieces of Light can be seen as a series of the author’s stories that display the molecular, neural, and cognitive elements of memory and its emotional, personal, social, and cultural components.
A fascinating snapshot of where our thinking stands on the subject.
Psychologist Fernyhough (A Thousand Days of Wonder) aims to debunk the myth that memory is purely retrospective—memories, he argues, are not “heirloom from the past” summoned back for display in the present; they are momentary reconstructions. Fernyhough contends that neuroscience is crucial in solving the puzzle of memory, but his primary means of shedding light on the topic is through personal and historical anecdotes. This tactic can feel contrived at times, but it makes his examination welcoming and accessible to lay readers. His analysis is wide-ranging, touching on everything from the mundane lapses in memory that make a labyrinth of a familiar city, to brain damage and traumatic memories mediated and distorted by intense emotions. He also covers a wide swath of literary and historical ground, including the olfactory and musical remembrances of Proust and memory exercises of the Middle Ages. What is abundantly clear throughout is that remembering has always been a deeply imaginative process. Few of Fernyhough’s points stand out as groundbreaking, but his notion of memory as “a way of being with other people” is a refreshingly social take on an intensely personal experience. Agent: David Grossman, David Grossman Literary Agency (U.K.) (Mar.)
"A sophisticated blend of findings from science, ideas from literature and examples from personal narratives. . . . Refreshing, well judged and at times moving."
Time Magazines Higher Education
"Can you remember the first fish you ever caught?" In the author’s view, memories are creatable rather than retrievable. His topics range from false memory to the way music is used in treating amnesia. Gildart Jackson narrates with an English accent and a professorial tone that shifts smoothly between the scientific information and the anecdotes about memory, including the author’s own recollections of childhood. A discussion of age and memory includes the stories told by Fernyhough's grandmother and his memories of her final days. For these touching passages Jackson softens his voice to highlight their personal nature. Listeners seeking insight into their own recollections may learn from this work. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
"Can you remember the first fish you ever caught?" In the author’s view, memories are creatable rather than retrievable. His topics range from false memory to the way music is used in treating amnesia. Gildart Jackson narrates with an English accent and a professorial tone that shifts smoothly between the scientific information and the anecdotes about memory, including the author’s own recollections of childhood. A discussion of age and memory includes the stories told by Fernyhough's grandmother and his memories of her final days. For these touching passages Jackson softens his voice to highlight their personal nature. Listeners seeking insight into their own recollections may learn from this work. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
