Itemize Books Supposing The Art of Memory
| Original Title: | The Art of Memory |
| ISBN: | 0226950018 (ISBN13: 9780226950013) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Frances A. Yates
Paperback | Pages: 400 pages Rating: 4.17 | 1235 Users | 80 Reviews
Interpretation As Books The Art of Memory
One of Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the Twentieth CenturyIn this classic study of how people learned to retain vast stores of knowledge before the invention of the printed page, Frances A. Yates traces the art of memory from its treatment by Greek orators, through its Gothic transformations in the Middle Ages, to the occult forms it took in the Renaissance, and finally to its use in the seventeenth century. This book, the first to relate the art of memory to the history of culture as a whole, was revolutionary when it first appeared and continues to mesmerize readers with its lucid and revelatory insights.

Identify Based On Books The Art of Memory
| Title | : | The Art of Memory |
| Author | : | Frances A. Yates |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 400 pages |
| Published | : | April 1st 2001 by University of Chicago Press (first published 1966) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Psychology. Philosophy. Science |
Rating Based On Books The Art of Memory
Ratings: 4.17 From 1235 Users | 80 ReviewsEvaluate Based On Books The Art of Memory
It's not fair for me to give this a rating -- I'm sure it's an excellent piece of scholarship, it just wasn't really what I was hoping to read. There's some interesting stuff in there, and some good lines, but I was hoping for something more along the lines of how to remember stuff rather than arguments about the shape of theatres and the different philosophies of memory. Not for me, alas.Warning: Absolutely don't consider this book if you are interested in the Art of Memory (the actual art, not the book) but didn't read other, modern books or learned at least basic memory techniques or you will be let down. The book is a historical inquiry of how those techniques evolved and how they affected population, art, etc., but it is a very blurry since there is not much material and the book that were actually preserved are quite hard to understand and lack examples, therefore
This is one of my favourite books of all time, which I have read three times by now. It tells the story of the now forgotten art of memory which was practised in ancient times from its beginnings in Ancient Greece up until round about the Enlightenment, when it fell into disuse amongst the educated elite, along with so much else of the wit and wisdom of times past. It is a great pity that we are not all taught this art of memory at school. This art of memory still forms the foundation of modern

This is a good introduction to the subject and how widespread the art of memory was up until Leibniz. I felt it lacked a certain context linking the pre-Enlightenment world to our world. For that missing context, try Paolo Rossi's Logic and the Art of Memory: The Quest for a Universal Language.Feels kind of dumb to award it 4 stars, since the writing is far superior to most 21st century academic publications, but star ratings are always going to be a little arbitrary.
Frances Yates is an extraordinary scholar with a dry and reserved sense of humor. This was a long slog for me but I was determined to get through it no matter how long it took. In terms of the depth of the material covered, it was like taking a 15 week doctoral course, so I treated it that way. No rushing through it; I would read a section, then re-read and underline, then re-read and summarize a paragraph or a page in the margin in my effort to retain as much as possible. In addition to her
I was surprised at the readability of this. But, truthfully, I read it a few months ago and forgot most of what I think about it.


No comments
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.