The Art of Making Memories
How to Create and Remember Happy Moments
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
"Happy memories are essential to our mental health. They strengthen our identity, sense of purpose and relationships. Meik's new book will teach you how to create and remember happy moments and will change how you think about happy memories." Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Number One bestselling author of The 4 Pillar Plan and BBC Breakfast GP
The third book from the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute and internationally bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking.
Why is it that a piece of music, a smell, a taste can take us back to something we had forgotten? How is it that we remember our first kiss in detail, but barely remember anything of a fortnight's holiday from five years ago? Memories are the cornerstones of our identity, shaping who we are, how we act, and how we feel. But how do we make and keep the memories that bring us lasting joy?
Happiness expert Meik Wiking has the answers. In The Art of Making Memories he brings together his extensive research drawn from the world's biggest study on happy memories (which involved 1000 people from 75 countries), conducted at the Happiness Research Institute, along with data and diaries, interviews, global surveys and studies, and real-life behavioural science and happiness experiments, to explain the nuances of nostalgia, the different ways we form memories around our experiences, and how we can become better at recalling them.
Written in Meik's warm and funny trademark style, filled with infographics, illustrations, and photographs, and featuring "Happy Memory Tips", The Art of Making Memoriesis a life-affirming read which show you it's easier than you think to make your life unforgettable.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wiking, who explored the Danish concept of cozy contentment in The Little Book of Hygge, returns to the well of happiness in this fresh exploration of memories and memory making. Providing insight on the concept and history of nostalgia, the author offers guidance on how readers can use memories to find comfort or stave off loneliness. Wiking presents studies some conducted by his own Happiness Research Institute to support his theories on how what one remembers shapes one's life and identity. In order to create happy memories, he recommends seeking out "first" experiences, making occasions "multisensory," rehashing peaks and struggles afterward, and telling stories. Personal anecdotes and plenty of references to movies and literature (Proust's madeleine makes an appearance) will also keep readers engaged. Then, turning from creating memories to remembering them, Meik's advice includes many suggestions that can be easily incorporated into everyday life, such as wearing perfume, employing a soundtrack for certain months, and reconnecting with loved ones. The assertion that one has some agency in what one remembers will be an inspiration to those who have believed memory retention to be beyond their control. Wiking's focus on the pleasure and solace created by happy memories will make this accessible book great for deep study and casual perusal alike.
Customer Reviews
What a truly delightful and insightful read.
I have enjoyed all of Meik Wiking's books but this one is more poinient for me than most. Memories are essentially all we have in the end and some don't even get to keep those. but reading this book has made me think more about how we create memories, its not just doing exciting or adventurous things, though those are great, it's a conversation with a loved one, a story shared, even a scent of a moment. As readers we may be unconciously aware of the points this book drawers upon but reading this has broughts these ideas into focus. In particular I found the 'sketch of the future, helpful and will be drawering upon its advice in the coming months.
My thanks to #Netgalley, #PenguinBooksand #PenguinLife for giving me the opportunity to read and review #TheArtOfMakingMemories. I rate this book a 5 star read but there is no higher praise for a book than being given a copy and then for it to be that good that you go out and by not only a copy for yourself but also a friend, which is what I have done.