Looking for the best books on memory improvement?
You’re in the right place.
Here’s what you’ll find on this page…
Why These Best Books on Memory and Not Others?
I spent a lot of time knee-deep in books on memory while studying Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology at Oxford. And I spent even more time recently writing a series of book summaries and articles on the topic.
The outcome? A mega-list of over 100 books on memory and memory improvement, spanning thousands of years of collective human knowledge.
I’ve shortlisted the best of those titles across 8 different categories below ranked by what’s most loved, what’s most widely read and what’s stood the long tests of time.
Where should you start? Think of this list like a menu. No one expects you to have everything. Instead, jump to a section that excites you, choose a book that stands out and don’t over think it. (You can always come back for more later.)
In the coming years, I’ll be reading every book below to pass on the best ideas in articles and summaries. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, sign up to the free newsletter to get my best articles, book summaries and reading lists directly to your inbox.
Or grab a copy of my FREE memory improvement templates below…
For now, though, here they are.
The very best books on memory and memory improvement of all time…
Practical Books on Memory Improvement
The best books on memory below are focussed on practical tips for improving your memory…
The 6 Best Books on Memory Techniques
These books on memory techniques are full of instant tips, tricks and techniques for improving memory. If mnemonics, memory palaces and mindmaps are what you’re after, this is the right place to start.
The 6 best books on memory techniques of all time are…
The 4 Best Books on Memory Improvement
These books on memory improvement go beyond mnemonic techniques for a more holistic view of brain health and function. Read these for some great ways to improve memory through diet, exercise, focus and energy management.
The 4 best books on memory improvement of all time are…
The 4 Best Memory Books for Students
Though you’ll find a lot of great tips in the books above, these memory books were written especially with students in mind. They focus on structuring knowledge, learning effectively from books and lectures and passing exams.
The 4 best books memory books for students are…
- Make It Stick, Brown, Roediger, McDaniel (Summary)
The Science of Successful Learning
Tools, strategies and stories to help students, teachers and trainers learn more effectively based on 10 years of collaboration between 11 cognitive psychologists – collected and synthesised by author Peter Brown and psychology researchers Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel.
Rated 4.2 over 5,100 reviews on Goodreads - A Mind for Numbers, Oakley (Summary)
How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
A practical, research-based guide to unlocking the power of your brain to learn math, or anything else you put your mind to, even if you think you’re hopeless – by professor Barbara Oakley.
Rated 4.2 over 6,100 reviews on Goodreads - How to Pass Exams, O’Brien
Accelerate Your Learning, Memorise Key Facts, Revise Effectively
Rated 4.1 over 200 reviews on Goodreads - Super Memory – Super Student, Lorayne
How to Raise Your Grades in 30 Days
Rated 4.1 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
The 3 Best Memory Training and Brain-Game Books
The best way to improve your memory is to use it. And, with a little thought, you’ll find more interesting and practical uses for memory and learning than you could get through in a thousand lifetimes. But whether you simply love puzzles, or just really can’t think of a better way to use your time, these memory training and brain-game books will do more for your memory than sitting in front of the television.
The 3 best memory training and brain-game books of all time are…
- 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges to Keep Your Brain Young, Linde
Rated 4.1 over 100 reviews on Goodreads - Brain Games, Publications International
Lower Your Brain Age in Minutes a Day
Rated 4.0 over <100 reviews on Goodreads - Train Your Brain, Kawashima
60 Days to a Better Brain
Rated 3.9 over <100 reviews on Goodreads
Theoretical Books on Memory
The best books on memory below are focussed on helping you understand what memory is and how it works. Which will help you understand and improve on the practical tips found above.
The 6 Best Science Books About Memory
The psychology and physiology of memory are my favourite parts of the topic. If neurons, synapses and aphasias are what float your boat, get stuck in below to learn all that we currently know about how memory works.
The 6 best science books about memory of all time are…
- Neuroscience, Bear, Connors, Paradiso
An Illustrated Exploration of the Brain (N.b., only partly on Memory)
Rated 4.3 over 900 reviews on Goodreads - In Search of Memory, Kandel
The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
Rated 4.1 over 3,700 reviews on Goodreads - The Mind of a Mnemonist, Luria
A Little Book about a Vast Memory
Rated 4.0 over 1,300 reviews on Goodreads - Searching For Memory, Shachter
The Brain, the Mind, and the Past
Rated 4.0 over 300 reviews on Goodreads - Essentials of Human Memory, Baddeley
Rated 4.2 over <100 reviews on Goodreads - Memory, Squire, Kandel
From Mind to Molecules
Rated 4.0 over <100 reviews on Goodreads
The 3 Best Historical Books About Memory
Before paper, wide-spread literacy and computers our memories were far better than they are today. The books below explore the fascinating history of memory and mnemonic techniques in a time when our collective, living memories were out most vital source of activity, knowledge and progress.
The 3 best historical books about memory of all time are…
- The Art of Memory, Yates
Rated 4.2 over 1,100 reviews on Goodreads - The Memory Code, Kelly
The Secrets of Stonehenge, Easter Island and Other Ancient Monuments
Rated 4.1 over 200 reviews on Goodreads - The Craft of Thought, Carruthers
Meditation, Rhetoric, and the Making of Images, 400-1200
Rated 4.5 over <100 reviews on Goodreads
The 3 Best Philosophical Books About Memory
What am I if not just a collection of experiences and memories? And if my memory of an event is different from yours, what really happened? In the books below you’ll find these and many more brain twisting questions asked, debated and answered.
The 3 best philosophical books about memory of all time are…
- Memory, History, Forgetting, Ricœur
Rated 4.1 over 300 reviews on Goodreads - Memory, Foster
A Very Short Introduction
Rated 3.5 over 400 reviews on Goodreads - Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older, Draaisma
How Memory Shapes Our Past
Rated 3.7 over 200 reviews on Goodreads
BONUS: 4 Memory Themed Novels
What happens when your memories get lost? What would life be like if you could never form a new memory again? Sometimes the best way to explore the questions philosophers can’t answer is by imagining those questions play out.
The 4 best memory themed novels of all time are…
- Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, Fox
A Children’s Storybook
Rated 4.4 over 7,800 reviews on Goodreads - In Search of Lost Time, Proust
Rated 4.3 over 8,400 reviews on Goodreads - Austerlitz, Sebald
Rated 4.0 over 11,000 reviews on Goodreads - Before I Go To Sleep, Watson
Rated 3.9 over 236,700 reviews on Goodreads
Best Memory Books FAQs
What Is the Best Book for Improving Memory?
The best books for improving memory is How to Develop a Brilliant Memory by Dominic O'Brien. DON'T start with Josh Foer's Walking With Einstein. It's a great book ABOUT memory but it's NOT a practical guide. Want more suggestions? Check out my full list of best books on memory.
More Book Recommendations
Enjoyed this list of the best books on memory of all time?
Don’t miss this reading list of 70 Books on Learning How to Learn. It’s full of summaries and was created with the help of leading writers in the space – including Coursera’s “Learning How to Learn” super-coach Barabara Oakley.
Or check out TAoL’s other book recommendations below…
More Best Books of All Time (by Type)
These are some lists of overall best books to read...
More Best Nonfiction Books (by Topic)
These are some lists of best nonfiction books to read...
More Best Fiction Books (by Genre)
These are some lists of best fiction books to read...
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