When We First Hear [a]

Sequencing - The Careful Striptease By Which You Reveal Information To The Reader - Matters In An Article, But It Is Absolutely Essential To A Book.

Many Memory Techniques Involve Creating Unforgettable Imagery, In Your Minds Eye. Thats An Act Of Imagination. Creating Really Weird Imagery Really Quickly Was The Most Fun Part Of My Training To Compete In The U.s. Memory Competition.

If You Were A Medieval Scholar Reading A Book, You Knew That There Was A Reasonable Likelihood You'd Never See That Particular Text Again, And So A High Premium Was Placed On Remembering What You Read. You Couldn't Just Pull A Book Off The Shelf To Consult It For A Quote Or An Idea.

I Have Never Been Particularly Good With Languages. Despite A Dozen Years Of Hebrew School And A Lifetime Of Praying In The Language, I'm Ashamed To Admit That I Still Can't Read An Israeli Newspaper. Besides English, The Only Language I Speak With Any Degree Of Fluency Is Spanish.

Languages Are Something Of A Mess. They Evolve Over Centuries Through An Unplanned, Democratic Process That Leaves Them Teeming With Irregularities, Quirks, And Words Like 'knight.'