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What distinguishes a great mnemonist, I learned, is the ability to create lavish images on the fly, to paint in the mind a scene so unlike any other it cannot be forgotten. And to do it quickly. Many competitive mnemonists argue that their skills are less a feat of memory than of creativity.

Memory is a way of telling you what's important to you.

Recalling a memory is not like playing a tape recorder. It's a creative process.

Memory training is not just for the sake of performing party tricks; it's about nurturing something profoundly and essentially human.

Memory likes to play hide-and-seek, to crawl away. It tends to hold forth, to dress up, often needlessly. Memory contradicts itself; pedant that it is, it will have its way.

I'm a big believer in sort of sense memory, like using something that you've experienced in order to put yourself in the position that the character is in.

Memory isn't a theme; it's part of the human condition.

We've forgotten how to remember, and just as importantly, we've forgotten how to pay attention. So, instead of using your smartphone to jot down crucial notes, or Googling an elusive fact, use every opportunity to practice your memory skills. Memory is a muscle, to be exercised and improved.