The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory

This clear and accessible textbook introduces students to the brain's remarkable capacity for memory. The book is organized into sections corresponding to its four major themes: Connection considers how memory is based on alterations tp the communication between nerve cells. Cognition discusses the fundamental psychological structure of memory. Compartmentalization involved the notion that the different forms of memory are accomplished by distinct brain systems. Consolidation refers to processes by which memories are transformed from a labile trace into a permanent store. It provides new insights into how memory works and how it is fundamental to all aspects of cognition, behavior, and emotion. The book assumes little background knowledge from biology or psychology, and is intended for use in undergraduate courses in memory and cognitive science, and early graduate courses in neuroscience, cognitive science, or biology.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.