Reviews

The Art of Memory by Frances Yates

trailofmonkeys's review

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On pause.

fletchorama's review

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This book is one of those that makes you want to read other books so you can reread it and maybe understand it a little more. This book is a university degree. This book could possibly contain the secret occult key to the history of science. This book.

boomt's review

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2.0

The invention of the memory palace or method of loci in antiquity is the reigning mnemonic device for so-called artificial memory. Medieval scholars elaborated upon it in the service of retaining theological precepts and scripture and later renaissance writers developed elaborate systems wrapped in the occultism of the time. As a cultural history of memory, Yates leaves no stone unturned and if you are really into this sort of thing, you will enjoy the book. Personally, I tired of the passionate inspection of what seemed to me minutiae.

glanotte's review against another edition

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The book is interesting, but is extremely dry. I could make it only so far into the book. It was extremely informative but it read more like a text book.
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