Working Memories

"'This is a fantastic book, on several dimensions. It tells a wonderful personal story, provides a needed (if personal) history of the cognitive revolution, and it imparts a marvellous overview of much of the field of human memory. The author is one of the world’s most eminent cognitive psychologists, one whose career spans from the early days of the cognitive revolution to today. I view the book as required reading for cognitive psychologists and their students.' Professor Henry L. Roediger, Washington University in St. Louis, USA 'Does it matter how a scientist’s biography is related to research? Here a top experimental psychologist, Alan Baddeley, shows why it matters. Though a scientist is often identified with a single achievement, Baddeley’s prolific, enduring pursuit of one key topic, working memory, the limited information currently in mind, is portrayed as rooted in a range of work on attention, stress, mental illness, neurological disorders, test construction, and education. His seminal studies were shaped by aspirations, deliberations, philosophical musings, and fascinating interpersonal experiences worldwide. The book is a rousing guide for anyone interested in cognitive science.' Professor Nelson Cowan, University of Missouri, USA 'By his unique position in the field of cognitive psychology, Alan Baddeley's memories tell the story of his life, which is in fact the history of a science that went through incredible changes in the past 60 years. Working Memories should hence interest scholars in working memory (of course), and more generally anyone interested in psychology. But, beyond its scientific content, this book is an entertaining read of a wonderful human adventure and it should become a great source of inspiration for young generations that want to make their life a pathway to knowledge whatever their field of interest.' Professor Valerie Camos, University of Fribourg, Switzerland 'Engaging from the start, with lovely touches of humour throughout, this book is accessible, entertaining, stimulating and offers personal and scientific insight into six decades of cognitive psychology from someone who has had, and still has a major influence on its development. Alan Baddeley has achieved a wonderful integration of the human and the scientific story.' Robert Logie, University of Edinburgh, UK ""This book is not only a quiet account of Alan’s personal contributions to our subject over the last 60 years. It discusses these substantial achievements concisely and always places them in the larger context of what others were doing at the same time, the insights and input of collaborators, often very junior, and the ways in which our thinking developed during the confusion that Alan calls the “Cognitive Revolution.”... The book is held together by enjoyment of a long life and treats as equal pleasures family life, doing research, academic administration (!?); Scuba—diving for knowledge of various kinds; warm enjoyment of colleagues; the pleasures of travel and the happy particularities of many cities. To be able to convey all this in a Scientific Autobiography is splendid. To have lived it must be even better."" Patrick Rabbitt, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ""Alan Baddeley is one of the most eminent cognitive psychologists of our time and a leading authority on human memory. His accomplished career spans from the early days of the cognitive revolution to the present days. His work covers a huge range of topics and collaborations, and the book pleasantly indulges on his aspirations, deliberations, philosophical remarks, and fascinating anecdotes based on unique sets of personal experiences. The privilege of accessing the narration of the unfolding story of memory studies from the first-person perspective of its main protagonist makes this book an entertaining read of a wonderful human adventure."" - Andrea E. Cavanna, Cognitive Neuropsychiatry"