The Art of Memory

Frances A Yates

Random House, Oct 31, 2011 - Psychology - 448 pages

This unique and brilliant book is a history of human knowledge.

Before the invention of printing, a trained memory was of vital importance. Based on a technique of impressing 'places' and 'images' on the mind, the ancient Greeks created an elaborate memory system which in turn was inherited by the Romans and passed into the European tradition, to be revived, in occult form, during the Renaissance.

Frances Yates sheds light on Dante’s Divine Comedy, the form of the Shakespearian theatre and the history of ancient architecture; The Art of Memory is an invaluable contribution to aesthetics and psychology, and to the history of philosophy, of science and of literature.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - DanielSTJ - LibraryThing

This was a very interesting book with curious subject matter. It allowed me to broach the subject of "The Art of Memory" and to explore it in depth. It is adequately written and I believe good reading for those interested in intellectual pursuits. 4 stars.

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - fm4d - LibraryThing

Warning: Absolutely don't consider this book if you are interested in the Art of Memory (the actual art, not the book) but didn't read other, modern books or learned at least basic memory techniques ...

Contents

• The Three Latin Sources for the Classical Art: 17
• Memory and: 42
• The Art of Memory in the Middle Ages: 65
• Medieval Memory and the Formation of Imagery: 93
• The Memory Treatises: 114
• The Memory Theatrc: 163
• Lullism as an Art of Memory: 175
• The Secret of Shadows: 197
• Ramism as an Art of Memory: 228
• The Secret of Seals: 239
• Conflict between Brunian and Ramist Memory: 261
• Last Worls on Memory: 298
• The Theatre Memory System of Robert Fludd: 310
• Fludds Memory Theatre and the Globe Theatre: 330
• 197: 425
• The Art of Memory and the Growth of Scientific: 432

About the author

Dame Frances Yates achieved a world-wide reputation as an historian. She was Reader in the History of the Renaissance at the Warburg Institute of the University of London and gained many academic honours. In 1972 she was appointed OBE and in 1977 DBE.

Her publications include Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, Theatre of the World, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment, and Shakespeare's Last Plays. Frances Yates died in 1981.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Art of Memory
• Author: Frances A Yates
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Random House, 2011
• ISBN: 1448104130, 9781448104130
• Length: 448 pages
• Subjects: History / Social History; Philosophy / Aesthetics; Philosophy / Epistemology; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Ancient & Classical; Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition; Science / History; Self-Help / Personal Growth / Memory Improvement