Book Review [173] : Moonwalking With Einstein

 As you age you start forgetting things that you used to remember clearly. It has happened with me multiple times. I used to remember/recall cricket scores of almost every match played by India in 1990s and 2000s but now I can't even recall who won MoM awards in last two Indian victories. I always wanted to know how our memory system works and how to sharpen it. I found this book 'Moonwalking With Einstein' while browsing and I read it and I found answers to few of my questions not all.

It's a good book and it talks about concepts like 'Memory Palaces', 'Mind Mapping', 'OK Plateau' etc. Written by Joshua Foer it says that The Brain is like a muscle and memory training is a form of a mental workout. Over time, like any other form of exercise, it will make the brain fitter, quicker and more nimble. Brain records everything to which it pays any degree of conscious attention, and that this recording is permanent.

The book talks about plasticity of brain. It says that the brain is a mutable organ, capable within limits of reorganising itself and readapting to new kinds of sensory input, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. 

Experts say that there is a limit on our brain to process information. We can only think about roughly Seven things at a time. Magical number Seven is the universal carrying capacity of our short term working memory (similar to cache of a processor). 

Sometimes we hit a plateau while learning a skill it means we are not improving any further. It happens with most of the people. The Secret to improving a skill is to retain some degree of conscious control over it while practicing. I.e. to get consistent feedback and to experience failing. 

What I think after reading this book pretty thoroughly is this that no technique will make you have Photographic Memory. What you actually need are Good sleep (7-8 hours), consciously observing/reading events/books and getting rid off consistent social media chirping and screen exposure.

A Highly Recommended Book (9/10)

Jai Dev Kapoor Ji - A Great Revolutionary

Today is 100th anniversary of Kakori Train Robbery case that occurred on 9th August 1925 at Kakori, Lucknow. This revolutionary incident was orchestrated by revolutionaries of Hindustan Republican Association mainly by Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandra Shekhar Azaad, Asfaq Ullah Khan and others. This sent a shock waves to the very foundation of mighty British Empire and inspired generations of Indians to fight for our independence. Hardoi too has a connection with these revolutionaries. Our very own Jaidev Kapoor ji was part of Hindustan Republican Association. When Bismil and other revolutionaries were arrested by Britishers and were imprisoned, Jaidev Kapoor and others planned to free them from Jail but it was foiled by the Police. 

Today myself along with DM Hardoi and my dear friend Anunaya Jha Ji launched the memoirs of Jaidev Kapoor Ji in story format (voice given by Abhay Shankar Gaud Ji) on Radio 90.4 FM. One incident is worth mentioning here.  After hanging of Bismil ji in Dec 1927 in Gorakhpur, his body was taken for cremation by Jaidev Kapoor ji and others. Jaidev Kapoor in his memoirs talks about the inspiring speech given by mother of Ram Prasad Bismil Ji. She even dedicated his only remaining son to mother India to follow the foot steps of his elder brother. I feel so lucky and proud to be a part of this small ceremony honouring the memories of our great freedom fighters. We also saw the leather shoes gifted by Bhagat Singh Ji to Jaidev Kapoor. His family has preserved these shoes for more than 90 years and they are in very good shape.

"शहीदों की चिताओं पर लगेंगे हर बरस मेले, वतन पर मरने वालों का यही बाकी निशां होगा"

A Brief Introduction of Jaidev Kapoor Ji

Jaidev Kapoor Ji (24 October 1908 — 19 September 1994) was an Indian revolutionary who worked with Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azaad and other revolutionaries from Hindustan Republican Association.  He was born in 1908 on Diwali eve in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh.

While studying in D.A.V. Inter College in Kanpur, he joined Hindustan Republican Association - A revolutionary organisation working towards achieving Independence from Britishers. He also studied in the Banaras Hindu University. Bhagat Singh and stayed in the Limbdi hostel with him for several days. Kapoor was a participant in the now famous meeting of revolutionaries operating all over India which was held in the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla on 8-9 September 1928. 

Kapoor played an important role in the assembly bombing as a protest against the Trade Dispute Bill and the Public Safety Bill. Kapoor, Shiv Verma and Shivaram Rajguru had planned to assassinate the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, when he would attend a dinner and banquet party hosted by the I. C. S. officers. Rajguru was the spotter, Kapoor was supposed to hurl a bomb at Irwin's car and Verma was the backup: if Kapoor had missed, Verma would throw another bomb. That night, the Viceroy sent his car to drop three women somewhere. Rajguru noticed this and he didn't give any signal but was later praised by all the revolutionaries for avoiding the indiscriminate assassinations.

After the environment in Delhi heated up after the assembly bombings, he and others set up a  bomb factory in Saharanpur. In Police raid on the factory and all were arrested. They were then sent to Lahore and tried under the infamous Lahore Conspiracy Case. He was sent to the Kala Pani. He expressed the desire to meet Singh and other associates for last time. Singh handed over his brand new shoes to Kapoor saying that the police would take them anyway, at least, Kapoor could use them. He preserved them as a souvenir. Kapoor was released after 16 years (just a couple of years before India attained independence).

Jaidev Kapoor died naturally on 19th Sept 1994. He is survived by his son Sanjay Kapoor ji who lives in Hardoi.