Why can not we sometimes remember events, places, and things? This brief overview explores the concept of "forgetfulness" and how modern society affects our ability to remember things. It requires ideas from the classic work of Francis Yates, "the art of memory," which views memory as stable, and argues that today's world is full of change, making "forgetfulness" a feature of contemporary society.

Urban life has a short life span; social relations are less clearly defined - all erode the foundations on which we build and share our memories. This book provides an in-depth look at the effects of modern society, a book to be read by anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists and philosophers, as well as anyone interested in social theory and the contemporary Western world..

I want that book.