The Trained Memory

Hilton, Warren, 1874-1958Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 52K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Trained Memory by Warren HiltonAuthor: Hilton, Warren, 1874-1958,Language: English, Class: BF: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Psychology, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Release Date: Feb 22, 2006

Editor's review

This book is an early popular psychology work by Warren Hilton on memory training, a self-improvement title from the early twentieth century aimed at general readers. Its value lies not in offering experimental conclusions of modern cognitive science but in showing how attention, association, and memory were understood at the time; it can be read as a crossover text between the history of psychology and self-help literature. Its strengths are plain language and a clear structure, built around the idea of a "trainable memory" and emphasizing focus and repeated practice, which still offers methodological inspiration today. Read it as a historical text rather than an authoritative guide, and remain cautious about assertions that lack empirical support. It suits readers interested in early psychology, memory training, and self-management, and also works as light reading in the public-domain English classics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in early psychology and memory training methods
Readers who want to understand the style of early twentieth-century self-help writing
English learners who need public-domain English books for light extensive reading
Self-improvement enthusiasts curious about attention and association exercises

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting empirical conclusions and experimental data from modern cognitive science
Readers who need a systematic memory-technique course or an exam-score improvement plan
Readers who prefer the rigorous conventions of contemporary psychology textbooks

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and preface first to grasp the author's basic claims about "training memory" before entering the main text.
After each chapter, restate the core methods in your own words and note dubious or outdated assertions.
Read alongside modern works on memory research to distinguish historical views from today's consensus.
The English original is not long; one chapter a day makes for a complete read within two weeks.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book about modern memory science?

No. It is an early twentieth-century popular psychology work that discusses ideas such as attention, association, and repeated practice, a self-help title of its era. It lacks modern experimental evidence, so read it as a historical text rather than an authoritative guide to contemporary cognitive science.

How difficult is the English, and what level of reader is it for?

The original was written for general readers, with plain sentences and fairly accessible vocabulary; intermediate English reading ability is enough to attempt it. If you meet unfamiliar words, read through the paragraph first to grasp the general meaning, then look up the key terms rather than reading word by word.

Are the memory methods in the book still usable today?

Its basic ideas of focus, repetition, and association have something in common with today's learning advice, but specific assertions lack empirical support. Treat the exercises as inspiration and screen them for yourself in light of modern learning science; do not accept them wholesale.

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About the author

Hilton, Warren, 1874-1958 Author

Warren Hilton (1874–1958) was an author writing on practical psychology in the early twentieth century. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life and academic background are difficult to establish. Six of his works are held in this collection, including Initiative Psychic Energy, Applied Psychology: Driving Power of Thought, Applied Psychology: Making Your Own World, Psychology and Achievement, Power of Mental Imagery, and The Trained Memory. These books center on applied psychology, addressing the activation of psychic energy, the use of thought as a driving force, the power of mental imagery, and methods of memory training, with a clear self-help and self-improvement orientation. His style is direct and practical, turning psychological ideas into everyday practices for general readers rather than specialists. Such writing is representative of the popular psychology and success literature of the early twentieth century and influenced later self-improvement writing.