This is by far the best scholarly work on the ancient art of memory, and, by extrapolation, the best book to illustrate and generate ideas for the modern applications of those arts. It is all here: associations, visual images, sequencing, character tags, mnemonics, advice on how to recover seemingly lost memories (items, names, dates, facts, figures) with lots of detail. See how Pliny, Cicero, Quintillian, and others used the systems to recall enoumous amounts of information. Learn how Scipio Africanis knew the names (family name, given name, and acquired name) of each of the 35,000 men in his army that defeated Hannibal at the battle of Zama in 202 BC. I have read Yates' book three times and each time have got more from it: this is of course the hallmark of a classic. No wonder the book is on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the twentieth century.