The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments by Meik Wiking

The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments Reviews

• 
  Inge

  I absolutely adore Meik Wiking's books. They're like a hug in book form, perfect for reading with a mug of your favourite hot drink for the ultimate feeling of comfort and warmth.
• 
  Brooke — brooklynnnnereads

  Everything about this book is beautiful and stunning, from the physical book to the inner content. Whether it be the simple details in the illustrated graphics or the breathtaking photographs, everything within this book was well thought of and done with intention. The layout, the content, the writing--all of this combined into a beautiful book that captured the message by leaving an impression and "making a memory" for me.
  
  As someone who's incredibly nostalgic and sentimental, this book was a perfect read for me, especially during a difficult time where I felt that I was struggling and becoming somewhat 'jaded' in everyday moments. This book was a helpful reminder of what truly matters in life and showed how to work on getting back to appreciating those moments.
  
  Whether this book is placed on a bookshelf to be read or used as a beautiful coffee table book, I think it will be beneficial to anyone that picks this up. It's one of those books that's so important and pure, it focuses on what matters the most in life and gives assistance to help the reader on their own personal journey. Even those that think they live a full life of gratitude could benefit from the information contained in these pages.
  
  I know I will take some of the content from this book and it will stay with me. I'm going to try and incorporate some of the suggestions into my own life--even if it takes a couple of tries. This book is definitely one that would be worth reading periodically to bring back the balance into everyday life.
  
  ***Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
• 
  Regina

  I had “Memories” scribbled in my book journal as a reminder of a book I read in the spring of 2020. In flipping back through it to try to get caught up on reviews, I stared at that dang word blankly trying to remember what it meant. After checking my various book apps, library accounts, and purchases, I finally realized it was a placeholder for THE ART OF MAKING MEMORIES.
  
  Soooooo…. clearly this book’s message was lost on me! I truly do not remember a thing about it a mere four months later. Perhaps if I had captured my thoughts immediately after I closed the last page my review would be different, but alas, I’m drawing a blank.
  
  What I do know is that the physical book itself is adorable. The trio of MEMORIES along with Wiking’s others (THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE and THE LITTLE BOOK OF LYKEE about Danish life) would make beautiful additions to any home’s décor. Stacked on a bookshelf, guest bedroom nightstand, or fireplace mantle, the mere sight of them is bound to make you feel just a wee bit cozier.
  
• 
  Hilary (Melted Books)

  I love Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge, so I was very excited to pick up this new book of his. But I was disappointed. The overly sassy narration was full of random deviations from the core ideas. It felt too much like the author was trying to be clever with wordplay rather than write a heartwarming, informative book. In addition, much of this book contained common sense-style information, which felt unoriginal. I feel conflicted being so critical of an author whose (other) research I respect, but this totally missed the mark for me.
• 
  Alisha

  This was an enjoyable look at the science of memory and how our memories affect our happiness.
  The format of the book makes for very easy and pleasant reading, with brief but well-written subsections and beautiful illustrations and photos.
  Any reader will find food for thought here about how to process the big and little things in life so as to have a deep reservoir of meaningful memories in the story that you narrate about your own life. I especially loved the advice to "harness the power of firsts" by seeking out novel experiences and "outsource memory" by recording what you experience--and not just in photos, which can actually decrease your ability to pay attention to the moment. For, as Confucius says, "The palest ink is better than the best memory."
  I thought there were some really handy suggestions about how to diminish the pull of your devices so that you are more capable of focusing on the moment. The author also addresses subjects such as the forgetting curve and the challenge of an overly curated memory bank that you create on social media.
  This author is very amusing, but the FUNNIEST section was where he briefly muses on why people are so excited about football and what the world would be like if people were equally passionate about, for instance, origami. (To a non-sports-enthusiast, this whole section will have you standing and applauding.)
  I recommend this quick and pleasant read to everyone.
  
  Thanks to Edelweiss for this advance review copy!
• 
  SheLove2Read

  It wasn't bad. I felt like it was more nostalgia than memory making ideas. In truth, it played on my self esteem, and made me a little sad that I don't have the happy or joyful memories he recounts in this book. For some this might be a fun read, but for me it was depressing.
• 
  Michael Burnam-Fink

  The Art of Making Memories is half breezy pop science covering how to have a memorable life, and half Wiking digressing into how great it is to be a walking TED talk and Very Special Danish boy. If I may digress, I've lived with depression for a long time, and my absolute least favorite thing about depression is how it steals your memories. I know I experienced joy in the past, but when I reach for those moments, there's a faint ghost. Meanwhile, every awkward bump in the road of life, well...
  
  
  A new core memory
  
  We still don't know how memory works, scientifically speaking, but the best memories are embodied, sensural, emotional, and narrative. By seeking novelty, by associating smells and tastes with moments, and by rehearsing those memories into stories, we can hold on to good times and build a life worth remembering.
  
  I'm just a little lost with how to square that with days of spreadsheets, dishes, and diapers.
  
  
• 
  Ileana

  Having read the other two books written by Meik Wiking, I expected something else. This book is all about pseudo-science, everything is built on individual observations that are not supported by medical research/information. The book is not fun, is not easy to read, it was boring and it was just the perspective of Wiking, contemplating the situation of getting old.
• 
  Summer

  This book wasn't quite what I expected. It was a lot more memory psychology that practical self help. While it was interesting, I didn't love it. It reads more like The Science of Making Memories rather than The Art of Making Memories.
  
  (Audiobook)
• 
  Verónica Fleitas Solich

  Informative, entertaining and with expositions of situations that can be transformed into applicable practices to add a little more awareness to life on a daily basis.
• 
  Zachary Houle

  When it comes to my memories, I have to say that they usually aren’t positive ones. The first thing that pops into my head is an instance of when I was in Grade Seven French class, and I pronounced a word in class out loud in a high falsetto voice. The teacher thought I was making fun of her (and I probably was), so she shipped me out to the Principal’s office to phone home about what I’d done. I remember the bus ride home that day, feeling dread in the pit of my stomach at confronting my mother and explaining my boorish behaviour to her. It was a sunny day, and that trip home seemed to take hours and not minutes. So, as you can see, I tend to think of the negative first, so when Meik Wiking’s The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments crossed my plate, I jumped at the chance to read it. Now that I’m approaching my 44th birthday, I wanted to know how I can create more positive memories for the second half of my life to make up for the seeming paucity of good ones in the first half.
  
  Now, what this book won’t necessarily do is instantly make you forget all of your bad memories. As author Meik Wiking, a chatty and affable Danish man who has a current job as a happiness researcher (yes, such a profession exists!), will tell you, we all have to take the good with the bad. (To prove it, he recounts an episode from his first day on the job in government where he had unknowingly stepped in dog poop, and managed to stain the carpet in his new office building with it as he walked along.) However, Wiking challenges readers to take ownership of the bad memories so that they don’t take over your thoughts. So I suppose I just did that with the French lesson in the first paragraph of this review, using it as more of an instructive tool to illustrate a point rather than simply be something bad that takes up a lot of space. (See, this book is helpful!)
  
  Read the rest of the review here:
  https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
• 
  Christy

  Disneyland smells like Japanese Cherry Blossom body spray from Bath and Body works. At least it does to me. I purchase this new scent right before going to Disneyland with my family for the first time and I wore it everyday. Now when I smell that scent I am taken back to that trip over a decade ago, one of the last ones I would take with my mother, and I am filled with memories.
  The Art of Making Memories explores that many different ways that memories become more meaningful, or memorable really. If you couple a new event, trip, or occasion with an additional sense, like a specific scent you have created a whole new way of recalling the memory. It is tied to more senses. He lists many different things that make memories stand out like the first time you did something new, when things go wrong but you make the best of it, and more.
  I enjoyed that he often coupled making memories with his research on happiness. Memories are not synonymous with happiness, but we often remember happy moments and the more that we revisit them the more we remember them and can feel the happiness of them again and again.
  Though memories implies something in the past, I appreciated his approach on living your life in the future to have meaningful memories. We can, through planning and awareness create or embrace our future memories now.
  One of my favorite quotes from the book is this one,
  "As a happiness researcher, I have often observed that happiness is often found when three views align: who we feel we are, who we want to be and how others see us. When our loved ones see us and love us for who we really are, and when we manage to become who we know we can be, that is where we find happiness."
• 
  Justė Latauskienė

  Labai nepatiko viršelio tekstūra, tokia… nemiela, kone skaudi liesti. FUI. Jei kas jautrus tekstūroms, tai arba duos orgazmą, arba… nu iš vaizdo jau matosi, kad skausmo popierėlis.
  
  Pats knygos turinys pralenkė lūkesčius. Skaitėsi lengvai, maloniai, buvo labai gausu gražių iliustracijų ir nuotraukų. Skaitant buvo jausmas, kad knygą ir rašyti buvo malonu, o pats skaitymas toks, kad, net jei nelabai ką būčiau supratusi.
  
  Rodosi daugiausia per gyvenimą nešamės iš jaunystės. Net visko pusė gali būti iš pirmo gyvenimo ketvirčio!
  
  Knyga rašo, kad, na, iš esmės taip yra dėl to, kad vėliau gyvenime dalykai teisiog kartojasi. Taigi, galime rūpintis patys patriti naujus dalykus, ne laukti, kol nauji dalykai patirs mus. Yra anekdotas “Perskaitęs, kad pasaulyje nutiko naujas dalykas 100-metis senis ilgai juokėsi.” Pasaulyje gal ir ne, bet mūsų gyvenimo ribotumas ir trukmės mažumas matyt leidžia sulaukti kažko naujo ir po 25 metų amžiaus 🙂 Man labai patiko knygoje pateiktas naujo atsiminimo formavimo pavyzdys – pirma kelionė į Romą…. keliaujant vienam. Va taip va. Galėjai gi keliauti ne vienas daug kartų iki tol.
  
  Visa apžvalga su asmeniniais lyriniais nukrypimais čia ;) -
  http://www.latauskiene.lt/?p=369
• 
  Amairo

  Страхотна книга! Много ми хареса и ще се връщам отново към нея и занапред.
• 
  Maria (i Mikri Vivliofagos)

  Είναι ένα όμορφο και απλό coffee table book που μπορείς να διαβάζεις στο πρωινό σου ή στο αστικό κλπ.
  Είναι γεμάτο πληροφορίες και πραγματικά σε βάζει στη διαδικασία να δημιουργήσεις όμορφες αναμνήσεις που θα έχεις να θυμάσαι για πάντα.
  Μου άρεσε πολύ!
• 
  Andreea Chiuaru

  Pe cât de mult mi-au plăcut primele lui două cărți, pe atât de mult mi-a dizplăcut asta. Am vrut să-mi placă, chiar am vrut, doar că nu am regăsit căldura și nici informațiile din micile lui enciclopedii. Glumițe proaste („gândiți-vă la Kanehman ca la un Beyonce”?!), 80% fraze de umplutură și 20% studii care au legătură cu memoria & alte subiecte adiacente. Singurul lucru care mi-a plăcut, de fapt, a fost ediția frumoasă. Păcat că nu simt să o păstrez în bibliotecă.
• 
  Maryna Ponomaryova

  Гарна книга про важливість пам’яті, усвідомлення, наповнення життя сенсом. Мік Вікінг пише просто, але дотепно, з власним стилем. Іноді надто багато про себе, але все ж тут багато про його особистий досвід, який переростає у професійний інтерес, який переростає у корисні поради. Lykke мені сподобалась більше, але ця книга теж затишна і варта прочитання.
• 
  Veronika

  
  
  "The Universe is made up of stories. Not atoms" - Muriel Rukeyser
  
  I picked this book up at an airport shop after a birthday trip to Canada, which I would now describe as one of the best trips of my life. Already then I was afraid of the memories fading away or of losing them completely, so spotting this book on a shelf was like a sign specifically sent for that situation. Having finally gotten to reading it 4 months later, it ended up being something different from what I expected it to be. It didn't happen to be a guide book on how to hold on to memories or keep them from evading you (which was what I was hoping for) but rather like a little story around the universe of making memories. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading it on a cosy weekend in at home & it gave me a feeling of what I'd expect "hygge" to be (even though I haven't read that book myself yet :D).
  
  It's designed in a format of a typical coffee table book & you can get through it fairly quickly within a day. The reading experience will be a pleasurable one for your eyes, since the layout of the book is really charming. I don't see any point in getting an ebook or an audio book version of it, so definitely get the physical copy if you're curious about reading it. You'll be spoiled by beautiful photos, carefully selected to emphasise the main points made within the text, as well as by sweet little illustrations or by ideally picked out fonts, making the reading experience an absolutely enjoyable one.
  
  Meik manages to incorporate personal memories & experiences that help you find parallels in your own life. He captures your attention & successfully provides you with some new knowledge, supported by scientific studies around the topic of memory making. The writing is kept light enough with a sense of humour throughout the story-telling, for example comparing Winnie the Pooh & Proust as prophets [p. 164] or portraying Daniel Kahneman as the Beyoncé of behavioural economics [p. 165]. There are even specific techniques used for you to be able to retain certain information better, such as using highly visual cues for processes: Imagine the hippocampus in your brain as a hippo, acting as an art director for re-enacting your memories [p. 102].
  
  The only negative parts I would name, which made me give a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, was that the book felt a bit repetitive at times. The same suggestions such as: "travel more, travel to new places & do things for the 1st time in your life" kept on coming up. I was also a bit thrown off by the mood research of how happy people felt depending on the day of the week & the link to the weekend. What about all the countries where the weekend doesn't fall on a Saturday & Sunday but on another day instead? The focus was clearly Euro-centric & not reflective enough on other parts of the world.
  
  All in all I spent a couple of wonderful hours in the company of this book, finding out:
  - Why Andy Warhol used to change up his perfume every 3 months;
  - Why my preference of not caring about football whatsoever is a positive decision for my mood;
  - Why I have instinctively been making my meals more enjoyable by "saving the best for last";
  - Why my decision of going for shorter but more frequent vacations so far has been a great one;
  - Why I enjoy photography, especially during vacations, as much as the author.
  On top of that, I generally felt inspired to take actions towards a more active memory-reliving process. Starting a list of "first times", actively bringing back & remembering happy moments, as well as introducing an end of the year tradition to the family to pick out the 100 photo highlights of the year together.
  
  If those topics speak to you, I'd definitely suggest this book :) I myself am now really curious to read Meik's
  Little Book of Lykke
• 
  Sharon Bakar

  Bought the physical book on impulse because it was so pretty. I very much enjoyed the book though - there is a lot of advice about how to lay down good memories, all backed up by psychological studies and personal anecdote - delivered in a wry and humorous way. I also listened to the audiobook which was a pleasurable experience (it accompanied me in the garden) - I like books read by the author so you get to hear his/her voice, but delivery was just a little fast and there could have been pauses for new sections.
  
  This book would make a perfect gift.
• 
  Стоянка

  Amazing heart-warming book about happy memories and their retention in a life-long plan.
• 
  PuPilla

  A 2022-es év utolsó befejezett könyve Az emlékteremtés művészete volt nekem. A Hygge után gyorsan folytattam Meik Wiking könyveit, és nem bántam meg.
  Kicsit féltem, hogy kevés lesz a tartalom, és hogy talán önismétlő is lesz, visszaköszön majd félig-meddig a Hygge, de ez teljesen más téma, más megközelítés. Sokkal informatívabb és érdekesebb is volt ez a kötet, és a memóriánkról, emlékeinkről szól, meg persze arról, amit a címe is ígér: megmutatja, hogyan őrizhetjük meg jobban a boldog pillanatainkat.
  
  Hasonlóan szép kivitelezés, mint a Hygge, sok-sok kétoldalas fotó is tarkítja, de ami még fontosabb, hogy a tartalma is sokkal színesebb, nem annyira "alibi-könyv". Ez lehet, hogy csúnyán hangzik, pedig a Hyggét is jó volt elolvasni, és kétségkívül csodaszép, de nagy része nekem nagyon női magazinos, újságcikkes, listázós volt... Nem volt elég benne az ismeretterjesztés. Nos Az emlékteremtés művészetére ez nem igaz, de kétségtelen, hogy a téma is nagyon más jellegű, és jobban bele lehet mélyedni.
  
  Akit kicsit is érdekel a memória, emlékezés, emlékek kérdésköre, az biztos talál benne érdekességet.
  
  Bővebben a blogon:
  https://pupillaolvas.blogspot.com/202...
• 
  ✨ kathryn ✨

  I love Meik Wiking a whole bunch. No new revelations there. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, which tackles something different to both
  The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and
  The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World's Happiest People. Concisely written and super-accessible, too. So many bookmarked pages; especially the end section on "planning a happy and memorable year." Extremely thought-provoking.
• 
  Evi

  "Η τέχνη της δημιουργίας αναμνήσεων" είναι το τρίτο βιβλίο του Meik Wiking που κυκλοφορεί στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας.
  
  Έπειτα από τα παγκόσμια best seller του Ηygge και Lykke, ο συγγραφεας έρχεται με ένα βιβλίο που έχει ως κύριο στόχο και πάλι την ευτυχία. Αυτή τη φορά όμως υπό το πρίσμα των αναμνήσεων. Ωθεί τους αναγνώστες να ανακαλύψουν πως θα χτίσουν την ευτυχία τους μέσα από όμορφες στιγμές που έχουν βιώσει.
  
  Ας αναλογιστούμε τη ζωή μας. Πόσες μέρες θυμόμαστε; Κάποιες περνάνε δίχως σημάδι πίσω τους, ενώ κάποιες άλλες είναι ανεξίτηλα χαραγμένες στο μνημονικό μας. Τι έχει μεσολαβήσει;
  
  Ποιος ή ποια δεν έχει ανάμνηση από το πρώτο φιλί ή τη γεύση ενός καλού φαγητού σε γιορτινό τραπέζι; Οι αναμνήσεις που έχει ο καθένας διαμορφώνουν την προσωπικότητα του. Πώς όμως τις δημιουργούμε και τις διατηρούμε ώστε να μας συντροφεύουν για πάντα; Ο ειδικός Meik Wiking μας δείχνει τον τρόπο Μενια σειρά από μελέτες και συμβουλές.
  
  Ας αναλογιστούμε τι κάνουμε με το χρόνο μας; Ποιες από τις εμπειρίες μας μας έχουν φέρει τις περισσότερες ευτυχισμένες στιγμές; Κοιτώντας πίσω στη ζωή μας - σε ευτ��χισμένα μέρη και αναμνησεις- σχεδιάζουμε με περισσότερη σιγουριά ένα ευτυχισμένο μέλλον.
  
  Ένα βιβλίο άμεσο και ζεστά γραμμένο, αναφέρεται στις αναμνήσεις όλων μας που φωτίζουν το παρόν και χτίζουν το μέλλον.
• 
  May-Ling

  solid advice with practical takeaways on how to focus on and nurture our memories throughout life. it's easy to read in short stints the way the book is organized and evocative photographs tap into the senses with each turned page. it feels like between the hustle and bustle of life and our shortened attention spans, bringing intention to our memories can help grow our happiness and gratitude.
• 
  Calin Biris

  O carte despre fericire, amintiri și capacitatea de a memora, bazată pe cercetări și presărată cu multe povestioare personale. Tonul folosit este prietenos, glumeț și pe alocuri academic, ceea ce a făcut lectura să fie plăcută și ușor de parcurs.
  
  Per total a reușit să-mi transmită o stare de bine și să mă facă să mă gândesc la oportunitățile din an pentru a face noi amintiri fericite.
• 
  Cherniakhivska

  Приємна мотиваційна книжечка. Якщо коротко: щоб запам'ятати своє життя щасливим, варто фокусуватися на відчуттях під час радісних моментів і роздруковувати фотографії зі щасливих днів.
• 
  Elena Toncheva

  Вдъхновяваща, красива и поучителна. Не мога да съм по-щастлива, че „Изкуството да създаваме спомени” бе първата ми прочетена (буквално) книга за годината. Нищо не е случайно и се радвам, че обстоятелствата се стекоха по този начин.
  Майк Викинг има хумористично увлекателен стил на писане, който те грабва от началото и дори при скучноватите статистики те бута напред, подклаждайки любопитството ти все повече, карайки те да прелистваш докато не стигнеш някоя от прекрасните фотографии, изпъстрили страниците, на които да се наслаждаваш в тишина.
  Наистина полезна, увлекателна и интересна книга, която определено препоръчам дали като източник на вдъхновение, развлечение или с образователна цел. Заслужава си прочита напълно.
• 
  Oana Vasarhelyi

  Cercetătorul fericirii, Meik Wiking, continuă seria „aesthetically pleasing” coffee table book cu de toate, sondaje, studii, sfaturi și povești, de data aceasta pe tema amintirilor. Pe stilul cărților anterioare despre studiul fericirii, volumul ăsta e fain, chill și interesant, perfect pentru a te deconecta puțin de haosul din jur.
  
  Printre ideile care mi-au plăcut se numără: manipularea dispoziției, tipurile de memorie, nostalgia ca instrument eficient de marketing, paradoxul Baker-baker, efectul ușii, amintirile bliț, efectul peak-end, efectul Mandela, sau curba uitării, printre altele.
  
  Îmi place faptul că seria asta nu promovează cum că totul e roz, happyness everyday, ci mai degrabă analizează anumite aspecte ale oamenilor în relație cu fericirea, plus-minus câteva sfaturi.
• 
  Claudiu

  chiar a fost doar o carte OK. poze multe si frumoase. cuvinte multe. vorbe putine.
  sa detaliez putin:
  
  - m-au amuzat foarte tare referintele la Marie Kondo. din cate am vazut pe net, ea are show pe Netflix. Meik inca nu. inca.
  - nu am inteles inca daca studiile alea sunt valide sau nu. adica ma asteptam la unele note de subsol mai detaliate, sa explice de unde si cum a ajuns la concluziile alea. inteleg ca nu poti face dintr-o carte de Secret Santa un volum stiintific, dar chiar si asa.
  - sa vorbesti despre memorie si sa scrii despre madlena lui Proust, doar doua-trei pagini... cam putin.
  - presarat cu glumite, in stilul american.
  
  o lectura ok. si cam atat.
• 
  Alina-Bianca Acălinei

  “Our lives are not the days that have passed, but the days we will remember forever.”
  
  “I believe that looking back - revisiting our happy places and our happy times - enables us to plan for a better journey ahead. Plan for future happy memories. Plan for happier days. Plan for a happier future.
  And remember: one day, your life will flash before your eyes - make sure it is worth watching.”