A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK. A psychologist's "gripping and thought-provoking" look at how and why our brains sometimes fail us (Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works). A groundbreaking work by one of the world's foremost memory experts, The Seven Sins of Memory offers the first framework that explains common memory vices -- and their surprising virtues. In this fascinating study, Daniel L. Schacter explores instances of what we would consider memory failure -- absent-mindedness, transience, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence -- and suggests instead that these miscues are actually indications that memory is functioning as designed. Drawing from fascinating scientific research and creative literature, as well as high-profile events in which memory has figured significantly (Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony, for instance), The Seven Sins of Memory provides a more nuanced understanding of how memory and the mind influence each other and shape our lives. Winner of the American Psychological Association's William James Book Award