Larry R. Squire & Eric R. Kandel (2009). Memory: From mind to molecules, 2nd ed. Greenwood Village, Colorado: Roberts & Company.
Larry Squire is a leader in the cognitive neuroscience of memory, and Eric Kandel is a Nobel laureate known especially for his research on the neural and molecular basis of memory in invertebrates. In Memory, a beautifully illustrated 250-page book, they combine their two realms of expertise to present the general reader with a story about the nature and neuronal basis of implicit- and explicit-memory systems. The story is as coherent as the data reasonably allow.
Gillian Cohen & Martin A. Conway (2008). Memory in the real world, 3rd ed. New York: Psychology Press.
This is a scholarly book, with each chapter written by a different expert or set of experts. Yet it is written clearly enough that a typical first-year undergraduate psychology major could enjoy it. As the title implies, the book deals with the kinds of memory problems that we all face in our daily lives. There are also chapters on changes in memory across the life span, consciousness, and dysfunctions of memory. Gillian Cohen collaborated with the authors of most of the chapters, so the book has more coherence than do most books with multiple authors.
Suzanne Corkin (2013). Permanent present tense. New York: Basic Books
This biography of famed memory patient H. M. is written by Suzanne Corkin, one of the neuroscientists who spent much of her career working directly with H. M. In Permanent Present Tense, Corkin describes how H. M. contributed to scientists’ growing understanding of how memory works and what happens when it fails. Through retellings of specific conversations she had with H. M. and descriptions of experiments she and her colleagues conducted with him, Corkin helps the reader understand how H. M.’s misfortune benefitted humankind at large.
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Maryanne Garry & Harlene Hayne (Eds.) (2007). Do justice and let the sky fall: Elizabeth F. Loftus and her contributions to science, law, and academic freedom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
So much of what we know about how the environment influences memories is the result of research conducted by Elizabeth F. Loftus and her colleagues. With contributions from many notable authors, including Loftus herself, this book examines how memories are constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed. It takes the reader through the progression of not only Loftus’ career but the lines of empirical study she inspired and the cognitive theories which grew out of that research.
Loftus, E. (2013) TED Talk at TEDGlobal 2013: Elizabeth Loftus: The Fiction of Memory.
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_the_fiction_of_memory.html In this TED Talk, Elizabeth Loftus begins with the tragic story of Steve Titus who was mistakenly accused and convicted of rape. Loftus talks about how she worked on the case and how she studies false memories. She explores other fascinating cases and examines how memory can be constructed and reconstructed —and how implanted memories chan have serious repercussions.