Through her fiction, Lisa Genova beckons us into the lives of people with neurological disease, making their worlds real and relatable.

Why you should listen

Lisa Genova wields her ability to tell a story and her knowledge of the human brain to discuss medical conditions like Alzheimer's in warmly human terms. Her writing, often focusing on those who are misunderstood, explores the lives of people living with neurological diseases and disorders. A bestselling author, her work has been transformed into an Oscar-winning film, Still Alice, but the real triumph is Genova's ability to help us empathize with a person's journey we otherwise couldn't even begin to understand. Her newest book, Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, is nonfiction and explores how we remember, why we forget and what we can do to improve and protect our memories.

What others say

“If you want to understand how memories are formed, appreciate the difference between normal age-related memory lapses and Alzheimer's or learn how to improve your memory and reduce the risk of developing dementia, then this is the book for you.” — National Review

Lisa Genova’s TED talks

More news and ideas from Lisa Genova

Science

3 types of normal forgetting — and 1 that isn’t

September 16, 2022

Do you find yourself not remembering where you put your phone? (Been there.) Or blanking on the name of the cafe in Friends?(Central Perk!) Author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova tells you which memory blips to shrug off and when you may want to talk to your doctor.

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Live from TED2018

Short talks, big energy: Notes from TED Unplugged at TED2018

April 11, 2018

“This is a little different than the mainstage at TED, in a sense that this is a little more relaxed,” says our host, the poet and TED speaker Clint Smith. “These are speakers who have not been selected specifically for the mainstage, but they’re just as talented, just as brilliant, and just as important.” A […]

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