Memory & Cognition

Reviewed by Heather Wild, Psychology Instructor at Portland State University, Open Oregon Educational Resources on 6/22/26

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Memory & Cognition does an excellent job of concisely describing and illustrating most of the major concepts and themes within the study of cognition in an impressively brief textbook. It is not comprehensive and does not claim to be. It introduces essential concepts of memory and cognition with a strong emphasis on memory function. It does not cover historical perspectives, sensation, perception, attention, learning, language, or intelligence. However, it is the only OER textbook (at this time) that covers visual imagery. This textbook would be great for a high-school class, or a college course with the right supplementation. It serves as a great introduction to the concepts it includes and also manages to cover the information that is most essential to these concepts.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

For a textbook that is so engaging and fun to read, it does not sacrifice accuracy. In fact, complex concepts are distilled to their essential elements without being oversimplified. For example, a very complex topic covered in the textbook is neural representations of concepts and memories. The textbook skillfully, accurately, and concisely describes and illustrates how assemblies of neurons represent concepts. This is a topic that students have a hard time grasping because the relationship between thought and brain is not obvious, but this text does an excellent job of demystifying how thoughts are instantiated biologically.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text offers a foundation of classical examples and themes in cognitive psychology that have stood the test of time. It also connects these concepts to modern philosophical issues such as artificial intelligence. The textbook is very selective in using material that best exemplifies long-standing questions in cognition such as the mind-body problem and whether computers can be conscious. These issues are just as relevant today as they were 80 years ago. Thus, the text has a timeless quality as well as modern-day applicability,

Clarity rating: 5

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this textbook is the writing. It is very engaging and clear, without over reliance on academic jargon. In fact, this is probably the most engaging textbook I have encountered in 30+ years of studying and teaching cognition. At the same time, key words and scientific terms are introduced seamlessly within the prose. The definitions of terms are clearly given and embedded in rich context. The flow of the writing is very intuitive and leads the reader on a journey to better understand their minds and those of others.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is highly internally consistent. The major themes and frameworks are woven into the book from start to finish.

Modularity rating: 5

Any of the sections of the text stands alone. In my teaching, I have found this to be very useful for when I want to teach on a particular topic on its own. Like most cognition and many psychology textbooks, this text begins with an introductory chapter followed by a chapter on neuroscience. However, the subsequent chapters are stand-alone. There are multiple chapters on memory, but each chapter can easily be assigned separately.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The text proceeds logically in its progression through concepts in cognition. The ordering of topics is the same as that of most cognition textbooks. It proceeds from lower-level to higher-level cognition, which makes sense. The chapter on concepts precedes the chapters on memory. In some textbooks, memory is discussed prior to concepts and categorization, but this textbook uses the chapter on concepts to provide information that naturally flows into discussions of memory.

Interface rating: 5

I have used the online version of the text as well as the .pdf version. Both are easy to use. The search functions work well for both formats.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is very well-written and free of grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The text is not culturally insensitive in any way. In fact, it relates cognition to important social justice issues. One example of this is how the book addresses issues with eyewitness testimony and eyewitness misidentification within the judicial system.

This is an excellent textbook. It is well-written, easy to read, and engaging. It is not comprehensive and would need supplementation for a college level course. However, I cannot imagine a better way to introduce the concepts that are covered in the book. In particular, the textbook draws the reader in by asking provocative questions about what it means to have a mind characterized by the cognitive functions that we all possess. In that way, it entices the reader’s curiosity and compels them to want to learn more. The mind truly consists of layers that reveal, along with each answer, a multitude of deeper questions. This book excels at curating this journey and guiding the exploration of self. We often take for granted the process of cognition because we are only truly aware of the products of these processes. This book draws one’s attention to the deeper questions that characterize the underpinnings of consciousness and takes the reader on a journey towards understanding themselves as a conscious being.