The Art Of Making Memories was written by Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark who is also known for writing the New York Times best seller, The Little Book Of Hygge.

Wiking’s latest book is all about how we can turn happy moments into lasting memories and in so doing slow down the passage of time. The Art Of Making Memories was published in 2019 by Penguin Books Life.

This book was gifted to me by Penguin Books in exchange for my review, and I would like to thank them sincerely for reaching out to me with this heartening Christmas present.

“In 2018, we conducted a massive global study around happy memories at the Happiness Research Institute: the Happy Memory Study.”

The Art Of Making Memories, pg. 9

Herein we have the stratum for this book. Based on the findings from this experiment, Wiking discusses eight ways you and I can make happier, more lasting memories, and it can be explained simply in the mnemonic; MEMO SNAP!

M eaningful 💍

E motional ❤️️

M ulti-sensory 👃

O utsourcing 📸

S torytelling 📕

N ovel and extraordinary ✈

A ttention ⚠

P eak and struggle ⛰

Among the many positive takeaways I got from this book was the beautiful photography throughout, most of which can be attributed to the author himself. The Art Of Making Memories isn’t just about the content and the dissecting of various statistical analyses, but also the lustrous presentation of the book itself.

The tone of the book is interactive in a way that felt conversationally inclined, made manifest in the many charming quips the author uses and the way he draws upon his own experiences in tandem with inciting the reader to conjure their own.

For example, in the chapter Capture Peaks And Struggles, when Wiking expanded upon the Happy Memory Tip: Consider Taking The Long Route, I was instantly reminded of a winter (an almighty six years ago) when myself and a friend made an impromptu visit to Bergen in Norway and proceeded to frolic about the peak of Mount Fløyen like two protagonists in a Brothers Grimm fairytale.

We made our ascent via the Fløibanen funicular tram service and seemed to mutually agree that the best way to solidify this fantasy experience in our shared memories was to make our descent on foot. The snow that day in December was unrelenting and we were the picture of Himalayan yetis as we battled the elements, but I digress.

The Art Of Making Memories was a heartening read that unlike most other books, not only engages the reader but also impels them to get up and do. It was very hard for me personally to find any issues with this book, other than certain moments where the narrative felt like it was veering off on a tangent, but for the most part, the overall message of the book was altogether cohesive.

The Art Of Making Memories offers an abundance of practical tips and personable writing that was thoroughly enjoyable and thus warrants my recommendation. And of the many things this book has impelled me to get up and do, is to find out more about this “writing retreat” Wiking is planning to organize at some point this year. I must say, I am somewhat intrigued.. (Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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