Martha Weinman Lear, Plumbing the Forgetful Mind

Fresh Air

Published February 13, 2008 at 2:32 PM EST

For all of us who have ever wandered into a room only to freeze, wondering blankly, "Why did I come in here, again?," Martha Weinman Lear has an answer.

Lear, the author of Where Did I Leave My Glasses? The What, When and Why of Normal Memory Loss, discusses the twin issues of memory loss and aging — how much forgetfulness is normal, when does it occur and what can be done about it?

Lear is a former staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and the author of The Child Worshippers and Heartsounds.

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