Banned Books Week—History Edition
Giordano Bruno revealed ancient secrets of improving memory by writing about the method of loci, also known as the memory palace.
This technique is still used today as a way to memorize vast amounts of information. By “putting away” information into the drawers and rooms of a familiar place in your mind, you can access this info later by mentally “opening” the right drawer.
Unfortunately, this idea was not accepted during the Roman Inquisition. Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 and his book was on the Vatican Index of Prohibited Books.
Enjoy a completely digitized copy: De umbris idearum, 1582, Bruno Giordano. The Getty Research Institute
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read. This week we’re sharing examples of books from cultural history that have been attacked, vilified, or otherwise banned.
