Nothing that we came across in our school textbooks could convince us in the favour of rote learning. History was like a fascinating story, telling us how we got where we are. So, the many dates it came peppered with seemed a fitting part of the plot. The intriguing etymology of biological terms justified why they were such a mouthful in the first place. Mathematical formulae, too, were all right, for knowing one rule was the key to solving countless problems. But then we would stumble on obsolete chapters, like the one on the difference between flatbed and drum plotters, or the metal reactivity series in chemistry and wonder if there was a way to find some logic to them, so we could remember the information without making failed attempts at mugging it up.

The Ultimate Memory Handbook for Students (Penguin Random House India) by international memory trainers Aditi and Sudhir Singhal aims to provide that conduit between conceptual understanding and retention that translates effectively on to the answer sheet. "We found that in today's education system, you don't just need to grasp a concept but also memorise a lot of information, and whatever you can recall and pen down in that limited time will determine your success in an exam," say the Delhi-based authors, referring to both, school-based and higher level competitive examination patterns.