Why, as we grow older, does time seem to condense, speed up and elude us, while in old age, significant events from our distant past can seem as vivid and real as what happened yesterday?

Applying a unique blend of scholarship, poetic sensibility, and keen observation, internationally acclaimed author Douwe Draaisma tackles such extraordinary phenomena as deja-vu, near-death experiences, the memory feats of idiot savants, and the effects of extreme trauma on memory recall.