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Three lively little hardback books, published by Michael O’ Mara Books would make ideal presents for an elderly relative who seems to be becoming forgetful.

I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggart contains just about enough basic information to give its reader a set of GCE passes or average SAT scores.  There are chapters on basic English, mathematics up to the level of quadratic equations, chemistry, physics, biology and so on.

The General Knowledge chapter at the end contains intriguing up-to-date information like the new name for Pluto (Eris) now that it is no longer a planet.

It is rather daunting to realise that you have forgotten which US Presidents were assassinated or whether the Cretaceous period came before or after the Jurassic. This small volume lists all that sort of information as well as some rather irreverent comments. Take, for example, the remark that President Ford is remembered largely as the man said to be so dumb he couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

Two other works in the series are My Grammar and I (or should that be ‘Me’?), also by Caroline Taggart with J A Wines, and I before E (except after C) by Judy Parkinson. Neither is as dull as it sounds. The second of these lists hundreds of mnemonics for recalling significant information that we are sure to have forgotten.

Can you list the heads on Mount Rushmore? I couldn’t, but the mnemonic ‘We Just Like Rushmore’ reminds me that they are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. The book is full of similar mental tricks.

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