     And I'm Robert Siegel.  In the 1960s, the writer George
Plimpton pitched to some major league all-stars, tried out as an
NFL quarterback, sparred with the great boxer Archie Moore and
then wrote about it. And ever since, writers have been taking up
a whole range of athletic pursuits for the experience and for
the material.  Well, Joshua Foer presents us with an interesting
variation on that theme. His book, "Moonwalking with Einstein"
describes his brief but rather successful career as a mental
athlete. "Moonwalking with Einstein" is about the art and
science of memory. Joshua Foer, welcome to the program.  Mr.
JOSHUA FOER (Author, "Moonwalking with Einstein"): Thanks so
much for having me.  SIEGEL: I should say first that while most
practitioners of athletic participatory journalism discover that
the gap between the competitive elite and the eager reporter is
a vast chasm. You actually achieved great heights in the U.S.
memory championships.  Mr. FOER: Yeah, I mean, I certainly
didn't expect the story w