I used to use this technique as a kid to win money off friends, betting I could instantly remember the order and nature of 50 objects read out to me. If you'd prepared properly it was embarrassingly easy. Recalling the list a week later was trivial for me but astounded everyone else.

The author's place method is much superior to my idea then of using an arbitrary list of objects which I'd previously memorized and then associated with the spoken items by using outrageous mental pictures, Memory Palace technique is to be recommended.