May 27, 2012
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Learning To Learn
I must admit that I am a life time learner. (This post was inspired by this pulse: Link). I spent most of my life learning. It started when I was 3 and my parents dropped me off at preschool. I went through school and then I went to college and then graduate school.
I realize some of you will are doing the same and need to learn faster. I spent a great deal of time taking any program that taught me how to learn faster.
So here are a few of those programs:
1. Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics (I took this three times).
2. Mega Memory
I took every memory program I could find and read several memory books.
3. Memory in a Month
4. PhotoReading
5. Where There’s a Will There’s an A. (I took this a few times).
6. Reassess Your Chess (This isn’t about learning but his approach to gaining strategic advantages is important in learning and in life in general).
7. Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People
There is rarely a day where I don’t utilize the skills described in “Sparks of Genius.” The book is more about how to process the information you use.
So hopefully this will get you started. I hope you will take every single program you can find that teaches you to learn more information.
Anyone have one to add to my list?
Comments (33)
The vodka I just finished consuming dumbed my brain down so I can’t think of anything worthy of contribution
haha
The Key To Xanga Popularity – Dan the Man
Coo thanks http://readfa.st/ I found that site for speed reading.
Rob of the Sky’s Guide to Learning.
Who Moved My Cheese?
When I came back to Xanga in November and began to look at the main pages and the posts on them, I got the feeling that Xanga is a community full of people who are dedicated to learning. There are some occasional disagreements but, for the most part, I think bloggers as a species are dedicated to learning more about subjects, ideas, other people, etc. How we learn can be debated, but the fact that we do learn from each other cannot.
This is why I hope Xanga is around for a long time to come.
That’s funny I just found this site, luminosity.com that gives you daily brain puzzles. Not impressed with myself. One bit.
Thanks for the list. I’m gonna check these out.
i’m kindof a hands-on learner even though sometimes the book says it’s a mistake i do it anyway.
sometimes, you have to make the mistake, even though you know it’s a mistake. in order to know it’s a mistake.
or something along those lines from How I Met Your Mother
#5 Is “Where There’s a Will There’s AN A” Not “a way”.
I believe the mind needs to be exercised to remain strong just like any other body part. It was really kind and thoughtful of you to put these resources up too.
The Memory Book: On amazon.
Assembling ikea furniture….
My mind is too lazy…I’d rather go fishin!
i also think it’s important and invigorating never to stop learning. when i was legal age to work i hated working alongside people older than me who had the “another day another dollar” attitude toward life. it was like they were half dead already. sure we’ve all said that but usually in jest, hopefully. i did come up with a comeback to another day another dollar, “how the hell did you got a raise?”. these look like good books. thanks for posting this.
lol I have an awesome memory, I can storage accurate data in HUGE amounts so never needed one of those things. I do had a course on Silva Mind Control that helped me to give some order to the memories, as I have too much info it would create anxiety so shrink told my parents to try it and it worked to some extent. I mean I do have a more organized method to access data now and the anxiety doesn’t accur that often now.
Ha. I should find ways to learn more. I am inspired!
I started reading Mega Memory, but then put the book down and forgot where I put it.
Oh I like the match on that one book! We should light them on fire and see what happens!
Many of them seem to be about memorizing. It’ll just confuse you, and soon trash will be facts, because you just know it.
I’m too lazy to care about truth.
These look good. I’ve used Evelyn Wood’s techniques for years. Very helpful.
Since I found wikipedia my memory pretty much atrophied. If I need any other help I know I can always rely on @xXxlovelylollipop and her huge accurate storage data banks.
The problem is I like reading slow, it lets me soak things in and process them as I am reading. I also know if I look at something long enough, I can begin to have a photographic memory of it. I remember this once in middle school but then I used it a lot in college. I would write out my notes by hand and then highlight different lists and sections, by doing this, I could remember the words and/or highlighting in my mind and a few times would remmeber the answer this way, kinda like a back-up in case I forgot. I also learned when I am needing to remmeber a list for an exam, I need to memorize the list forwards and backwards, for some reason learning it backwards makes it soak in more than merely learning it forward.
My only strategy when memorizing stuff is to write it endlessly.
Hence why I’m on the computer a lot.
I’m a lifelong learner too, thanks for the list!
This is not in the same category but my favorite book that comes close is Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
Green Eggs And Ham.
where theres a will theres an A, excellent book
I learn to do a lot of computer things through tutorials online and this keeps this old mind active and alert.
This is a great post, Dan. I actually have the Evelyn Wood book that I got at the discount section of Barnes and Noble. I think when I was younger I took Harry Lorayne’s Memory course, and read a couple of books on how to study (I also have Where There’s A Will There’s an A book which I discovered late in college – wish I knew about it at the start of high school). I used some of the things I learned in those courses, but not all. I never mastered one full system, which hurt me. I think really mastering those systems is what really builds your learning skills.
I am in a field where fast reading is a good skill to have, but you can’t just get a sense of what you’re reading, you need deep understanding that often only comes with slower reading. So I look at these systems with interest but I’m never certain if they are really for me. I got this book for my Kindle and am working on incorporating the lessons into the things I would like to learn and remember.
When I read for fun I read much faster though I sacrifice a bit of detail in doing that.
Are you on Goodreads?
learning at any age is wonderful.
This is a very inspiring post. It speaks to one of the best parts of being human.
Thanks for sharing. I like learning and thus I love school! Lol
I have limited funds but want to invest. I have the Evelyn Wood
book
but not the program. If you had to recommend two of the programs (the books you listed are likely at the library) which two would you suggest?
ooh look at me inspiring your post!
I’m definitely going to check out the first one!