7 guide books that will teach you how to learn and boost your brain

1. “Super learning. A system for mastering any skill – from learning languages ​​to building a career,” Scott Young

Scott Young came up with the MIT Challenge superlearning project, during which he mastered a bachelor's degree program in computer science in a year instead of four. From the experience of this and other initiatives, Young derived the concept of super learning and summarized ideas for organizing self-education projects. It is based on nine universal principles: meta-learning, focus, purpose, exercise, reinforcement, feedback, memorization, intuition and experimentation.

The first principle is that before you dive deep into a new subject, it's worth spending plenty of time researching how it works. It is recommended to allocate about 10% of the total expected training time to this. We must understand why we need to study, what exactly we will study, what resources and methods we plan to use, and what results we will achieve. This and other principles are described in more detail in the book.

2. “How to stop learning a foreign language and start living in it,” Anastasia Ivanova

Teacher English In her book, Anastasia Ivanova first of all debunks the myth that a foreign language (and your native one too) can be learned once and for all. How can you learn something that is constantly changing? Instead, she suggests simply living with him: watching your favorite TV shows, listening to podcasts and audio books, discussing exciting issues with foreign friends. A new language can become a hobby, brain training, or a way to relax.

The book is based on two important concepts: edutainment (learning + entertainment) and lifelong learning (continuous learning). The author tells how to make your life happier, richer and more interesting, using simple learning techniques, explains how to enjoy communication in two languages, and also helps to create an individual lesson plan.

3. “Neurofitness. Recommendations from a neurosurgeon to improve brain function, Rahul Jandial

New discoveries in the field of studying the functions and capabilities of the brain occur constantly. For example, until 2008, scientists were sure that the organ stops developing after 25 years, but now we know that this is not true. The book by neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial contains perhaps the most relevant information at the moment. The possibilities of the brain are almost limitless, and our task is not to be lazy and try new strategies and techniques that will help us reach the peak of mental abilities and productivity.

Jandial offers a brain-tailored approach to what we eat and drink, how much and how we sleep, and how we train creativity and memory. He supplements his recommendations with exciting and slightly creepy stories from a neurosurgeon’s operating room, and also debunks various myths. In particular, about the fact that we use only a few tens of percent of our brain.

4. “Forgetfulness is my second... something there. How to bring back what constantly flies out of your head”, Takashi Tsukiyama

If the neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial from the previous paragraph inspires exceptional optimism, then his colleague Takashi Tsukiyama, rather, warns us not to waste our brain resources in vain. Like bones and muscles, the brain must be constantly used to keep its 13 billion neurons doing their jobs well and to keep us healthy and productive.

In the modern world, many life factors force a person to use the capabilities of the brain only selectively. Problems solved according to a template, frequent written communication, the desire to constantly reach for a calculator or to-do list instead of doing mental calculations or trying to remember information. It’s worth diversifying things that have become familiar or giving up some habits in order to keep brain in good shape.

The book will be useful to those who strive to maintain a clear mind at any age. Tsukiyama's conclusions and recommendations, based on many years of research, will help cope with forgetfulness, brain fog, and difficulties with remembering information. You can also use the book as a kind of checklist to make sure you are giving your brain enough work.

5. “How to learn to learn. Skills for conscious learning", Ulrich Boser

Many learning professionals entered the profession seeking to solve their own problems. Most found it difficult to study at school, and they wondered whether it was just them or whether the traditional system of acquiring knowledge was not so good and effective. Ulrich Boser is no exception. The result of his work was a book where, based on the results of numerous studies, he answers the question of how best to acquire new knowledge and skills.

Here's an example: it is believed that students should be praised for their intelligence. In reality, if you focus their attention on the process and reward them with effort, they will learn more, remember better, and do better on tests. Boser explains how to make any knowledge-related job more effective.

6. “Superbrain. The Best Learning Strategies, Barbara Oakley, Olav Schewe

If your goal is to maximize your learning productivity right now, this book will help. It brings together proven productivity tools and techniques, shows you how to get the most out of them, and explains how and why they work.

Here, for example, is how the combination of focused and relaxed modes of attention works. Are you about to study something truly complex and you find yourself thinking that you don’t understand anything? Take pause and let the relaxed mode do its job. Once your brain has processed the new information, focus and dive into the details.

By alternating between these states, you will learn and remember more than when you concentrate on one thing for hours. For example, start a difficult writing task (report, speech, project) before lunch - so that your relaxed mode can work on the task in the background while you eat.

7. How to Read, Remember and Never Forget by Mark Tigelaar

Many people are engaged in intellectual work. In fact, we pass on our knowledge to others, but before that we need to somehow receive it. The quality of our work largely depends on how quickly and efficiently we are able to do this.

Mark Tigelaar's original UseClark teaching method will help you focus more carefully on tasks and learn information is faster and of better quality, it is better to remember what you have learned and spend less time processing new ones knowledge. The author’s methodology is based on 8 principles of effective learning, which are described in detail in the book.