Truth & Tech

I went through 52 books last year to see if it was possible. I had originally set out to get through 44 but decided to shoot for one book a week by the end of the year. It was tough and required me to devote a lot of time to reading, but it was enjoyable. One of my favorite books from last year was “Learning to Learn” by Barbara Oakley. Since technology requires a constant commitment to learning, and I’ve always enjoyed learning, it was helpful to know how to improve this area of my life. So, I thought I would share some of what I took away from the book.

There are two brain modes that help us to process information. The focused brain mode is what we use when we are focused on learning something new. Just as you are probably focused reading through this blog, we have to concentrate to take in new information. But once the information is received, we then have a second brain mode called the diffuse mode. This mode requires us to stop focusing in on the new information and instead allow our minds to switch gears to process the information in the background.

The best way to take advantage of both brain modes is called the Pomodoro technique which is meant to be a longer period of time focused on a topic and then taking a short break to focus on something else. Usually this looks like alternating between a 25 minute focused learning period followed by a 5 minute break with an occasional 15 minute break mixed in.

Besides the two brain modes, there are also two forms of memory; working memory and long term memory. Working memory is limited to about 4-7 bits of new information and it usually can hold it for about 15-20 seconds unless focusing on the information. The long-term memory is limitless in what it can store, but the information must be reviewed regularly.

Within the long-term memory, there are two parts: facts based and visuospatial. The facts based is difficult to store information in. Dr. Oakley indicates its much like trying to force toothpaste back into a toothpaste tube. Whereas the visuospatial is much easier to store information in and requires “mapping” information to a picture or image.

Spaced repetition is a method of reviewing information in a way that emphasizes the knowledge that is either newest or most unknown to make sure it is regularly reviewed while the knowledge already solidified or known is spaced out further and further as it becomes more known. Systems that use this abound, but the one recommended that seems the most effective is called Anki. This is a flashcard app that uses spaced repetition and has a free PC app (a paid mobile app) that allows you to review just about any information you can imagine.

Here are a few other things that this book surprised me with.

1. Multitasking isn’t really effective. It may seem like we are getting more accomplished but in reality, we are reducing the resources to one task and slowing it down only to give a smaller percentage to another task.
2. Overemphasizing the fact that we are a specific learning style (visual, audible, haptic) corners us into a situation where we neglect growing in the other forms of learning styles.
3. When learning something new, focus on the areas that are unfamiliar or are weak points rather than spending too much time dwelling on topics and subjects you know well.
4. Sleep solidifies knowledge learned. Combined with spaced repetition, this allows the brain to learn new information, solidify it in sleep, and then renew that information upon review.

There’s much more to this book, so I highly encourage you to read this book. But rather than just leave you hanging with a book recommendation, I wanted to provide some more resources to help you learn. So here are some things to dive into both paid and free.

Nelson Dellis YouTube – This guy is a memory champion. And an excellent source of tips and tricks to memorizing things. And to top it all off he’s great at presenting it on YouTube. A good portion of learning is just learning to memorize things. But, there is a difference between learning and wisdom. Don’t convince yourself that memorizing facts has taught you how to apply that knowledge. But Nelson isn’t seeking to impart wisdom. He just wants to teach you how to memorize. And he’s good at it.

Memory Superpowers! An Adventurous Guide to Remembering What You Don’t WantTo Forget Book– Another book I read last year. I’m not sure I’ll write a review of this one or not. This book is by Nelson Dellis and is geared towards kids, but is a great way for an adult or kid to get into the techniques of memory without feeling like you’re reading a technical manual. If you have kids, it’s worth reading together to help them learn to memorize as well.

Moonwalking With Einstein Book – This was another book I read last year. I hope to write a review on this one as well. But suffice it here to say that this is less of a primer on the “how to memorize” as much as it is about what it is like to immerse oneself into the memory athlete’s world.

SuperLearner 2 Udemy Course – This course is one I’ve gotten through about half of and it was pretty good. I got distracted with certification prep so I’ve not returned to it but it is a great source to learn the techniques of speed reading and more memory techniques. Wait until Udemy has their sale though (happens all the time) and get it for less than $20. The techniques did improve my reading speed when I’m intentional about using the techniques. I’ve not mastered them or made it a point to implement them every time I read but it was worth the $15 I believe I paid for the class.