Scan barcode
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
I just finished the last section of Jonathan Levi’s book The Only Skill The Matters, and to be honest I am livid. LIVID!
Do you know why I’m upset right now? Because every single exercise in this book would have helped me IMMENSELY when I was studying for my doctoral degree and comprehensive exams, and instead I had to suffer through it with my less effective cognitive functioning!
Ok so all jokes about being mad aside, I can say with my whole heart that this book is a game-changer for me. As the opening section goes into, it can be hard to keep up with the knowledge and recall we are expected to have. Sure, when under pressure most of us can pull a metaphorical rabbit out of a hat and accomplish something incredible, but that is not sustainable in terms of a learning strategy. Not only does information learned in that manner have a short retention life (about until that third beer, amirite???), but being under that level of stress would not be healthy!
Jonathan Levi walks through his own challenges with learning growing up. He was not someone who was set to be a top student in class. In fact, he went through some times where he was made to feel like he wasn’t cut out for school at all. But after learning techniques to help him read faster, memorize information more efficiently, and overall unleash the power of his brain, he became a huge success.
It sounds too good to be true, right? I was a bit skeptical myself! But as I worked through the chapters, I have tried several of the exercises myself–including keeping a copy of a few of the tricks at my desk at work–and I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve been proud of what I’ve been able to do when following them!
I’m in the early stages of adoption right now, so they are still work for me. I have to make a conscious effort to use them and reframe how I’m learning information. But I’ve also been able to focus better, get through work more quickly, summon motivation when it feels like I have none, and memorize things (such as stats for a meeting at work) that I wouldn’t have thought I’d be able to.
The best part for me is that these are simple exercises. They are a bit of work to teach yourself to actively use, but they aren’t difficult to execute at all. In fact, they are almost deceptively simple! At times I seriously questioned whether it was possible that something so simple could work, but I have been so empowered through my efforts.
I wish I could tell you the tips and tricks here, but there is no way I can. First, because that would basically be intellectual plagiarism. Second, because I think it is important to read all of the science behind our brains and these tricks and why they work.
If you give this book a try, please leave me a comment or a message and let me know what you thought! Did they work for you? How has your progress been? I am looking forward to continuing to work on using these!
Thank you TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
Do you know why I’m upset right now? Because every single exercise in this book would have helped me IMMENSELY when I was studying for my doctoral degree and comprehensive exams, and instead I had to suffer through it with my less effective cognitive functioning!
Ok so all jokes about being mad aside, I can say with my whole heart that this book is a game-changer for me. As the opening section goes into, it can be hard to keep up with the knowledge and recall we are expected to have. Sure, when under pressure most of us can pull a metaphorical rabbit out of a hat and accomplish something incredible, but that is not sustainable in terms of a learning strategy. Not only does information learned in that manner have a short retention life (about until that third beer, amirite???), but being under that level of stress would not be healthy!
Jonathan Levi walks through his own challenges with learning growing up. He was not someone who was set to be a top student in class. In fact, he went through some times where he was made to feel like he wasn’t cut out for school at all. But after learning techniques to help him read faster, memorize information more efficiently, and overall unleash the power of his brain, he became a huge success.
It sounds too good to be true, right? I was a bit skeptical myself! But as I worked through the chapters, I have tried several of the exercises myself–including keeping a copy of a few of the tricks at my desk at work–and I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve been proud of what I’ve been able to do when following them!
I’m in the early stages of adoption right now, so they are still work for me. I have to make a conscious effort to use them and reframe how I’m learning information. But I’ve also been able to focus better, get through work more quickly, summon motivation when it feels like I have none, and memorize things (such as stats for a meeting at work) that I wouldn’t have thought I’d be able to.
The best part for me is that these are simple exercises. They are a bit of work to teach yourself to actively use, but they aren’t difficult to execute at all. In fact, they are almost deceptively simple! At times I seriously questioned whether it was possible that something so simple could work, but I have been so empowered through my efforts.
I wish I could tell you the tips and tricks here, but there is no way I can. First, because that would basically be intellectual plagiarism. Second, because I think it is important to read all of the science behind our brains and these tricks and why they work.
If you give this book a try, please leave me a comment or a message and let me know what you thought! Did they work for you? How has your progress been? I am looking forward to continuing to work on using these!
Thank you TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.
celestialmaps's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a compilation of memorization and reading techniques. Although the book came across as gimmicky (due to links to the publisher’s website and promoting of his service: the online SuperLearner MasterClass) there are some useful tips inside. Use of imagery to retain Nemonics and memory palaces, associating sounds or letters to numbers to remember phone and card numbers (my least favorite technique) etc. The author transitions from memorization to reading techniques: the dreadful SQ3R and the limitations of speed reading. This book is good for anyone who considers themself to be a student of any kind. However, I don’t think it’s worth the read. Many of the techniques are readily accessible via YouTube or a google search. I like that the author backed up his claims with scientific research. Something that annoyed me is how the author complied all these brain hacks and branded them as SuperLearner Methodology™. The book is a short 150+ page read and it didn’t bore me to death, so I can't hate on it too much.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
3.0
But the truth is that while it's great to have enthusiasm for learning, enthusiasm without planning cna do more harm than good.
The subtitle of this book -- "The proven methodology to read faster, remember more, and become a superlearner" -- immediately attracted me. I usually only read one or two nonfiction books in a year but wish I read more, especially for personal and professional development. Never mind my perpetual yearning to learn another language or be more adept at some of my woo hobbies.
I was unfamiliar with Levi and his SuperLearner empire, but found his book to be easy to engage with and understand. At the center of this book is a particular practice of priming one's self for learning and a particular way of studying; and honestly, I wish I had had this book when I was in college. I managed to do well in high school without learning how to learn or study, and college was a real struggle for me. Even if I used Levi's suggestions sloppily, I think I would have done better than I did.
Whether you want to be one of his "superlearners" or not, Levi's book sketches techniques that I think many would find useful. Culling from decades of studies on learning, neuroscience, and other fields related to how we become proficient in something, Levi boils it down to some seemingly simple practices: priming the mind before learning, strengthening our memorization skills, pre-reading, and other tactics to help one learn in a more meaningful, efficient manner.
My only complaint about this book is that I found some of the how-to for the practices to be a bit thin; for example, Levi's section on memory palaces felt very introductory and I started the next chapter assuming there'd be a deep dive in to how one would use it for learning language or a new hobby, but the book skips on to another practice. (Perhaps it really is that simple and I just need to try more!) But other sections felt very robust, and Levi offers free worksheets on his website to help deepen one's learning work.
Like some other kinds of self-help books, this has a slightly hype-y feel to it and is packed with many anecdotes; unlike other self-help books, Levi actually has videos of the interviews he references, so readers can make their own judgments about the people who gush about Levi and his "SuperLearner" practices.
Levi identifies as someone who struggled greatly to learn when younger, so I think this book might appeal to a wide range of folks: already successful students might find new techniques or practices to help them be more effective while those who are curious but aren't good at "school" might find avenues for preparing to learn or study that make it less onerous or stressful. If Levi's writing style and "superlearner" ideas click, he has an enormous community to geek out with and plenty of freebies to keep growing one's abilities.
The subtitle of this book -- "The proven methodology to read faster, remember more, and become a superlearner" -- immediately attracted me. I usually only read one or two nonfiction books in a year but wish I read more, especially for personal and professional development. Never mind my perpetual yearning to learn another language or be more adept at some of my woo hobbies.
I was unfamiliar with Levi and his SuperLearner empire, but found his book to be easy to engage with and understand. At the center of this book is a particular practice of priming one's self for learning and a particular way of studying; and honestly, I wish I had had this book when I was in college. I managed to do well in high school without learning how to learn or study, and college was a real struggle for me. Even if I used Levi's suggestions sloppily, I think I would have done better than I did.
Whether you want to be one of his "superlearners" or not, Levi's book sketches techniques that I think many would find useful. Culling from decades of studies on learning, neuroscience, and other fields related to how we become proficient in something, Levi boils it down to some seemingly simple practices: priming the mind before learning, strengthening our memorization skills, pre-reading, and other tactics to help one learn in a more meaningful, efficient manner.
My only complaint about this book is that I found some of the how-to for the practices to be a bit thin; for example, Levi's section on memory palaces felt very introductory and I started the next chapter assuming there'd be a deep dive in to how one would use it for learning language or a new hobby, but the book skips on to another practice. (Perhaps it really is that simple and I just need to try more!) But other sections felt very robust, and Levi offers free worksheets on his website to help deepen one's learning work.
Like some other kinds of self-help books, this has a slightly hype-y feel to it and is packed with many anecdotes; unlike other self-help books, Levi actually has videos of the interviews he references, so readers can make their own judgments about the people who gush about Levi and his "SuperLearner" practices.
Levi identifies as someone who struggled greatly to learn when younger, so I think this book might appeal to a wide range of folks: already successful students might find new techniques or practices to help them be more effective while those who are curious but aren't good at "school" might find avenues for preparing to learn or study that make it less onerous or stressful. If Levi's writing style and "superlearner" ideas click, he has an enormous community to geek out with and plenty of freebies to keep growing one's abilities.
hollow's review against another edition
4.0
In my opinion, it's more an advertisement for his online course and people he knows well, than a real book about improved learning techniques.
I'm currently half way through and all i read could be compressed into an article of about 150 words.
I'm in the second half of the book now and it's getting really better, I'd truly say that it's going to be a good book in the end, although i hate the beginning of it.
[to be continued...]
I'm currently half way through and all i read could be compressed into an article of about 150 words.
I'm in the second half of the book now and it's getting really better, I'd truly say that it's going to be a good book in the end, although i hate the beginning of it.
[to be continued...]
More...