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leaton01's review against another edition
3.0
Though slightly dated (from the turn of the 20th century), this book actually has a lot of great tips and ideas for nontraditional learners (read: everybody) to consider and utilize to maximize their learning in environments where educators come to teaching and learning with a one-size-fits-all model. The authors provide a great many strategies for college success and I think in some ways, much of what they have said has been integrated in parts to first-year seminars and college-prep courses. They manage to pack a lot about how to get the most out of any course and provide lots of practical approaches to learning. In the wrong mindset, one could read this as "hacks" to college but realistically, they provide meaningful support structures for learners who "study harder" just sounds like dumb and unactionable advice (most of us, really). In that way, I'm grateful for such a book and will draw on the many ideas they provide to include and advise students in the future. What they offer in total is in some ways a "hidden curriculum" that students can activate to do much better than how teaching and learning may traditionally happen. However, the book is very much the product of two guys whose editor was too impressed with their story (framed as two kids who somehow managed to graduate from Brown despite having learning disabilities) to really push them to write better. What's most jarring is the repeated references to sex and orgasms and similar commentary that is sometimes meant to be funny but falls flat at least in contemporary readings and distracts from the more poignant advice that they offer. Thus, it's a book I might pull tips from but not necessarily recommend.
kserra's review against another edition
4.0
So as other folks have flagged, the orgasm/sex jokes and the idea that attending an Ivy League institution is a pinnacle of human achievement get old real fast. But aside from the study tips, I was really grateful for the personal stories of frustration, stigma, and trauma that the authors shared - it was really validating to hear them recount their experiences of resource rooms, special ed, etc. There are lines from this book that I will very much be taking with me!
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