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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
The author tackles new skills: chess, singing, surfing, juggling, drawing (and a few others). The book focuses too much on the author's personal experiences as he learns these. There are pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout the reading that you can generalize to other new learning experiences, but you'll have to sort them out from within these stories.
I was hoping for a more generic book, with generalizations from many data sources/persons. There were definitely good references mentioned (noted in the appendix). But the learning felt like it was based too much on just this author's experiences. You will need to like these specific skills and have the patience to read through personal travel stories to pick out those end-of-chapter summaries typically found in a self-help style book.
I was hoping for a more generic book, with generalizations from many data sources/persons. There were definitely good references mentioned (noted in the appendix). But the learning felt like it was based too much on just this author's experiences. You will need to like these specific skills and have the patience to read through personal travel stories to pick out those end-of-chapter summaries typically found in a self-help style book.
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
While watching his young daughter taking chess lessons, Tom Vanderbilt thought he should try it too. Instead of looking at his phone as other parents do, he took chess lessons together with his daughter. This book is his journey of learning new things at 45+. Chess, singing, surfing, drawing, juggling, wild swimming and jewelry making are the new things the author learned.
The book is a mixture of personal experiences, some science (how infants learn, neuroscience of learning, learning to combat brain aging, etc...), and some expert interviews. The learning the author described is self-motivated and playful, and not the reluctant sort to make oneself more marketable, although that might be one of the consequences.
I need no persuasion of the joy of lifelong learning. There are so many things I want to learn for fun. Perpetual beginner, why not! The problem is time!
Quotes:
"We are assured that single minded focus is a good thing, and following my passion. Whoever said there had to be one passion?! What new passion might be out there you are yet to discover?"
The book is a mixture of personal experiences, some science (how infants learn, neuroscience of learning, learning to combat brain aging, etc...), and some expert interviews. The learning the author described is self-motivated and playful, and not the reluctant sort to make oneself more marketable, although that might be one of the consequences.
I need no persuasion of the joy of lifelong learning. There are so many things I want to learn for fun. Perpetual beginner, why not! The problem is time!
Quotes:
"We are assured that single minded focus is a good thing, and following my passion. Whoever said there had to be one passion?! What new passion might be out there you are yet to discover?"
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Tom Vanderbilt decides to spend a year learning new skills, sometimes getting inspired by his young daughter. He tries to learn singing, juggling, surfing, playing chess, drawing and other things. In 'Beginners', he interviews many experts, psychologists, other beginners and teachers of the activities he has chosen to show the benefits of lifelong learning. He tells how he struggled with various beginners' mistake and then try to overcome them and gained some experience in a chosen activity. We adults usually do not try to learn anything new, we get comfortable in the activities that we are already pursuing and don't give ourselves a chance to try something new unless it is related to our chosen field of work. This is a mistake. We should always try to learn new things. A few good points:
• Don't learn just for the sake of learning an activity, learn something you have always wanted to.
• Learning anything new is about challenging your mind and body.
• The process of learning a new skill is itself comforting.
• When learning anything becomes another form of work, you should stop doing it.
• We should enjoy the process more and focus less on the results.
• Try to have a beginner’s mind.
• Learning any new activity makes you see the world differently.
• Be a lifelong learner, it's good for our brain.
• Don't learn just for the sake of learning an activity, learn something you have always wanted to.
• Learning anything new is about challenging your mind and body.
• The process of learning a new skill is itself comforting.
• When learning anything becomes another form of work, you should stop doing it.
• We should enjoy the process more and focus less on the results.
• Try to have a beginner’s mind.
• Learning any new activity makes you see the world differently.
• Be a lifelong learner, it's good for our brain.
reflective
slow-paced
1% instructional, 9% factual, 90% memoir of a middle aged man wanting to try something new
The author decides to try his hands at learning new skills to see if there is any truth in the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." He talks about the joys and frustrations of being a beginner and the physiological and psychological advantages and disadvantages of trying out new things after a certain age.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
A good enough book. Inspiring if you are older and still yearn to learn new things. The chapter on sketching was the best.