Domain Name Com's The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

Domain Name Com's - : The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

- The Art of Skill Building
"The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin, while largely autobiographical, contains some really priceless ideas on concept of skill mastery.

The book is an insider's look at what it takes to becoming world class in any field. The second part of the book, which talks about Josh's journey through the martial arts is particularly revealing in this regard. Focus, but also recuperation, are crucial elements... this is very well illustrated in the book, through examples from Josh's life.

Besides that, a lot of it is downright inspirational... I was particularly inspired by Josh's account of training through an arm injury to reach an ever greater level of success. A lesson to all of us who sit on the sidelines as soon as we get hurt a little.

I would have loved to hear perhaps a "metaphysical" perspective on the Art of Learning... does complete devotion to a skill lead to happiness, ultimately? Perhaps the subject of a later book!

Paul
paultheo2004@yahoo.ca

Rating:

- Josh is on to something
Josh is definitely on to something. The learning principles he outlines in this book are priceless. This book is thick with good ideas. I had to stop after many chapters to make sure I absorbed the information.

He is clearly well-read when it comes to philosophy and human psychology. And he relates his academic training to his careers in chess and Ti Chi in an illuminating way. The parallels between these seemingly unrelated disciplines are striking. Josh's writing helps you understand how his learning process can be applied to many fields of study.

This book is also very well written. Let me state that again because so few authors are as gifted as Josh: This book is very well written. I loved the vivid descriptions of his chess and Ti Chi battles.

After reading this book I look forward to hearing him speak someday.

The only negative I can think of is that this book may not be very accessible to people who are not already "learners". If you are not interested in learning and improving your ability to learn, this book may be inaccessible to you.

I've always enjoyed learning and honing my personal learning process, so I absolutely loved this book. This is the type of book that I will apply to my learning pursuits and then read again (probably in a year) to make sure I absorbed everything.

Rating:

- Great story; great lessons
I aim to emulate a lot of the practices described in this book. It's a fast and entertaining read, but I plan to go back and take notes on some of the recommendation sections. I recommend it to anyone in pursuit of excellence or who needs to overcome a major obstacle.

Rating:

- Very useful and well worth a read, despite the criticisms
This book presents a very eloquent and rigorous examination of the learning process. Despite a handful of critical reviewers, I find the principles translate very well to other disciplines if you put a little thought into it. The principles are most easily adapted to performance-based disciplines, such as music, dance, any kind of public speaking, and, of course, competitive fields such as sports and chess. However, the principles also apply to any discipline that requires mastery of fundamental skills leading to an ability to use these skills to deal creatively with new problems. Yes, this should include science and language learning. The book doesn't tell you specifically how to learn the fundamentals of any particular discipline. Nor could it--this is something that really requires either the guidance of a teacher or a rigorous process of self-exploration. Rather, Mr. Waitzkin attempts (quite successfully, I think) to drive home the point that progress comes when we slow down the material we are learning to the point that the nuances of the subject open up to us. The secret is to love this process and not get thrown off course by impatience or lack of concentration. Mr. Waitzkin's passionate discussions of his fields do much to illustrate the feeling that you must try to access in your own field. This has apparently gone over the head of some reviewers (who don't appear to have made much of an effort to understand the book), but the number of positive reviews should tell you that there are at least a few profound insights in this book.

Also, a few reviewers complain that this book is only useful for someone with the time and money to spend devoting themselves to their hobbies. It's true, most of us could not afford to spend all our time practicing Tai Chi, as Mr. Waitzkin apparently does. The book does not offer shortcuts. However, if you have a job at which you want to excel, you will certainly have enough time to take advantage of the principles. Further, even if you want to excel at your hobby and only have an hour a week to spend on it, your time will still be better spent practicing slowly and immersing yourself in the details, as Mr. Waitzkin advises. The process will be longer, but if you love what you're doing, that shouldn't matter.

Rating:

- Better Titled as the Autobiography of Josh Waitzkin
Josh Waitzkin is an eight time National Chess Champion by the age of 20 - who then moved on to become a martial arts champion - holding several world championship titles. This book is worthy of reading simply to gain an insight into what it takes to be a world class competitor (and winner) - the focus, the incredible concentration, the physical and mental discipline, the grit and determination - and the access to the best coaches and opponents. However, there was little translation from the "What" he accomplished to the "HOW" - as the learning techniques were were not spelled out. If you expect to pick up this book to learn how to get to the top as a world champion, you'll be sorely disappointed.

This passage on page 88 captured the essence of his message to me:

"To my mind, the fields of learning and performance are an exploration of greyness - of the in-between. There is the careful balance of pushing yourself relentlessly, but no so hard that you melt down. Muscles and mind need to stretch to grow, but if stretched too thin, they will snap. A competitor needs to be process-oriented, always looking for strong opponents to spur growth, but it is also important to keep on winning enough to maintain confidence. We have to release our current ideas to soak in new material, but not so much that we lose touch with our unique nature talents. Vibrant, creative idealism needs to be tempered by a practical, technical awareness."

page 2 of 13
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Domain Name Registration


	Register Domain Name
	Private Domain Registration
	Domain Name Auction
	Bulk Register Domains
	Transfer Domain Name
	Bulk Transfer Domains
	Manage Domain Names
	Email Accounts

Website Creator


	Website Creator Build Your Own Website
	Website Templates
	Mobile Website Templates

Website Hosting Plans


	Hosting Plans
	Dedicated Server
	Virtual Dedicated Server
	My Server - Account Login

Secure Server Certificates


	Introduction
	Technical Documents
	Purchase Secure Server SSL Certificate

Software


	MS Office Student
	QuickBooksPro 2008
	Digital Photo Editing How To Create a Foto Album
	HTML WebPage Editors
	Top Firewalls
	Networking Software
	Internet Security
	Local Area Networks
	Security & Firewalls
	Software Downloads
	Internet Utilities
	Children's Software
	Programming

Electronics


	MP3 Players
	Camera & Photo
	Office Electronics
	Computers & Ad-On's
	Handhelds & PDA
	GPS & Navigation
	Home Automations & Security
	Compare Prices on Electronics
	Ink & Toner Finder
	Monitors & Projectors
	Internet Webcams
	Blu Ray Disc Drive

Contact Information


	Office Locations
	Customer Feedback

Domain Names Electronics Software
Manage \| Register \| Email Login

Home \| Domain Name Registration \| Software \| Electronics \| Web Certificates \| About Us \| Contact Us \| Help