How We Learn：The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens

Inthetraditionof"ThePowerofHabit"and"Thinking,FastandSlow"comesapractical,playful,andendlesslyfascinatingguidetowhatwereallyknowaboutlearningandmemorytoday--andhowwecanapplyittoourownlives.Fromanearlyage,itisdrilledintoourheads:Restlessness,distraction,andignorancearetheenemiesofsuccess.We'retoldthatlearningisallself-discipline,thatwemustconfineourselvestodesignatedstudyareas,turnoffthemusic,andmaintainastrictritualifwewanttoacethattest,memorizethatpresentation,ornailthatpianorecital.Butwhatifalmosteverythingweweretoldaboutlearningiswrong?Andwhatiftherewasawaytoachievemorewithlesseffort?In"HowWeLearn,"award-winningsciencereporterBenedictCareysiftsthroughdecadesofeducationresearchandlandmarkstudiestouncoverthetruthabouthowourbrainsabsorbandretaininformation.Whathediscoversisthat,fromthemomentweareborn,wearealllearningquickly,efficiently,andautomatically;butinourzealtosystematizetheprocesswehaveignoredvaluable,naturallyenjoyablelearningtoolslikeforgetting,sleeping,anddaydreaming.Isadedicateddeskinaquietroomreallythebestwaytostudy?Canalteringyourroutineimproveyourrecall?Aretheretimeswhendistractionisgood?Isrepetitionnecessary?Carey'ssearchforanswerstothesequestionsyieldsawealthofstrategiesthatmakelearningmoreapartofoureverydaylives--andlessofachore.Byroadtestingmanyofthecounterintuitivetechniquesdescribedinthisbook,Careyshowshowwecanflextheneuralmusclesthatmakedeeplearningpossible.Alongthewayherevealswhyteachersshouldgivefinalexamsonthefirstdayofclass,whyit'swisetointerleavesubjectsandconceptswhenlearninganynewskill,andwhenit'ssmartertostayuplatepreppingforthatpresentationthantoriseearlyforonelastcramsession.Andifthisrequiressomesuspensionofdisbelief,that'sbecausetheresearchdefieswhatwe'vebeentold,throughoutourlives,abouthowbesttolearn.Thebrainisnotlikeamuscle,atleastnotinanystraightforwardsense.Itissomethingelsealtogether,sensitivetomood,totiming,tocircadianrhythms,aswellastolocationandenvironment.Itdoesn'ttakeorderswell,toputitmildly.Ifthebrainisalearningmachine,thenitisaneccentricone.In"HowWeLearn,"BenedictCareyshowsushowtoexploititsquirkstoouradvantage.Praisefor"HowWeLearn"""HowWeLearn"makesforawelcomerejoindertothefaddishnotionthatlearningisallaboutthehoursputin.Learners,[Benedict]Careyremindsus,arenotautomatons."--"TheNewYorkTimesBookReview""""Theinsightsof"HowWeLearn"applytofarmorethanjustacademicsituations.Anyonelookingtolearnamusicalinstrumentwouldbenefitfromunderstandingwhatfrequencyandtypeofpracticeismosteffective.EvenreaderswithlittlepracticaluseforCarey'sinformationwilllikelyfindmuchofitfascinating,suchashowintuitioncanbeateachableskill,orthatgivingpracticeexamsattheverybeginningofasemesterimprovesgrades."HowWeLearn"isavaluable,entertainingtoolforeducators,studentsandparents."--"ShelfAwareness""Thisbookisarevelation.IfeelasifI'veownedabrainforfifty-fouryearsandonlynowdiscoveredtheoperatingmanual."--MaryRoach,bestsellingauthorof"Stiff"and"Gulp"