Barbara OakleyReseñas

Love her. Love the material. Do not love illustrative anecdotes.

The best practical guide for how to succeed at technical subjects that I've seen (and I've read a fair amount on this subject). Research backed, including lots of stuff I've read elsewhere, but condensed down to solid, practical advice with just a bit of research backstory (many of the other books I've read go into greater detail on the research methodologies, which is great but not really what you care about when you're actively struggling with learning tricky algorithms or writing tough proofs and trying to figure out what you can do to get better).

I'd recommend this to anyone studying Math, Computer Science, Physics, or other technical subjects (and have been actively recommending it to my coding bootcamp students). The book focuses on math, but the techniques apply elsewhere.

I am pretty sure I have more dog-eared pages than not! Some of the ideas where a little more geared to primary and secondary teaching but there was still plenty of great stuff for postsecondary teaching.

A little bit of humour would have improved the book by a lot.

El libro es interesante, con explicaciones de cómo funciona nuestra memoria y cómo formamos recuerdos. Lo recomendaría sobre todo a estudiantes que quieran aprovechar mejor su tiempo de estudio y sobre todo tomar las riendas de su propio proceso de aprendizaje.

More of generic learning strategies + procrastination + study tips than Math/Science per se (though she ties back the points loosely to Math/Science).

What it covers:
• How your brain works and how you learn. Find out about the 2 modes of thinking (focused and diffuse), 2 key memory systems (short-term and long-term), and how they affect learning.
• Various learning strategies, including distributed practice, deliberate practice, mixed practice, chunking, spaced retrieval, memory techniques, and how to apply them to Math/Science.
• Additional strategies and tips to overcome procrastination and prepare for tests/exams.

Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summary-a-mind-for-numbers/

This book does an excellent job of presenting useful info on learnign techniques and the underlying processes. The only issue (if being applicable to a wider range of subjects than ouright stated is a downside) is that the book frames everything strictly in terms of math and science, despite the fact that the advice it gives apllies to learning subjects in general.

* Learning is possible, at any age, in any subject
* Learning is a way of life, it's a natural process that shall not be avoided
* The world belongs to the generalists, broadening horizons is a necessity½

Among self help material, this is a good one. There is an excellent Coursera course (learning how to learn) by the same author & based on the same material.

Read this and gave it to Olivia-Grace to read. There is a lot of valuable information in this, that I think is perfect for teenagers, specifically high school and middle school age students. And Olivia-Grace starts Middle School next Monday, so I think its perfect timing for her to read it.

It is a bit juvenile in some places and some of the things seem obvious and overly 'dumbed' down (for lack of better terminology; but that is to be considered who the audience is and its not horrible and its not the entire book either.

A lot of this is things I've known before, but I think this book did a wonderful job of condensing that, and putting it all together and into a package for teenagers/youth, and done well enough to make it interesting, fun, and educational. Definitely a well read book and one I think many kids could use to learn a lot from. A lot of handy resources at the back too, from games, websites, to books, etc.

Highly recommend.

Understandably a little more aimed at students than older folks like me looking form better self-guided learning habits, but a good collection of study techniques and tips nonetheless. Probably some things I could have actually used while in school, but I don't know if I'd have had the maturity to actually apply things like spaced repetition back then. I'll have to come back and rate this once I've seen how much of an effect it winds up having.

What an excellent book. I read it during a flight from Sydney to Tokyo and it was both easy to read and (because of the various tricks with constant revision), it was also easy to recall). I must say, Barbara captured me very early on with her personal anecdote about how she felt she couldn’t do maths or science but now is a scientist. Actually, they use such personal anecdotes very cleverly throughout.
The book appears to be very well grounded in the current neurology of learning. Yet it comes with really practical suggestions.... such as ...”leave your iPhone in the next room”. And use the Pomodoro technique. I’m actually thinking of buying an actual physical Pomodoro timer because I can see that it’s a great idea. (Actually the pomodoro technique is not new to me.... nor are most of the other techniques but they really introduce them in such an interesting way as to make them very memorable.
One exception: I found the description of interleaving confusing. It needs cleaning up. I eventually got the point that instead of just doing all the examples of, say, isosceles triangles.... it’s smart to throw in some examples from the other stuff you have done..... say... linear equations. The point being that it jolts the brain and stimulates the memory and makes both types of examples more memorable.
I also loved the story by one of the authors about how he had avoided Chemistry but then enrolled in the high school chemistry class .... basically proving the point that you can learn new stuff. But also providing a lot of pointers about how to do it.
I would highly recommend this book and have already given it to my son ... with some pressure to actually read it. Five stars from me

Very breezy and easy to read. This book presents ideas and techniques of studying and learning that might seem somewhat counter-intuitive, but they have many people that support them. Essentially, if you want to understand the material, you have to make sure you can explain it to others. There are other ideas too, like get enough sleep.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and could definitely use it for reference in the future.

The information in the book isn't necessarily revelatory. In fact, most of us have learned it in some form or another, but it's the way Dr. Oakley lays it out, and supports the claims with evidence, that makes this book important. The book is also accessible to everyone. Instead of presenting in complicated terms, it cuts right to the point in clear language.

I really appreciate that the author was just as tormented and terrified of math in school as many of us were. Seeing her come to love matg, and have multiple engineering and science degrees, adds weight to the techniques she presents. I wish every math/science teacher (especially middle and high school) would read this book.

Where was the book back when I was in high school and university?
And what can I now study just so I can try out the techniques and advice in the book?

This is one of my favourites reads this year and is full of really great explanations and examples which underpin the practical advice given in the book. It is a book that challenges you to go further.

"We develop a passion for what we are good at. The mistake is thinking that if we aren't good at something, we do not have an can never develop a passion for it."

More words than necessary to convey its message, but I guess the author had to stretch it into a book, and she is writing for not-so-smart students. Basically it is a book on how to study and be a good student. Most of the tricks I used myself, but some of them are articulated in a way I may not have been able to convey myself. the biggest take-aways for me were the strategy of taking short breaks when it gets too challenging to let you subconscious work on a problem, and focussing on process not product. That means don't be overwhelmed by how far you have to go to get to the finish , but focus on doing 20 minutes every day (or whatever is practical) and eventually you will get to the end. And it won't be as awful as you imagined. Also, practise, practise something else, then practise some more to instill it in your brain. Good advice, but no more magic than focus and keep at it, smartly.

The is the second book by Professor Oakley that I’ve read (the other is “Mindshift”)…I read this one after Mindshift, having heard about that one first, leading to reading this book.
I can’t say enough about how valuable this book may be for learners (even if you are like me, even in my 60’s and semi-retired, I still consider myself a learner). I realize that all techniques mentioned here might not work for all people, but the fact is, she reveals what much of research is showing about ways we learn, and how that research often contrasts with many learning techniques people use today (which may be preventing them from learning). I used her analogy in one chapter to quickly learn the 5 layers of the human skin by use of a “route” through my house…I’ve gone around a couple days now reciting them to my wife, to strange looks…but I’ve got them down…
The author talks about test-taking techniques – I’d always been told and believed that when taking a test, you should find the easiest problems first, do them, then go on to the toughest…she disputes this method. For some of us, doing the easiest ones first might work, especially if we never freeze on the tougher ones and really know the material enough to breeze through them…but for many test takers, they are easily stumped by the tougher ones and have spent energy (and perhaps allowed more stress to build fearing what’s to come) by doing the easier ones, only to freeze on the tough ones. She says that by going immediately to the tough ones for a short period, a minute or two (and shifting to some easy ones if you are really stumped after trying the toughest), your brain can be allowed to sub-consciously be working on a solution for the tough ones while you do easy ones…then shift back to tough ones and your brain may have worked in the background to solve the tougher ones, or at least make progress on them). If brain science/research is what she says, that technique theoretically should work.
In one of the last chapters, she recaps the 10 best study techniques and the 10 worst. A mine of gold is in those lists. And, how I wish I’d had those lists when in college.
The book is substantially aimed at college level learning…but some of the techniques can clearly work for high school and probably lower levels as well…some would have to be adapted to the situation, and some could not. But I enjoyed both books immensely, so much so that I bought a copy of this one (read the library’s copy first) and am giving it to my high school senior granddaughter…to help in her final year, but hopefully see her learn these techniques now in preparation for next year’s college start. The book will also be helpful to my high school junior granddaughter…

A thoroughly fascinating book. So think about this - what if for those courses/training you've received poor grades in, or done poorly in, or just could not "get it" no matter how hard you studied involved you using an incorrect method to learn it? Now consider how you might have studied differently if someone had shown you that the method you were using to try to learn it was an incorrect method?

What if, maybe if you chose to outline the materials differently...or drawn a road map to follow for solving a problem...or drew a cartoon with the concepts...or studied in "chunks" of material, then stopped...or studied the material in portions, knowing that if you knew the correct "portion" amount to study, did that amount only, knowing that your brain operations would embed that knowledge while you slept?

What if you believed because you did poorly in high school math that you would never be good at numbers...but found out about someone who did the same thing, learned how to study math in a different way and became a professor in engineering? Well, meet the author of this book who did exactly that.

This book will show you that despite what you think is your passion (because you are so good at it), might not be something that you should be doing...you're doing it because you were directed in that path because of what your HS teachers said was your best talent?

This book is so full of stories of people that found ways of learning things that they were horrible at...or never pursued something because someone told them they'd never be good at it...and despite those comments, they excelled at something because they found the correct way of studying it to learn it.

Beyond the stories, the author overwhelmingly shows how our education system is broken because it has not kept up with the manner in which people today learn...or learn differently. Nothing against teachers specifically, because they are rewarded for teaching the same old ways. The future is online learning...the author explains why. One of the last chapters alone is worth the cost because it has a list of organizations that offer online courses on so many subjects it is dizzying...and many are absolutely free.

The author presents a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), "Learning How to Learn" which millions have taken...which shows you how following an alternative method of learning something may give you great success. I've not yet taken it, but I will be...despite being semi-retired and not in need of further education....I will do it solely because I never want to not be a learner in some way.

What is a mindshift? Barbara Oakley provides this definition: “A “mindshift” is a deep change in life that occurs thanks to learning. In the book, Oakley describes a framework of tools that can be applied to best take advantage of learning. In each case, she uses provides a vignette of how a real person faced a life difficulty, how they solved it, and why it matters. One great part of this is the diverse group of individuals, women and man of all ages, from across the globe. Oakley discusses a variety of topics, asks the reader to work through a series of questions, and provides tools and resources to enable a person to answer these questions. Here are a sample of the topics and questions that Mindshift considers:

Broaden Your Passion >>“What could you do or be if you decided to instead broaden your passion and tried to accomplish something that demanded the most from you? What skills and knowledge could you bring with you from your past that could serve you as you really challenge yourself?”

Taking Active Steps >> “What mindshift are you trying to accomplish? What thoughts are keeping you stuck? Do you tell yourself that you are too old to make a career change?”

Considering What Underpins Your Mindshift >>
“Should the reality of the working world be a factor in your mindshift? If so, how strongly? Do you have a weakness you can change into a strength?

I really enjoyed Mindshift, but it is not a “one-shot”, quick-read book that provides all the answers. It’s a book that can help someone making a life change to do so in a coherent manner. Oakley’s shares her own failures and successes; along with others in a global community. Mindshift provides a framework for a learner’s next logical step: How to apply what you learn when making a shift in your life. In addition, Oakley provides valuable insights into maximizing learning using new tools, such as MOOCs. (She also provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of making a MOOC). Finally, I appreciated the thorough job of providing references that support the facts on learning that are provided. If you are considering a life or career change, I recommend Mindshift as a very useful guide.

Companion book to the course "learning to Learn". Easy to read and reinforced the material in the class. Quite helpful

A great look at how your brain works and remembers and lots of ideas on how to improve your learning. Written in an encouraging tone, there is an interesting MOOC available from Coursera on the subject with the author putting forward the main ideas in the book.

This book contains the information found in an online course called "Learning to Learn" taught primarily by Barbara Oakley.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn

This is one of the few self-help books you'll find that does not just repeat one or two points to beat you into submission. There is much practical advice to help with a variety of problems people have with trying to learn new things.

The book is very good. The course is even better. I like having the book as a source to remind me of what was in the course. Barbara Oakley is a great teacher and a very interesting person.

I read this book as a companion to the Coursera course "Learning How to Learn," which is taught by the author and is, in fact, nearly identical to the book. But for once I wouldn't brush it off as unnecessarily repetitive; in fact, I'd recommend both the video lecture-based course and the book together. Reading the book really helped drive home some of the key points from the lectures by actually putting them into practice. Spaced repetition and recall - reviewing material some time after you've learned it - are easy to do when the book and lectures are covering the exact same material, but you're a little behind in the book where you are in the lectures, and vice versa. Oakley also recommends trying to recall the material in a different setting than you originally learned it, to build flexibility into your understanding - easy to do when I was watching the lectures at home on my computer and reading the book at work over lunch.

I'm not in school any more, but I've been trying to improve my math skills (I got good grades in school by avoiding math wherever possible), and this book & course have offered me some useful techniques for learning, partially just by making it clear what I was already doing instinctively to learn things that come easily to me. Now that I know what those things are, it should be easier to apply them in situations where I have to stretch myself a little more.

Interesting, but hard to focus on for me personally. Easy enough to follow the scientific parts, but didn't really answer the questions I wanted answered when I checked it out. Personality disorders are easier to understand than regular people though.

When Ms. Oakley read about a woman who had killed her abusive husband, she decided to write a book about people who are altruistic -- drawn to help others, even at a cost to themselves. She thought she could use the story of Carole Alden to explore this topic. What she found was something much different.

Ms. Alden claimed to be a battered woman, but there are serious doubts about this claim. She was not the altruistic wife and mother she portrayed herself to be. The author instead found a narcissistic woman who routinely lied and manipulated those around her to fulfill her psychological needs.

This book, based on a true crime, also features analysis of several leading psychological researches into topics such as battered woman syndrome, co-dependency, victimology and other related topics. It is extensively researched. It provides an insight into the mind of a killer that is all the more chilling for being unsensationalized, and true.½