Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy

by Daniel T. Willingham Ph.D

Overview

In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning.

When we study, we tend to focus on the tasks we can most easily control—such as highlighting and rereading—but these practices only give the illusion of mastery. As Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and bestselling author, explains, familiarity is not the same as comprehension.

Perfect for teachers and students of all ages, Outsmart Your Brain provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning. Each chapter provides clear and specific strategies while also explaining why traditional study processes do not work. Grounded in scientifically backed practical advice, this is the ultimate guide to improving grades and better understanding the power of our own brains.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982167172
Publisher:	Gallery Books
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	74,395
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Dan Willingham received his PhD from Harvard University in cognitive psychology and is now a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several books, including Outsmart Your Brain and Raising Kids Who Read. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, you can follow him on Twitter @DTWillingham.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 How to Understand a Lecture 7

2 How to Take Lecture Notes 27

3 How to Learn from Labs, Activities, and Demonstrations 50

4 How to Reorganize Your Notes 74

5 How to Read Difficult Books 90

6 How to Study for Exams 105

7 How to Judge Whether You're Ready for an Exam 135

8 How to Take Tests 149

9 How to Learn from Past Exams 174

10 How to Plan Your Work 193

11 How to Defeat Procrastination 216

12 How to Stay Focused 237

13 How to Gain Self-Confidence as a Learner 259

14 How to Cope with Anxiety 273

Conclusion 289

Acknowledgments 295

Bibliography 297

Index 315

Editorial Reviews

09/05/2022

Willingham (Why Don’t Students Like School?), a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, delivers a straightforward manual on how college students can learn more effectively. The author draws on psychological research and his teaching background to offer strategies for students to better absorb class material. He recommends that readers balance writing notes with paying attention to a lecture’s meaning, because too much focus on the former can lead students to miss the latter. Highlighting the importance of organization to memory retention, he describes a study that found participants better remembered words when they were presented in a “logically organized” diagram, and he suggests readers reorganize their notes into tree diagrams to prepare for tests. Much of the advice is commonsensical, as when Willingham advises students to find a distraction-free space to study and to avoid multitasking. Still, college students will appreciate the author’s pick-and-choose approach, such as when he provides suggestions for stemming anxiety—including mindfulness meditation and interpreting anxiety symptoms as excitement—and encourages readers to “see what works for you.” Though much of the guidance isn’t surprising, students will likely find some useful tips. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

In a sentence, this is the best book I've read on how anyone can learn the tactics of the most successful students. Practical but backed by the latest science, Outsmart Your Brain is an onramp to the virtuous cycle of interest, confidence, and achievement.”
—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit

“If left to our own devices, humans will usually study poorly. Luckily, Dan Willingham has identified all the ways we can trick our brain into learning (before it tricks us first). A user's guide to the student's brain.”
—Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World

“The ultimate guidebook for doing well in school, and the perfect gift for any student heading off to college, and also for the high school student who is beginning to care about grades, or—better yet—actual learning.”
—Jonathan Haidt, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind

“Brisk and interesting, this is a wonderful book with a wealth of practical advice for students in “how to” chapters on many topics. I would also recommend the book for teachers and life-long learners — anyone who cares about learning.”
—Henry L. Roediger, III, co-author of author of Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

“Willingham does double duty: he places the power to learn back where it should be, in the hands of students while showing teachers how to harness the most effective systems and techniques for boosting learning. An essential tool for the new school year, every bit as important as that calculator, handful of sharpened pencils, and stack of notebooks.”
—Jessica Lahey, New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure & The Addiction Inoculation

“Forget everything you thought you knew about being a student and read this utterly unforgettable book—the first, last, best, and only scientific guide to learning in the classroom. Filled with smart, simple, and fact-based advice on everything from listening to lectures to taking exams, Outsmart Your Brain more than earns its A+.”
— Daniel Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness and host of the PBS television series “This Emotional Life”

“What a godsend for a student! For all our pretensions to be educators, we professors never teach these vital skills. At last, Daniel Willingham, one of the world’s experts in the science of learning, explains the keys to mastering the challenges of school. And he does it not just with evidence, but with clarity and charm.”
—Steven Pinker, bestselling author of How the Mind Works and Rationality

From the Publisher

★ 2022-06-02
A cognitive scientist tackles learning.

In this “user’s guide to your brain,” psychology professor Willingham aims to show readers how to “fully exploit its learning potential.” He begins by addressing the three “tasks” that make up the bulk of education—listening, reading, and taking tests—and suggests ways students can perform each one more effectively. The author’s advice ranges from the big picture (during a lecture, listen for verbal cues that denote the hierarchical organization of material) to the granular (sit in the front row of a classroom, since “there is less chance that someone in front of you will do something distracting”). He provides an illuminating comparison between taking notes longhand versus on a laptop, explaining how the brain processes information differently according to which media is involved. The book is similarly comprehensive about test-taking, moving from the common sense (read each question carefully) to the less obvious (to reduce pre-test anxiety, students should reduce their consumption of caffeinated drinks). Throughout, Willingham masterfully synthesizes the relevant research for practical application. For example, he cites studies showing that people “remember a little more each time they attempt to remember,” particularly if they leave a few minutes between each attempt. So, if an answer eludes you on a test, try again in five minutes, returning to the question at intervals until your time is up. Willingham lays out his recommendations in admirably clear prose with a logical structure, and he includes numbered “tips,” with essential points rendered in bold. Each chapter ends with an equivalent set of tips for teachers. The author also addresses a more personal obstacle to learning: students who, perhaps because of family background, don’t feel like they truly belong in school. On this subject, the author is both eloquent and encouraging.

Highly informative and inspiring: a must-read for students of any age.

Kirkus Reviews