Born Standing Up

31st August 2017

Cheery Friday Greetings to our Learning How to Learners!

Books of the Week

Unusually for us, we have several wide-ranging book recommendations this week.

  • Laughing out loud: Barb’s aunt was the mail-woman who used to deliver comedian Steve Martin’s mail for him at his home in Hollywood. So that’s how we came to know that in real life, Steve Martin is truly the nice guy he appears to be in his beautifully written, best-selling autobiography Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life.  (Yes, Steve did the Audible narrative, too.) Working as a professional stand up comedian is hard. If you are a teacher or do any kind of public speaking, you’ll find useful nuggets as you learn of Martin’s extraordinary life.
  • Kids and neuroscience: If you think your or a relative’s child might be curious about neuroscience, we recommend My First Book About the Brain (Dover Children’s Science Books), by Patricia J. Wynne and Donald M. Silver, 2013. This 32 page long, award-winning coloring-book is actually used in some regular classes and could be a particular boon for the wide-ranging interests of home-schooled kids. Suitable for ages 8–12, but grownups also seem to enjoy the relaxing process of coloring while they learn.
  • Curiosity: Right now, we’re just wrapping up Why: What Makes Us Curious, by Mario Livio (Audio version here) This is a very readable account of curiosity that also gives insight into what holds our interest. [Hat tip Jose Fernando Nicholls]

Writing Routines

Have you ever wondered how writers structure their writing routines?  Check out this story, “How This Former Army Captain Turned Bestselling Author Gets Her Writing Done (And What She Learned from Cormac McCarthy).” It’s from the website Writing Routines, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the daily habits of writers and authors. Can you guess who the interview is with?

Getting in the “Back to School” Mode

There’s a buzz in the air as school beckons for hundreds of millions around the globe. Since we’re speaking of A Mind for Numbers, now is the perfect time to get this international bestseller. You, a relative, or a friend who might be returning to school, will benefit.  (Audio version here. Two free audiobooks may be possible through this link.)

Other back-to-school recommendations include our perennial favorites:

For more learning-related resources, check out our list of “Recommended books, tools, etc,” which is tucked away in a corner of Learning How to Learn.

Class Central: Learning How to Learn and Mindshift are Tops in the World!

Both Learning How to Learn and Mindshift made Class Central’s Top 50 MOOCs of All Time (2017 edition)!  Barb & Terry are the only instructors to make this list with two MOOCs. Be sure to check out Class Central’s list if you’re trying to find the right MOOC for you.

Getting to Know Your Learning How to Learn Mentors—Lead Mentor Linda Walker
Linda Walker took Learning How to Learn in its very first session, in August, 2014 and was over the moon when invited to mentor the next session of the course.  And we were over the moon when she accepted the offer to become Lead Mentor to our exceptional team of Mentors!  Linda’s professional background is in communications and marketing, but she’s taking an extended career break to spend more time with her young family. Watch for Linda’s posts on the forums, she’s often there helping learners understand and navigate their way through the course.

An Exceptional Final Honors Assignment for Learning How to Learn

Here is a terrific blog post that was written for the Final Honors assignment in our course.  In Barb’s book A Mind for Numbers, (the course recommended text), she touched on Magnus Carlsen and his effective use of diffuse mode. LHTLer Manoel Cortes Mendez goes much deeper in his post “Learning from a Prodigy: The Science Behind the Feats of the Greatest Chess Player of All Time.” This is a fascinating write-up—highly recommended! Let this terrific final honors assignment inspire you in your own assignment.

LHTL has Complete Polish Subtitles!

We’re excited to announce that all videos in Learning How to Learn have been subtitled in Polish!  This is a big advance, and we can’t thank our Polish Lead Krzysztof Adamczyk enough for his great work!  If you speak Polish, (or even if you don’t!), check out the Polish captions on all the videos.

How To: 10 Steps to Learn Any Skill (and Why They Will Change Your Life)

Here’s an excellent guide by Arthur Worsley on how to go about learning pretty much any new skill and why it’s so important.

MOOC of the Week

There’s a new MOOC starting September 11th  for those of you who are looking to get either hired or promoted. Job Success: Get Hired or Promoted in 3 Steps was designed and is taught by Dr. Christine Kroll, Anne Reed, and Amber Winters of State University of New York. This course will prepare you to stand out in a crowded applicant pool so that you can get hired.  You’ll create:

  • An upgraded social media presence (one that you can be proud of)
  • A visual, infographic resume that will get you noticed
  • A professional pitch that highlights your strengths and skills

Barb, Terry, and the entire Learning How to Learn team
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