Friend of a Friend
18th May 2018
Cheery Friday Greetings to our Learning How to Learners!
Book of the Week
This week’s selection is Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career, by business school professor David Burkus. He offers great insight into how and why you can broaden your network, and how important it is to open your mind to those who are different from you, in background, training, outlook, or ideology. We particularly like the stories of both well-known people such as Tim Ferriss, and lesser-known but intriguing characters who’ve made their career breakthroughs by tapping into networks in unusual ways. We couldn’t agree more with the book’s central premise: “making choices about who your friends are and being aware of who is a friend of a friend—can directly influence the person you become, for better or for worse.”
A nice book also for audio listening.
How to Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes or Less—An Outstanding Article!
There was a problem in the US during World War II. Pilots were dying because they were so stressed that they couldn’t relax. Even in the bits and pieces of time pilots did have to sleep, they were often too stressed to do so. This useful article by Brett and Kate McKay on the blog The Art of Manliness describes Naval Ensign Bud Winter’s useful techniques for teaching relaxation and ways to rapidly fall asleep. Barb has found these techniques to be invaluable in improving her ability to fall asleep! (And don’t forget last year’s Book-of-the-Year, Why We Sleep.)
When Do You Lose the Ability to Speak Like a Native Speaker?
This interesting article by Dana G. Smith in Scientific American describes a recent research study (which included pre-eminent psychologist Steven Pinker), of when the ability to speak like a native speaker disappears. The surprising and controversial result? Age 18!
The 23 Best Memory Improvement Books
Have you ever wanted to learn more about how to improve your memory? Check out this listing by Upjourney. (A Mind for Numbers is #3!)
How to Learn a Musical Instrument by Internet
One question seems to frequently arise when it comes to online learning—what are the best resources for learning to play a musical instrument? If that’s your question, the ever-curious Pat Bowden at Online Learning Success has answers for you—read on!
That’s all for this week. Have a happy week in Learning How to Learn!
Barb, Terry, and the entire Learning How to Learn team
Get the course recommended text, A Mind for Numbers!
NEW! Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens. Great ideas for parents, too!
