In our blog on Habr, we publish not only stories about from the community of ITMO University but also photo excursions â for example, to our , and .
Today, we have gathered a selection of books that explore ways to enhance efficiency in work and study from the perspective of thought patterns.
Photo: / Flickr /
Thinking Habits
Thinking Habits
Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid
Robert Sternberg (Yale University Press, 2002)
Smart people sometimes make very foolish mistakes. Those who blindly trust their competence often fall into "blind spots" they are unaware of. The essays presented in this book explore the bad habits of intellectuals â from ignoring obvious cause-and-effect relationships to the tendency to overestimate their own experience. This book will help you critically assess how we think, learn, and work.
How Children Fail
John Holt (1964, Pitman Publishing Corp.)
American educator John Holt is one of the most prominent critics of established educational systems. This book is based on his teaching experience and observations of how fifth graders experience academic failures. The chapters resemble diary entries â circling around situations that the author gradually analyzes. Careful reading will allow you to rethink your own experience and understand which "educational" habits have rooted in you since childhood. The book was published in Russian in the 90s but has been out of print since then.
Teaching as a Subversive Activity
Neil Postman & Charles Weingartner (Delacorte Press, 1969)
According to the authors, several global problems â such as climate change, social inequality, and the epidemic of mental disorders â remain unsolved due to the educational approach instilled in us since childhood. To lead a meaningful life and actively change the world for the better, it is essential to first change our relationship with knowledge as such and the process of acquiring it. The authors argue for critical thinking and organizing the educational process around questions rather than answers to them.
Learning to Learn
Learning to Learn
Make It Stick: The Science Of Successful Learning
Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel (2014)
In this book, you will find both a description of the educational process from a psychological perspective and practical advice for its optimization. Special attention is given to educational strategies that do not work in practice. The authors explain why this happens and discuss what can be done about it. For example, they argue that adapting to a student's learning preferences is pointless. Research indicates that a predisposition to certain teaching methods does not affect learning effectiveness.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Harper, 1990)
The most famous work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. At the center of the book is the concept of "flow." The author argues that the ability to consistently "get into the flow" makes human life more meaningful, happy, and productive. The book discusses how representatives from various professionsâfrom musicians to climbersâachieve this state and what you can learn from them. It is written in accessible, popular language, akin to the self-help genre. This year, the book was reissued in Russian once again.
How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
George Polya (Princeton University Press, 1945)
A classic work by Hungarian mathematician George PĂłlyaâan introduction to working with mathematical methods. It contains a number of practical techniques that can be applied to solve both mathematical problems and problems of other types. A valuable resource for those who want to develop the intellectual discipline necessary for studying the exact sciences. In the Soviet Union, the book was published as early as 1959 under the title "How to Solve Problems."
Think Like a Mathematician: How to Solve Any Problem Faster and More Effectively
Barbara Oakley (TarcherPerigee; 2014)
Not everyone wants to study the exact sciences, but that does not mean they canât learn from mathematicians. This is the stance of Barbara Oakleyâa professor at Oakland University, engineer, linguist, and translator. "Think Like a Mathematician" examines the work processes of individuals in the exact sciences and shares key lessons that readers can draw from them. The discussion will cover mastering material without rote memorization, both short-term and long-term memory, the ability to recover from failures, and fighting procrastination.
Learning to Think
Learning to Think
Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
Douglas Hofstadter (Basic Books, 1985)
Soon after the cognitive scientist and Pulitzer Prize winner Douglas Hofstadter's book "" was published, the author began to regularly contribute to Scientific American. His columns were later supplemented with comments and compiled into a hefty book titled "Metamagical Themas." Hofstadter addresses various topics related to the nature of human thought: from optical illusions and Chopin's music to artificial intelligence and programming. The author's theories are illustrated through thought experiments.
Labyrinths of Reason: Paradox, Puzzles, and the Frailty of Knowledge
William Poundstone (Anchor Press, 1988)
What is "common sense"? How is knowledge formed? How does our perception of the world relate to reality? William Poundstone's work, rooted in his background as a physicist and vocation as a writer, addresses these and other questions. He explores epistemology and provides insights into the paradoxical characteristics of human thought that are easily overlooked. Notable admirers of the book include cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, and mathematician Martin Gardner.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011)
Daniel Kahneman is a professor at Princeton University, a Nobel Prize winner, and one of the founders of behavioral economics. This is the fifth and latest book by the author, where some of his scientific findings are popularized. The book describes two types of thinking: slow and fast, and their influence on the decisions we make. It also pays great attention to the self-deception methods that people engage in to simplify their lives. It includes advice on self-improvement as well.
P.S. You can find more interesting books on the topic .
Source: habr.com
