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Title details for How We Learn by Benedict Carey - Available

How We Learn

The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens

by Benedict Carey
Steve Kramer
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
In the tradition of The Power of Habit and Thinking, Fast and Slow comes a practical, playful, and endlessly fascinating guide to what we really know about learning and memory today—and how we can apply it to our own lives.
From an early age, it is drilled into our heads: Restlessness, distraction, and ignorance are the enemies of success. We’re told that learning is all self-discipline, that we must confine ourselves to designated study areas, turn off the music, and maintain a strict ritual if we want to ace that test, memorize that presentation, or nail that piano recital.
But what if almost everything we were told about learning is wrong? And what if there was a way to achieve more with less effort?
In How We Learn, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we are all learning quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey’s search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives—and less of a chore.
By road testing many of the counterintuitive techniques described in this book, Carey shows how we can flex the neural muscles that make deep learning possible. Along the way he reveals why teachers should give final exams on the first day of class, why it’s wise to interleave subjects and concepts when learning any new skill, and when it’s smarter to stay up late prepping for that presentation than to rise early for one last cram session. And if this requires some suspension of disbelief, that’s because the research defies what we’ve been told, throughout our lives, about how best to learn.
The brain is not like a muscle, at least not in any straightforward sense. It is something else altogether, sensitive to mood, to timing, to circadian rhythms, as well as to location and environment. It doesn’t take orders well, to put it mildly. If the brain is a learning machine, then it is an eccentric one. In How We Learn, Benedict Carey shows us how to exploit its quirks to our advantage.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 9, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780449807804
      • File size: 211558 KB
      • Duration: 07:20:44

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Steve Kramer narrates journalist Benedict Carey's account of new research on the process of learning. Kramer's well-measured pace, agreeable tone, and energy complement Carey's accessible writing style and fascinating findings. These findings often run counter to the prevailing folk wisdom about the best way to ensure maximum absorption and retention of information. For example, varying study setting and allowing oneself some distraction should be embraced rather than avoided. As Carey explores the research and examines his own life as a student, listeners will learn some useful new tidbits to enhance their own learning processes. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 19, 2014
      In this highly accessible exploration through one of our most perplexing processes, New York Times reporter Carey brings the concept of learning out of the classroom setting and into the wider world. More than just a “when, where, and why” account, Carey expands our understanding of the phenomenon to consider the “who,” encompassing individuals of all ages. Much as learning seems like a product of deliberate concentration, it can often be most fruitful when we embrace moments of distraction, and Carey relies on personal, at times tortured, anecdotes to illustrate his points. The role of memory is relevant, but not central to his study, which involves a more integrated means of remembering and forgetting. Learning does not consistently culminate in a singular goal; rather it is an ongoing process that can be traced, but not always measured. Carey admits that his science is at best imperfect, but he utilizes biology and cognitive science to structure and inform his work. His writing, personal and presented in the most understandable terms, strikes an appropriate tone. What we come to realize is that we are all learners, however different, which makes this book less about learning than it is about being comprehensively and attentively alive.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 24, 2014
      Carey provides a rich exploration into the theoretical underpinnings of the most recent research on learning. He unravels many myths, such as the benefits of studying in quiet, with clear prose supported by anecdotes, experiments, and examples. The main drawback is that several of Carey’s exercises for readers are not entirely conducive to the audio format. Reader Kramer has a deep, almost jovial voice that manages to convey the authority and expertise of Carey’s text. He is exceptionally adept at pacing and emphasis, making it easy to follow the denser parts of the text. When possible, he also adds enough emotion to his voice to connect with the reader. For instance, when Carey is relating some of his own success and failures, one can hear the hint of a smile in Kramer’s voice, which enhances the listening experience. A Random House hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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