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Learn Better

“Best Science Book Of The Year,” Amazon Editors Picks.

“Alternately humorous, surprising, and profound,” Walter Isaacson

“Great book for: building up expertise in your field,” Business Insider. 

“Witty, engaging,” Spy.

“Digs into the neuroscience of learning,” The Atlantic.

“We can all be natural learners if, like Boser, we make the time for it, design the right processes, and figure out how to track our progress,” Quartz.

Take the “Learn Better” quiz on NPR. 

Read excerpts in Slate, Vox, Wired, Scientific American, and US News & World Report.


Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything

For centuries, experts have argued that learning was about memorizing information: You’re supposed to study facts, dates, and details, burn them into your memory, and then apply that knowledge at opportune times. But this approach to learning isn’t nearly enough for the world that we live in today, and in Learn Better, I demonstrate that how we learn can matter just as much as what we learn.

In the book, I map out the new science of learning, showing how simple techniques like self-questioning can help people gain expertise in dramatically better ways. Among the important findings and practical tips, I tell a series of fascinating stories. I explain how artist Jackson Pollock learned to paint–and why an ancient Japanese counting device allows kids to do math at superhuman speeds.

This powerful book will revolutionize the way students–and society–approach learning and aims to spark dramatic changes in our nation’s school system.

Below are reviews, extras, as well as photos that never made it into the book. You can buy the book now at AmazonBarnes and NobleIBooksIndiebound, and Booksamillion


Praise

“Learning makes us human, yet few of us truly understand how the brain, the heart, and the body work together to create new knowledge. Learn Better pulls back the curtain on the hidden ways we are wired for learning, in ways that are alternately humorous, surprising, and profound.”

–Walter Isaacson,  President and CEO of the Aspen Institute and author most recently of The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

“This book is a great read. I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences in the classroom and my own experiences as a student.”

— John King, former Secretary of Education

“Learn Better offers real insights on learning, the role of educators, and how the two can come together in deep and meaningful ways for students and all life-long learners. Boser makes the science of learning accessible and interesting for educators, parents, and policymakers.”
— Randi Weingarten, President American Federation of Teachers

“Brimming with helpful insights and interesting stories, this surprising and engaging new book provides an important, much-needed introduction to the science of learning.  It belongs on the bookshelf of every learner.”
–Linda Darling-Hammond, President of the Learning Policy Institute and Charles E. Ducommon Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University.


Reviews

“Boser’s thought-provoking work unpacks the complex subject of how we learn… littered with personal anecdotes about his own struggles and successes with learning, crammed with descriptions of exciting research in the area…. This work infuses a sense of fresh excitement and accessibility into a topic sometimes considered stodgy.”

Publisher’s Weekly

“Witty, engaging writing… It’ll challenge you to re-think the way you see facts and process information. Pick up this new book and see why your brain is even smarter – and better – than you think,”

–Tim Chan, Spy

“Boser’s smart and approachable writing style engaged me at once as he laid out six methods for becoming an expert at whatever you like, whether it’s basketball, parenting, or quantum physics,”

Adrian Liang, Amazon’s Top Picks for the Best Books of the Month

The book “lays out the science in very accessible and readable ways… Boser explodes a lot of myths about learning.”

Bob Rothman, Education Week

“Wide-ranging in its scope and approach… very useful insights into how learning operates throughout our lives, not just in the classroom.”

Natalie Houston, Chronicle of Higher Education


Excerpts

VOX: Sorry Kids, Schools Need More Testing, Not Less.

U.S. NEWS: A Better Way To Learn In City Schools: Kids gain a better understanding of a topic – and hone critical thinking skills – by arguing about it.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Say No To Highlighters, Yes to Flash Cards: A Q&A with Ulrich Boser

SLATE: Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: If you want to actually get better at something, you need to first figure out what you’re doing wrong.

 VOX: I learned how to do math with the ancient abacus – and it changed my life

FAST COMPANY: Five Popular Myths About Learning That Are Completely Wrong

INC: Want to Be a  Better Learner? Consider How Pilots train to Fly a Plane: Research shows it’s possible to improve skills through targeted training and a focused process


Interviews

PACIFIC STANDARD: An Interview with Tom JacobsWhy It’s Counterproductive to Call Someone Smart

THE ATLANTIC: A talk with Olga KhazanHow to Learn New Things as an Adult


Buzzfeed Quiz

Take the Learning to Learn Quiz! I created a Buzzfeed quiz based on the book along with some guides that give additional concrete advice.


Guides

Guide for Students

I developed a “Learn Better” Guide for Students, which gives some take-home tips and advice.

Guide for Teachers

Here’s the “Learn Better” Guide for Teachers and Parents, which offers research-based advice on helping learners.

A Guide for Teachers

I also produced a “Learn Better” Guide for Policymakers, that outlines recommendations for how to improve learning at scale.


Photos & Extras


Info Graphic:

This tool is a quick guide on how to use the research from my book for better learning outcomes.


Video: Check out this video on Youtube about how the abacus can help students learn math.


And if you’re looking for the list of errors and clarifications, that’s here.