The art of learning
by Josh Waitzkin · first published 2007
82% recommend16% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Chess prodigy turned push-hands world champion explains how he learns: incremental practice, intuition, flow, and handling pressure. Easy, down-to-earth read for anyone chasing high performance in any field.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Thanks! That bit you quoted is from the book "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin, so I can't take credit for it. Great book. Really inspiring. http://sivers.org/book/ArtOfLearning Writing good essays/articles is something else I really aspire to, and definitely…
on “After 15 years of practice..” ↗If anyone who read Four Hour Work Week came away feeling slightly dirty about Ferriss's route to success, I'd recommend reading "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin. Josh is the chess prodigy featured in the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and later became a world champion in Tai Chi/Push Hands. Where Ferriss finds ways to quickly exploit weaknesses…
on “If Your Job’s Just a Job” ↗…"actually make it work" doesn't come from being "smart enough/hard-working enough" - making it work isn't an inborn inability, it comes from regular, incremental training. Definitely check out Waitzkin's Art of Learning. It'll do wonders for you. It's a light, easy, pleasant read too.<<< A lot of it derives from the fact that since I was a kid I was told that I was "gifted", and all that crap. After a few…
on “My loss” ↗My candidates (not in order): Getting Things Done (Superpower: Time Management) Bargaining for Advantage (Superpower: Negotiation) The Art of Learning (Superpower: Learning) Telling Lies (Superpower: Facial expressions etc...somewhat of a cheat since you'll probably need to read more on the topic) Economics in One Lesson (Superpower: Understanding…
on “What one book could give me a new, useful superpower?” ↗…opinion is a superb book if you are interested in statistics/philosophy. He presents the chaotic structure of our world and why extreme events are more common than we think.Definitely suggested. - The art of Learning - Josh Waitzkin This is a book that presents the Author's (Chess and Tai Chi Chuan World champion) way of learning. Has some pretty useful insight. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12415621 [1]:…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗One of the books that has had the biggest influence in my life is "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin, the child chess prodigy of "Searching for Bobby Fischer" fame. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Learning-Journey-Optimal-Performa...
on “Mental processes of chess masters revealed how people become experts (2016) [pdf]” ↗I’m currently reading Josh Waitzkin’s The Art of Learning and I think this question of thinking, intuition, practice and flow and putting it all together is explored there at a great length, can totally recommend it if you’re interested in the topic.
on “Thinking on Your Feet” ↗If you are getting into competitive martial arts, I highly recommend that you read The Art of Learning (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Learning-Journey-Optimal-Performan...).
on “Ask HN: What's your most interesting life goal currently?” ↗"Mastery" by Robert Greene. "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin. "The Icarus Deception" by Seth Godin.
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗I'm currently reading a fascinating book on world-class performance, "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waizkind, a chess and martial arts champion. It gives some really great insights into the world-class players' psychology. Highly recommended!
on “Magnus Carlsen – “I am chaotic and lazy” (2010)” ↗The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin. I was definitely in the right place to take in the topic, but it was, more or less, a book on how you can be "good" without much effort, but to be great or the best, it takes a lot…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗Your explanations remind me a lot of Josh Waitzkin, check out his book The Art of Learning or any one of his interviews. I think you will agree with a lot of what he has to say on learning as he approaches it very similarly.
on “Ask HN: What's it like getting better at meditation?” ↗The Art of Learning by Waitzkin. The book details the lessons over time that the author (an American chess prodigy) learned about how to improve at chess. It gets interesting when he applies these same lessons to become…
on “Books that have affected you and your life the most” ↗I would almost suggest Josh Waitzkin’s book “The Art Of Learning” instead of Dr. Dweck’s as his speaks through first-hand experience of the two mindsets while being a child prodigy.
on “Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests” ↗One of my favorite books of all times: The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. He was the chess prodigy written about in Searching for Bobby Fisher. He quit chess shortly after and became a world champion in Tai Chi. The book is about learning two very different…
on “To get good, go after the metagame” ↗