Hi all, I love this forum because of the really intense “rubber on the road,” practical advice for Japanese learning. I’ve gotten a lot out of it in the relatively short time I’ve been here.

I was wondering if people here had taken a step back and had recommendations for books on learning methods in general. I don’t really mean academic papers, more just pop science books or memoirs or what not. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be about language learning, just learning or mastering a skill in general. I thought it would be a good break from all of my Anki-ing to read something like that. I’m listing some of the higher-rated ones I found to see if anyone could comment.

(none of these links should have an affiliate code or anything, I hope it's okay to post linking to Amazon)

Language Learning

Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It by Gabriel Wyner

Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners by Michael Erard

Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World by Benny Lewis

Flirting with French: How a Language Charmed Me, Seduced Me, and Nearly Broke My Heart by William Alexander


Learning in General

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley


I add this one because I thought it was interesting. It’s a very intense guide book of drawing exercises that takes someone 6-24 months to complete with daily practice.

The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study by Kimon Nicolaides


I kind of think Timothy Ferriss is a shameless self-promoter, but I will add his book since I figure someone has read it:

The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss

I also like THE NATURAL WAY TO DRAW. KEYS TO DRAWING by Bert Dodson is my preferred book in that genre, though.

It's not just about learning, but I love FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Great book about how driven people create an environment in which they are learning continuously. Also some good tips about minimizing distractions and getting into an optimal state of focus where learning and productivity are maximized.

For language learning, I've recently started reading Peter Pikkert’s FREE LACE Manual. I found it on this blog post (which btw is also a good read). http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/2...ble-input/

I just started reading it but it has some awesome tips! I believe every level of language learner should check it out.

General books for learning, I recommend "How to Become a Straight-A Student" by Cal Newport and "Basic Mathematics" by Serge Lang.

harahachibu Wrote:A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley

This book is the base for a free online course at Coursera: Learn How to Learn, taught by the author.

The title of the book might be misleading, since it applies not only to science, but for any field.

Both the book (which is also available as an ebook on Google Play Books) and the course will teach you about topics like: the focused and diffuse modes of thinking and why both are important for learning, the importance of sleep, procrastination, chunking, spaced repetition and more.

I'm reading this book and taking the online course, and I'm loving both. They are interesting, easy to understand and very useful. I can't recommend enough both the book and the course to anyone who wants to learn to make better use of their brains.


BTW, this is a great topic!

I'll be checking on it to look for my next readings.

gaiaslastlaugh Wrote:I love FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Flow theory? Lol, I was literally just writing a paragraph on that this evening for one of my research papers

Totally off topic though, sorry

RawrPk Wrote:For language learning, I've recently started reading Peter Pikkert’s FREE LACE Manual. I found it on this blog post (which btw is also a good read). http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/2...ble-input/

I checked the Polish version of the post. It's extremely clumsy (they call it Real Polish!!!).
If it's real, then I'm surreal and my English is real English.

LOL...I wouldn't know anything about the Polish version, or the German version of the post. I don't know any of those languages so I never really looked into them.

Aaron (the blog owner) didn't write those translated post himself but there is another post called "Steal My Blog, Start a Revolution" where he invites people to translate his blog posts and other materials so they can be shared. I think it's a good concept, but I also believe it requires through editing to sound natural.

http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/a...evolution/

Sebastian Wrote:

harahachibu Wrote:A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley

This book is the base for a free online course at Coursera: Learn How to Learn, taught by the author.

The title of the book might be misleading, since it applies not only to science, but for any field.

Both the book (which is also available as an ebook on Google Play Books) and the course will teach you about topics like: the focused and diffuse modes of thinking and why both are important for learning, the importance of sleep, procrastination, chunking, spaced repetition and more.

I'm reading this book and taking the online course, and I'm loving both. They are interesting, easy to understand and very useful. I can't recommend enough both the book and the course to anyone who wants to learn to make better use of their brains.


BTW, this is a great topic!

I'll be checking on it to look for my next readings.

I had a friend recommend the Coursera class to me a few months back but never got around to taking it. I guess I should take a peek

I think this question belongs here...

Any recommendations on books in Japanese for business or just useful topics on life? I don't really read non-novels so I think it'd be a great intro to a different type of writing. Plus I know Japan just loves their self-improvement shit. But I'd like something recommended by someone who has read some.

A few books I've read in Japanese that fall vaguely into the self-improvement category are as follows:

人生がときめく片づけの魔法 - This book has become quite popular in the Western world, so I thought I should read it in the original Japanese. It is about tidying your house (and tidying your life, to an extent). Sounds boring but it is actually very interesting although it gets a bit repetitive after a while.

初対面の3分で誰とでも仲良くなれる本 - I don't remember much about this book but it does basically what it says on the tin. Tips on how to talk to people especially in the 1st 3 minutes after you meet them.

カイジ「命より重い！」お金の話 - This was my favourite JP self-improvement book so far. It is basically about how to manage your money, but using anecdotes from the Kaiji manga (gambling apocalypse) to illustrate the points and make it interesting. It comes at it from different perspective to most money related books, so even if you think you don't need any help in this area you will learn a thing or two or at least be challenged on some of your beliefs.

Another book with a similar style but not exactly self-improvement is 自閉症の僕が跳びはねる理由, which is written by a boy with severe autism and tries to explain why autistic people behave the way they do. Quite interesting.

Here are some more or less useful Internet guides for language learners by people who know a thing or two about learning them.

http://learnanylanguage.wikia.com/wiki/L...y_Language

Steve Kaufmann

http://www.lingq.com/

Iversen
Guide to Learning Languages, part 1
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/for...16932&PN=1

Leo Smith
http://www.polydog.org/index.php?forums/...ig_dog.19/

Alexander Arguelles
http://www.foreignlanguageexpertise.com/

Vladimir Skultety
http://www.foreverastudent.com/

Bakunin's log (Thai, Khmer) this guy is absolutely crazy.
http://www.how-to-learn-any-language.org...f=15&t=789



My late sister's guide with resources (Japanese, Mandarin, and more):
http://users.bestweb.net/~siom/martian_mountain/


I personally prefer books by professionals. I don't mind Internet resources, though.
So read some books on lingusitcs and psychology of learning by university professors.

My piece of advice:
always start with pronunciation and listening comprehension, not reading and writing.

NickT Wrote:A few books I've read in Japanese that fall vaguely into the self-improvement category are as follows:

人生がときめく片づけの魔法 - This book has become quite popular in the Western world, so I thought I should read it in the original Japanese. It is about tidying your house (and tidying your life, to an extent). Sounds boring but it is actually very interesting although it gets a bit repetitive after a while.

Is this the book by the woman who basically says that you should surround yourself only with the objects that create joy in your life?

TheVinster Wrote:I think this question belongs here...

Any recommendations on books in Japanese for business or just useful topics on life? I don't really read non-novels so I think it'd be a great intro to a different type of writing. Plus I know Japan just loves their self-improvement shit. But I'd like something recommended by someone who has read some.

Read lifehacker.jp - some great leads on just those type of books. Here's one that popped up recently:

http://www.lifehacker.jp/2015/08/150818_..._read.html

gaiaslastlaugh Wrote:

TheVinster Wrote:I think this question belongs here...

Any recommendations on books in Japanese for business or just useful topics on life? I don't really read non-novels so I think it'd be a great intro to a different type of writing. Plus I know Japan just loves their self-improvement shit. But I'd like something recommended by someone who has read some.

Read lifehacker.jp - some great leads on just those type of books. Here's one that popped up recently:

http://www.lifehacker.jp/2015/08/150818_..._read.html

Thanks. Books aside, any other websites with interesting articles in Japanese? That isn't just the news.

I did find a website that listed more self-help books

http://www.booksfromjapan.jp/publication...-self-help

Haven't read them myself as my reading skills aren't up there yet. I also liked the books in the Cooking and Food section and this book in the Education section.

Dictionary Bookmarking Will Change Your Child before Your Eyes by Keisuke Fukaya

Though it's more aimed for elementary school children, it shows a method of using a 辞書 early on to expand their vocabulary. Might be something I wil pick up in the future.

For general learning books, here are a few more:

The Sketchnote Handbook: the illustrated guide to visual note taking by Mike Rohde

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book: Make a World by Ed Emberley

Infographics Designers' Sketchbooks by Steven Heller and Rick Landers

I'm no artist but I can appreciate when people take the time to create visual notes or infographics to summarize an overall topic. I recommended the 2nd book for those like myself without any artist talent haha. These are immediate future purchases as I am broke right now xD

Just look at this awesome infographic on how skeletal muscles works!
http://tabletopwhale.com/2014/08/12/a-us...scles.html