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The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education
How to learn effectively when you have to be both the teacher and student. Work smarter and save yourself countless hours. Self-learning is not just about performing better in the classroom or the office. It’s about being able to aim your life in whatever direction you choose and conquering the obstacles in front of you. Replicable methods and insights to build expertise from ground zero. The Science of Self-Learning focuses not only on learning, but what it means to direct your own learning. Anyone can read a book, but what about more? You will learn to deconstruct a topic and then construct your own syllabus and plan. Gathering information, initial research, having a dialogue with new information - unlock these skills and you will unlock your life. Make complex topics painless and less intimidating to approach and break down. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Develop habits and skills to fulfill your career or hobby goals. � Understand the learning success pyramid and how self-regulation and confidence impact learning. � How to stay motivated in tedious and tiring learning. � The SQ3R Method and conversing with information. Science-based methods to help your brain absorb and retain more. � Speed reading and comprehension. � How to plan and schedule like Benjamin Franklin. � How to extract information like juice from an orange. Most people have multiple careers in their lives. Self-learning is how you keep up and adapt. The only thing that is given in life is that it will change. Seasons change. Moods change. You will change. Whatever happens, you will need to adapt to your new circumstances. Survival of the fittest isn’t just something that exists in science textbooks - it’s what happens in every phase of your life. The ability to learn is what determines whether you sink or swim. Gain the competitive edge and upgrade yourself by learning how to scroll up and click the BUY NOW button. This is the first book in the “Learning how to Learn� series as listed 1.The Science of How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education 2.The Science of Rapid Skill Advanced Methods to Learn, Remember, and Master New Skills and Information [Second Edition] 3.The Self-Learning A Strategic Plan to Break Down Complex Topics, Comprehend Deeply, and Teach Yourself Anything 4.The Science of Accelerated Advanced Strategies for Quicker Comprehension, Greater Retention, and Systematic Expertise 5.Learn Like Memorize More, Read Faster, Focus Better, and Master Anything With Ease� Become An Expert in Record Time (Accelerated Learning) 6.Accelerated Learning for Rapid Knowledge Acquisition Skills to Learn Faster, Comprehend Deeper, and Reach a World-Class Level [First Edition] 7.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
2,079 people are currently reading
3,494 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hollins
126books332followersPeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a student of the human condition. He possesses a BS in psychology and a graduate degree.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
August 21, 2020
This is a good guide for self-learners who want to create a study plan to retain information. The first chapter is about motivation and learning, which may already be familiar to many (e.g., extrinsic and intrinsic motivation). To get the most out of this book, pick a subject to learn and apply the technique SQ3R:
* Survey: Get a general overview of what you're reading. Establish the goals you want to achieve from reading the book.
* Question: Write down questions you have on the subject.
* Read: Read the book. Learn to speed read so you're not sub-vocalizing (saying the words in your head), which unnecessarily slows you down.
* Recite: Recite the main points in your own words.
* Review: Write test questions for yourself. Can you answer the questions? Can you explain the concepts?
* Survey: Get a general overview of what you're reading. Establish the goals you want to achieve from reading the book.
* Question: Write down questions you have on the subject.
* Read: Read the book. Learn to speed read so you're not sub-vocalizing (saying the words in your head), which unnecessarily slows you down.
* Recite: Recite the main points in your own words.
* Review: Write test questions for yourself. Can you answer the questions? Can you explain the concepts?
September 4, 2021
The two stars is because I find the title of the booklet a tad misleading. I read a friends' copy, thinking that it might reveal some new-found aspects of neuro-science, but turns out that there's nothing scientific about it. It's more just an indie writer who researched some study methods and does a bit of a spin on autodidactism.
This is more a guide for high school kids who wish to take their studies further. It would be nice if the author included this group of people in his marketing pitch, because they are the ones who stand to benefit from it most. I wish I could have read it before I started my uni career. It would have been of use then, because high school doesn't teach you to handle huge volumes of complex work that needs to be mastered completely, and I guess this is indeed a good guide to help you become more efficient at study methods.
Most people who have a college or uni qualification should be on top of most of the methods he offers already, but, well, if you can have it for free, perhaps skim through it to see if you've missed anything in your reading/learning methods that you've not picked up by now. (Ironically, I speed-read through the speed-reading section...)
Basically, it runs through the SQ3R method, the Cornell note-taking method, a method called 'Self-Explanation', and The Feynman technique. Then some speed-reading, and the importance of discipline and method.
Oh, something useful that I did learn here was doing eye exercises to increase your peripheral vision. Hold your arms out to the sides as if you are still a kid playing 'aeroplane'. Do a thumbs up in that position, and look straight ahead. While keeping your head completely still, look from left thumb to right thumb and so on on, until tired.
Done.
This is more a guide for high school kids who wish to take their studies further. It would be nice if the author included this group of people in his marketing pitch, because they are the ones who stand to benefit from it most. I wish I could have read it before I started my uni career. It would have been of use then, because high school doesn't teach you to handle huge volumes of complex work that needs to be mastered completely, and I guess this is indeed a good guide to help you become more efficient at study methods.
Most people who have a college or uni qualification should be on top of most of the methods he offers already, but, well, if you can have it for free, perhaps skim through it to see if you've missed anything in your reading/learning methods that you've not picked up by now. (Ironically, I speed-read through the speed-reading section...)
Basically, it runs through the SQ3R method, the Cornell note-taking method, a method called 'Self-Explanation', and The Feynman technique. Then some speed-reading, and the importance of discipline and method.
Oh, something useful that I did learn here was doing eye exercises to increase your peripheral vision. Hold your arms out to the sides as if you are still a kid playing 'aeroplane'. Do a thumbs up in that position, and look straight ahead. While keeping your head completely still, look from left thumb to right thumb and so on on, until tired.
Done.
June 2, 2019
It's OK, but it didn't cover anything new. Does anyone else find it odd that this book has so many 5-star reviews written in the same unusual format by users without profile pics?
I needed to use up "Great on Kindle" credit and it was the only book I could find that wasn't about religion or dieting. :/
I needed to use up "Great on Kindle" credit and it was the only book I could find that wasn't about religion or dieting. :/
January 15, 2019
A foreword to my reviews. The number of stars is heavily influenced by the effect a book had on me personally. The same effect might not be there in your situation.
My expectation when choosing this book was to understand more about self-learning. And learn something I did. What most stuck with me was "read faster" and I did even try it out while reading the book. On the other hand, my goal was always closer to understand more deeply rather than amass a quantity of material.
I also expected to discover more proven � possibly even scientifically proven –methods. What I found was a compilation of inspiration from historical figures (e.g. Benjamin Franklin, Richard Feynman) mixed with other frameworks and advice that was not attributed to a source.
Also, the examples used later in the book (one of them was "Keynesian economics") felt artificial I found it hard to imagine the utility of such an approach.
What I lacked most were more tools or structure to understand a topic systematically (e.g. mapping it out, prioritizing sub-topics, selecting sources).
That being said, there were still a few points and techniques � some of which I already knew about and revisited –and therefore I feel this book deserves 3 stars.
Recommended for people who are at the beginning of their self-learning path to quickly discover some of the tools to help them.
My expectation when choosing this book was to understand more about self-learning. And learn something I did. What most stuck with me was "read faster" and I did even try it out while reading the book. On the other hand, my goal was always closer to understand more deeply rather than amass a quantity of material.
I also expected to discover more proven � possibly even scientifically proven –methods. What I found was a compilation of inspiration from historical figures (e.g. Benjamin Franklin, Richard Feynman) mixed with other frameworks and advice that was not attributed to a source.
Also, the examples used later in the book (one of them was "Keynesian economics") felt artificial I found it hard to imagine the utility of such an approach.
What I lacked most were more tools or structure to understand a topic systematically (e.g. mapping it out, prioritizing sub-topics, selecting sources).
That being said, there were still a few points and techniques � some of which I already knew about and revisited –and therefore I feel this book deserves 3 stars.
Recommended for people who are at the beginning of their self-learning path to quickly discover some of the tools to help them.
April 17, 2019
BLUF: If you study, this isn't new material. If you never learned how to study, you need this book above all else.
As a person who relied on memorization throughout school, this book is the answer to fixing that habit.
Many reviewers mentioned the book offers no secret tricks or great breakthroughs and it doesn't...if you already know how to study. People like me do not. We learned subjects easy in school because of our eidetic memories and so never learned how to note take ir study or even how to read with the purpose of gaining knowledge. This book fixes that. I will use these "basic tricks" for the rest of my pursuit of learning.
Thank you so much, Mr Peter Hollins.
As a person who relied on memorization throughout school, this book is the answer to fixing that habit.
Many reviewers mentioned the book offers no secret tricks or great breakthroughs and it doesn't...if you already know how to study. People like me do not. We learned subjects easy in school because of our eidetic memories and so never learned how to note take ir study or even how to read with the purpose of gaining knowledge. This book fixes that. I will use these "basic tricks" for the rest of my pursuit of learning.
Thank you so much, Mr Peter Hollins.
May 2, 2020
Let’s face it, learning is hard. Considering all of the distractions available in today’s modern society the fact that we learn anything is astonishing. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but in the United States people generally attend school for 12 years. School is usually treated as an institution, with educators teaching from books, lectures, and activities. The important thing is to be able to regurgitate information. Creativity is discouraged in this context. There is one way to do things and if you don’t get it you fall behind the rest of your class.
Learning doesn’t have to stop when you leave school. Ideally, you want to be learning for your entire life. The problem is that once people leave school, they never feel like cracking open a book again. They have been dissuaded from learning ever again. This is unfortunate, but that is the reality for many people. Peter Hollins wrote The Science of Self-Learning to help those people who want to learn on their own.
The book is written in a large font and is rather slim. It contains techniques to build your confidence, and techniques used for taking notes, and so on. There is also a section to teach you how to read faster. There are ways to tell how much you know about a subject, and where there are gaps in your knowledge. The confidence part is easy to understand. We can use me as an example; I have been trying to learn things that require higher-level mathematics for a while now, and haven’t gotten anywhere. It is enough to get frustrated and stop trying altogether. However, I feel that I can learn whatever I want to learn. There is nothing that can persuade me otherwise. It could very easily have gone the other way. Take my recent reading of Classical Mechanics. I could have seen the del operator and threw up my hands in frustration, closing that book forever. I didn’t though, I just take it as something that I need to work on. Vector Calculus here I come.
The book summarizes all of the information on the final few pages. It repeats the techniques and methods in an easy to follow manner. I enjoyed it.
Learning doesn’t have to stop when you leave school. Ideally, you want to be learning for your entire life. The problem is that once people leave school, they never feel like cracking open a book again. They have been dissuaded from learning ever again. This is unfortunate, but that is the reality for many people. Peter Hollins wrote The Science of Self-Learning to help those people who want to learn on their own.
The book is written in a large font and is rather slim. It contains techniques to build your confidence, and techniques used for taking notes, and so on. There is also a section to teach you how to read faster. There are ways to tell how much you know about a subject, and where there are gaps in your knowledge. The confidence part is easy to understand. We can use me as an example; I have been trying to learn things that require higher-level mathematics for a while now, and haven’t gotten anywhere. It is enough to get frustrated and stop trying altogether. However, I feel that I can learn whatever I want to learn. There is nothing that can persuade me otherwise. It could very easily have gone the other way. Take my recent reading of Classical Mechanics. I could have seen the del operator and threw up my hands in frustration, closing that book forever. I didn’t though, I just take it as something that I need to work on. Vector Calculus here I come.
The book summarizes all of the information on the final few pages. It repeats the techniques and methods in an easy to follow manner. I enjoyed it.
June 12, 2023
واقعیتش اینه که کتاب بدی هم نبود. کتاب خوبی هم نبود.
میدونستم دنبال یه کتاب میخوا� برم یکم یاداوری کنه بهم مدل های یادگیری رو. و خب این دقیقن همین بود.
یه سری یادآوری شیوه های یادگیری و نوت برداری و خوندن مبحث علمی و ... بود.
مدل نوشتنش خوب بود و خب خیلی هم زیادی توضیح نداده بود و ... .
+ادیوبوکشو گوش دادم و طرف خوب خونده بود. برا تو ماشین گوش دادن چیز اوکی ای بود.
میدونستم دنبال یه کتاب میخوا� برم یکم یاداوری کنه بهم مدل های یادگیری رو. و خب این دقیقن همین بود.
یه سری یادآوری شیوه های یادگیری و نوت برداری و خوندن مبحث علمی و ... بود.
مدل نوشتنش خوب بود و خب خیلی هم زیادی توضیح نداده بود و ... .
+ادیوبوکشو گوش دادم و طرف خوب خونده بود. برا تو ماشین گوش دادن چیز اوکی ای بود.
April 16, 2019
Not anything new or ground breaking, but organized all the top tools and learning methods into one place. Great book to quickly learn what tools are out there that could quickly help your learning. But for some of the tools, maybe need to find additional time and resources to deep dive and develop those skills.
December 10, 2021
Not bad but there are better books out there.
March 12, 2021
Very helpful book. One of those books worth revisiting from time to time. Some or all of the concepts are drawn from other people/books, and they're sometimes presented as if the author developed these concepts, that was a little bothersome to me. Otherwise, I feel the topics were easy to understand, flowed nicely from one to the other and left me with memorable pieces of information that I will hopefully be able to incorporate into my life and learning.
September 5, 2023
HAAHHAHA WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK , HOW TO DENIGRATE SCHOOL AND PEOPLE WITH A DEGREE, HAHAHA CRYPTO MAN THINGS THAT ARE NOT FOR ME
October 15, 2020
A surprisingly good quick book on the practice of autodidacticism, the author goes over some useful tips on increasing comprehension via purposeful readings (and re-readings), self-commentary/self-analysis of the material, tips on speed-reading by removing possible inner/soft lip readings, using fingers as visual directive aids, and exercising eye-movement muscles to increase the mechanical nature of shifting views from left to right (or right to left depending on the continent you are living in currently). He further goes over other tips in this domain including the practice of visually stripping filler/stem words and extracting only the meaningful ones to aid speed-reading/comprehension (it's interesting that this is actually the same technique a machine would leverage in text mining).
The author guides the reader who is assumed to be new to self-learning providing some background on the differences between learning via mentor/formal instructor and learning by oneself, and shows why the later is definitely more difficult, and requires some additional mental/practice structure. However, is still achievable (and a desirable) once set up in one's daily patterns.
Though there are many self-published content on Amazon, and much of it trash, this is a well-written text with useful information. I'm hoping there will be more detailed morsels of technique to be gleaned in the author's other books. Recommended.
The author guides the reader who is assumed to be new to self-learning providing some background on the differences between learning via mentor/formal instructor and learning by oneself, and shows why the later is definitely more difficult, and requires some additional mental/practice structure. However, is still achievable (and a desirable) once set up in one's daily patterns.
Though there are many self-published content on Amazon, and much of it trash, this is a well-written text with useful information. I'm hoping there will be more detailed morsels of technique to be gleaned in the author's other books. Recommended.
December 27, 2019
It's quick and gives reasonable advice, but for me, it's all a bit superficial. But maybe I'm being too critical, I can't really point out what I'm missing and whether it should have been included or not. Maybe what to do with the knowledge? Or how practical skills would compare to learning theory? And I guess I'm not a fan of the whole speed-reading promo thing - not sure it actually gives much if your aim is to take useful notes and engage with the text fully, especially when you're starting to learn sth from zero. Then again, I might try it out and be proven wrong.
Key points:
*make a plan
*train your eyes
*use reading strategies
*engage with the material systematically
*ask questions and research what you can't answer
Key points:
*make a plan
*train your eyes
*use reading strategies
*engage with the material systematically
*ask questions and research what you can't answer
August 22, 2020
Pretty dang good!
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but then it taught me to speed read! I’ve always struggled to read because I was so slow! I’m so glad I read this all the way through to the end. Great book!
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but then it taught me to speed read! I’ve always struggled to read because I was so slow! I’m so glad I read this all the way through to the end. Great book!
February 29, 2020
Fantastic. Biggest advantage of this book is how it frames everything in a nice free flowing model. Contains many tips and tricks organized well.
June 3, 2022
Concise in the concept and to the point in the information. A Goodread after all .
January 25, 2024
A book which collects and summarises the main learning advice circulating in schools, universities, and study communities:
Chapter 1 (learning principles)
Learning Success Pyramid, intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, growth vs fixed mindset
Chapter 2 (study techniques)
SQ3R method, Cornell note-taking method, Feynman’s Technique
Chapter 3 (Speed reading)
This section was full of unsubstantiated claims and “eye exercises� which have been debunked and shown to be harmful by neurologists. Take with a heavy barrel of salt.
Chapter 4 (study habits)
SMART goals, planning and scheduling for long-term goals, critical thinking, research skills, deep vs surface learning, study attitudes.
Hollins writes in an easy-to-understand manner although he heavily favours rhetoric and personal anecdotes to support claims instead of credible evidence. Something I noticed was a distinct lack of firsthand scientific literature throughout the book. It seems as if Hollins has simply skimmed a bunch of self-help books, taken the main points of each, and written his own bare bones summary which you now know as “The Science of Self-Learning�.
Read with caution and reflect on whether what he says will be useful to you. There are some great parts to this book and it’s a shame they were ruined by the bad.
Chapter 1 (learning principles)
Learning Success Pyramid, intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, growth vs fixed mindset
Chapter 2 (study techniques)
SQ3R method, Cornell note-taking method, Feynman’s Technique
Chapter 3 (Speed reading)
This section was full of unsubstantiated claims and “eye exercises� which have been debunked and shown to be harmful by neurologists. Take with a heavy barrel of salt.
Chapter 4 (study habits)
SMART goals, planning and scheduling for long-term goals, critical thinking, research skills, deep vs surface learning, study attitudes.
Hollins writes in an easy-to-understand manner although he heavily favours rhetoric and personal anecdotes to support claims instead of credible evidence. Something I noticed was a distinct lack of firsthand scientific literature throughout the book. It seems as if Hollins has simply skimmed a bunch of self-help books, taken the main points of each, and written his own bare bones summary which you now know as “The Science of Self-Learning�.
Read with caution and reflect on whether what he says will be useful to you. There are some great parts to this book and it’s a shame they were ruined by the bad.
Read
June 5, 2024Self-learning is a process of self-development that can be pursued throughout life to achieve personal goals.
May 16, 2023
"The SCIENCE of self-learning" has nothing to do with science at all. Stop abusing this word ffs.
December 21, 2018
For those of us who are self-taught learners or who want to start a self-study course, this is truly a wonderful book. This is also a wonderful resource for any student and especially those who take online degree programs and courses. A lot of insightful information on how to go about studying on one's own and why it's so beneficial. Also, some wonderful note-taking techniques. Truly a wonderful book for anyone embarking on the self-learning path.
March 12, 2019
Excellent Guide to Self-Learning Methodology
Highly recommended for anyone who’s motivated to learn something new.
The disciplines and tools described are logical, convincing and easy to follow.
The examples provided serve as a vehicle for proving the effectiveness of using the the proposed methodology for being a student and teacher at the same time.
This book is an excellent reference to use from time to time whenever one is about to embark on a new challenge be it research, a new job or a curiosity about subjects we want to know more about.
Highly recommended for anyone who’s motivated to learn something new.
The disciplines and tools described are logical, convincing and easy to follow.
The examples provided serve as a vehicle for proving the effectiveness of using the the proposed methodology for being a student and teacher at the same time.
This book is an excellent reference to use from time to time whenever one is about to embark on a new challenge be it research, a new job or a curiosity about subjects we want to know more about.
May 14, 2021
If you picked up this book, you are probably not a beginner in trying to figure out the best learning methods/systems for you and you still wish to get better at it. Or more efficient. But maybe you have noticed, that despite your previous efforts and advice you have read and tried to implement, you are still doing it at least half wrong and you ask yourself if this book might help. If you want to start a new learning-project, this book could offer you a quick recap of what you already know to be good practice and maybe offer some new tips. It will remind you not to fall into the same traps again and it will encourage you to try to reverse once more your inefficient learning habits. Sure, there is the SQ3R method and the Feynman-Technique, that we all might have heard of, or how to set SMART goals, but did you know about Benjamin Franklin's list of 13 points or how he used to schedule his day? I didn't and I plan to make a list of my own inspired by his, because I think the idea is brilliant.
There is also the right amount of motivation talk in the book. And we always need that when starting a new project, since we usually tend to doubt ourselves based on our previous learning experiences (assuming yours were as bumpy as mine). I liked how Hollins gave practical examples for each of the techniques he presented and how he just went straightforward into the topic, not wasting my time. Much appreciated. It is a quick, clearly structured read. If you are having doubts that it might be helpful to you, my advice is to give it a go. It will not take up much of your time and you might actually find value in it. It is not a revolutionary book, but it did inspire me and I am actually excited to try some of the things out and see how I do.
There is also the right amount of motivation talk in the book. And we always need that when starting a new project, since we usually tend to doubt ourselves based on our previous learning experiences (assuming yours were as bumpy as mine). I liked how Hollins gave practical examples for each of the techniques he presented and how he just went straightforward into the topic, not wasting my time. Much appreciated. It is a quick, clearly structured read. If you are having doubts that it might be helpful to you, my advice is to give it a go. It will not take up much of your time and you might actually find value in it. It is not a revolutionary book, but it did inspire me and I am actually excited to try some of the things out and see how I do.
February 28, 2019
The Science of Self-Learning was a great read for me! The author, Peter Hollins, includes an appeal for a review, so I have put some time and thought into some of the book's positive attributes as well as a few things I found lacking. As someone who has done quite a bit of self-learning in recent years, it was comforting for me to encounter so many of the same techniques and methods which I have used. These include Cornell Notes, the Feynman method, and critical thinking, to name a few. It was great validation to find these and others in this book. What was missing? I was very surprised in the "reading" chapter to find no mention of the speed-reading tools commonly available these days. Two which I use regularly are Instapaper's tool as well as Kindle Fire's Word Runner. It seems all of the book's rather lengthy advice would apply only to conventional hard-copy books. And speaking of Kindle, this is the format I purchased "The Science of Self-Learning" - where is any comparison of this approach, including its note-taking/highlighting capabilities? Another shortcoming I found was the lack of mention of the popularity of the Pomodoro technique of learning, which centers around 25-minute spans of distraction-free focus. Instead we get Peter Drucker's (essentially the same) 50-minute method. Not a big difference but it makes it seem quite dated (as due a few other references like "civics" as an area of study). All in all, I am happy to rate the book at four stars, and the suggested improvements could elevate it to a fifth star.
June 21, 2022
Decent enough, but coming into the book I kinda hoped for more focus on ways to study and I felt those methods were broached only minimally.
First chapter deals with the evolution of learning throughout the ages and more recently throughout the years with the arrival of the internet. Focuses on motivation, confidence, discipline.
Second chapter presents a few tried and tested methods to study: SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review), Cornell Method for taking Notes, Self-Explanation (ask yourself Why/What until you don't know the answer and then research that gap in your knowledge, if relevant), Feynman technique.
Third chapter is completely about how you can learn to read faster and remember more information from reading.
Fourth chapter uses historical figures to impart good practices for learning and studying. Set goals and objectives using the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based), set good plans/schedules, research and self-discipline.
All in all a short but succinct overview of how one should go on a self-learning journey, but little in-depth and no references. Well-written and easily readable though.
First chapter deals with the evolution of learning throughout the ages and more recently throughout the years with the arrival of the internet. Focuses on motivation, confidence, discipline.
Second chapter presents a few tried and tested methods to study: SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review), Cornell Method for taking Notes, Self-Explanation (ask yourself Why/What until you don't know the answer and then research that gap in your knowledge, if relevant), Feynman technique.
Third chapter is completely about how you can learn to read faster and remember more information from reading.
Fourth chapter uses historical figures to impart good practices for learning and studying. Set goals and objectives using the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based), set good plans/schedules, research and self-discipline.
All in all a short but succinct overview of how one should go on a self-learning journey, but little in-depth and no references. Well-written and easily readable though.
February 20, 2021
It is rather bizarre the negative reviews of this book. One conjecture is that perhaps some of these people don't appreciate knowledge and the wonders of the intellect. Another one, among many possible, is that some don't deem possible to reach self-set goals that are worth pursuing. Instead of posing an argument, I will rather convey interest by being romantic: I wanted to cry for the beauty and genius of the techniques, strategies, advice and proposed skills within this book. I hope you too.
The author has still his own contribution to methods already in existence. Worth rescuing from this book, among others, are:
* SQ3R Method
* Feynmann Method
* Elaborate questioning method (I guess it's called)
* Speed reading (if it's for you)
* Insight on goal-oriented virtues and habits cultivation.
* Discipline.
* Research.
If you find you know these already there is still additional value in his insight and/or your own customization in performing the methods. Skills, as everything in life, can always be improved.
The author has still his own contribution to methods already in existence. Worth rescuing from this book, among others, are:
* SQ3R Method
* Feynmann Method
* Elaborate questioning method (I guess it's called)
* Speed reading (if it's for you)
* Insight on goal-oriented virtues and habits cultivation.
* Discipline.
* Research.
If you find you know these already there is still additional value in his insight and/or your own customization in performing the methods. Skills, as everything in life, can always be improved.
October 11, 2021
The book isn't bad per-se, but the first fourth of it is more based in convincing you of what you want than in providing any information. The problem is the information it uses to convince you isn't necessarily factual. It has a lot of clearly biased arguments that are then 'supported' by vague, sciency claims. Again I'm not necessarily saying it's wrong, but it doesn't make for a particularly compelling argument. It sets off too many warning lights. In terms of practical advice and practical mechanism I think you're better off reading Atomic Habits. That's not as specific to self-learning, but if the point of these sorts of self-help books are to learn how to think I think there are better resources.
February 23, 2025
“The Science of Self-Learning� by Peter Hollins is a decent book that could have been a great set of articles or at least a shorter version of itself.
The author goes through a few well known study techniques, speed reading, and some extra details about self-learning. The techniques described in this book can be easily found and learned from the Internet. The keywords are SQ3R, Cornell note-taking method, and Feynman’s technique.
I do not recommend listening to this book in the audio format as it would take significantly longer than it should. Nevertheless, it is still a decent read, collecting different topics in one place.
Thank you.
The author goes through a few well known study techniques, speed reading, and some extra details about self-learning. The techniques described in this book can be easily found and learned from the Internet. The keywords are SQ3R, Cornell note-taking method, and Feynman’s technique.
I do not recommend listening to this book in the audio format as it would take significantly longer than it should. Nevertheless, it is still a decent read, collecting different topics in one place.
Thank you.
December 1, 2020
Peter Hollins makes some good points about how to set yourself up to learn at home on your own time, but the title's claims to be scientific are completely misleading. At no point throughout the book does he refer to any scientific studies or evidence. Learning How To Learn by Barbara Oakley is better worth your time if you want evidence-based learning methods.
November 29, 2020
Since I had come across the Cornell note taking system and Marty lobdell's YouTube video on how to study less but understand more, this book made me a syntopical reader for the most part. Being an autodidact is what most people should aim for. SQ3R method is the main takeaway for me from this
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