Friday Links 08-11-28

From the Web

Holistic Learning for Math – Cal Newport has an excellent article about how to do well in technical courses like math or physics.  He focuses on developing what he calls “insightful studying”, however I think his approach fits nicely with holistic learning.  Cal’s emphasis isn’t on memorization, but on breaking down all the details to their core, so you understand them intuitively.  A must read.

The Argument Against Batching – I’ve frequently mentioned batching as one of my top productivity tips.  Here’s a contrasting view.  I think batching is one of those tricks that can be taken too far.  You can also view my response in the comments.

Review Me at People Jam – People Jam is a great site where people can review personal development information.  If you’ve been reading the website for awhile, I’d really appreciate if you made a review and rating.  Sign-up takes only a few seconds, and you can also weigh your opinion on many other blogs.

From the Archives

The Value of Independence

There are few virtues more important than independence. Independence is a requirement for leading your own life. How can you make decisions if every action you take has to be filtered through other people first? Without independence, you can’t be the captain of your life. You must be satisfied scrubbing the decks while someone else sets the direction you’re to follow.

From the Shelf

Animal Farm – Last year, I read George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and loved it.  Animal farm is also a great read.  It doesn’t have the same haunting quality of Eighty-Four, but the message was a good one.