I’m definitely not a chef. In fact, only six months ago, I would probably have been the last person to write an article like this. I prided myself on my ability to warm canned food. Pasta or the occasional stir-fry were the peak of my cooking ability. Yet, in the last few months, I’ve made […]
Update on My Goal to Learn French
It’s been close to two months since I started my quest to become bilingual. Over two months ago, I asked the readers for advice in learning a foreign language. That brief post now has over 60 public comments, and I’ve received many private emails with advice as well. I’m not an expert on language learning. […]
Escape the Bad Learning Habits You Picked Up at School
The formal education system teaches us poor learning habits. Instead of promoting deeper understanding, it forces students to memorize. Instead of creativity, it promotes rule-following. The skills of collaboration that are crucial in the outside world are labeled cheating or academic dishonesty. Unfortunately, I don’t feel universities will change much. But the advantage is that […]
Aggressive Learning
If you want to succeed, pick an easy target. If you want to improve, pick an impossibly hard target. Success in a goal and improvement are often opposite paths, so if you aren’t clear on which you’re trying to pursue, you may end up failing at both. I have a habit for getting in over […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.