Josh is on to something | The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

The Art of Skill Building | The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence | Josh Waitzkin

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	• The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence Josh Waitzkin Free Press, 2007 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 58 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Very useful and well worth a read, despite the criticisms

This book presents a very eloquent and rigorous examination of the learning process. Despite a handful of critical reviewers, I find the principles translate very well to other disciplines if you put a little thought into it. The principles are most easily adapted to performance-based disciplines, such as music, dance, any kind of public speaking, and, of course, competitive fields such as sports and chess. However, the principles also apply to any discipline that requires mastery of fundamental skills leading to an ability to use these skills to deal creatively with new problems. Yes, this should include science and language learning. The book doesn't tell you specifically how to learn the fundamentals of any particular discipline. Nor could it--this is something that really requires either the guidance of a teacher or a rigorous process of self-exploration. Rather, Mr. Waitzkin attempts (quite successfully, I think) to drive home the point that progress comes when we slow down the material we are learning to the point that the nuances of the subject open up to us. The secret is to love this process and not get thrown off course by impatience or lack of concentration. Mr. Waitzkin's passionate discussions of his fields do much to illustrate the feeling that you must try to access in your own field. This has apparently gone over the head of some reviewers (who don't appear to have made much of an effort to understand the book), but the number of positive reviews should tell you that there are at least a few profound insights in this book.

Also, a few reviewers complain that this book is only useful for someone with the time and money to spend devoting themselves to their hobbies. It's true, most of us could not afford to spend all our time practicing Tai Chi, as Mr. Waitzkin apparently does. The book does not offer shortcuts. However, if you have a job at which you want to excel, you will certainly have enough time to take advantage of the principles. Further, even if you want to excel at your hobby and only have an hour a week to spend on it, your time will still be better spent practicing slowly and immersing yourself in the details, as Mr. Waitzkin advises. The process will be longer, but if you love what you're doing, that shouldn't matter.

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Josh is on to something

Josh is definitely on to something. The learning principles he outlines in this book are priceless. This book is thick with good ideas. I had to stop after many chapters to make sure I absorbed the information.

He is clearly well-read when it comes to philosophy and human psychology. And he relates his academic training to his careers in chess and Ti Chi in an illuminating way. The parallels between these seemingly unrelated disciplines are striking. Josh's writing helps you understand how his learning process can be applied to many fields of study.

This book is also very well written. Let me state that again because so few authors are as gifted as Josh: This book is very well written. I loved the vivid descriptions of his chess and Ti Chi battles.

After reading this book I look forward to hearing him speak someday.

The only negative I can think of is that this book may not be very accessible to people who are not already "learners". If you are not interested in learning and improving your ability to learn, this book may be inaccessible to you.

I've always enjoyed learning and honing my personal learning process, so I absolutely loved this book. This is the type of book that I will apply to my learning pursuits and then read again (probably in a year) to make sure I absorbed everything.

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The Art of Skill Building

"The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin, while largely autobiographical, contains some really priceless ideas on concept of skill mastery.

The book is an insider's look at what it takes to becoming world class in any field. The second part of the book, which talks about Josh's journey through the martial arts is particularly revealing in this regard. Focus, but also recuperation, are crucial elements... this is very well illustrated in the book, through examples from Josh's life.

Besides that, a lot of it is downright inspirational... I was particularly inspired by Josh's account of training through an arm injury to reach an ever greater level of success. A lesson to all of us who sit on the sidelines as soon as we get hurt a little.

I would have loved to hear perhaps a "metaphysical" perspective on the Art of Learning... does complete devotion to a skill lead to happiness, ultimately? Perhaps the subject of a later book!

Paul
paultheo2004@yahoo.ca

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Great story; great lessons

I aim to emulate a lot of the practices described in this book. It's a fast and entertaining read, but I plan to go back and take notes on some of the recommendation sections. I recommend it to anyone in pursuit of excellence or who needs to overcome a major obstacle.

Better Titled as the Autobiography of Josh Waitzkin

Josh Waitzkin is an eight time National Chess Champion by the age of 20 - who then moved on to become a martial arts champion - holding several world championship titles. This book is worthy of reading simply to gain an insight into what it takes to be a world class competitor (and winner) - the focus, the incredible concentration, the physical and mental discipline, the grit and determination - and the access to the best coaches and opponents. However, there was little translation from the "What" he accomplished to the "HOW" - as the learning techniques were were not spelled out. If you expect to pick up this book to learn how to get to the top as a world champion, you'll be sorely disappointed.

This passage on page 88 captured the essence of his message to me:

"To my mind, the fields of learning and performance are an exploration of greyness - of the in-between. There is the careful balance of pushing yourself relentlessly, but no so hard that you melt down. Muscles and mind need to stretch to grow, but if stretched too thin, they will snap. A competitor needs to be process-oriented, always looking for strong opponents to spur growth, but it is also important to keep on winning enough to maintain confidence. We have to release our current ideas to soak in new material, but not so much that we lose touch with our unique nature talents. Vibrant, creative idealism needs to be tempered by a practical, technical awareness."

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Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a teenager when his father's book Searching for Bobby Fischer was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic chess world for ten years, Waitzkin expanded his horizons, taking on the martial art Tai Chi Chuan and ultimately earning the title of World Champion. How was he able to reach the pinnacle of two disciplines that on the surface seem so different? "I've come to realize that what I am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess," he says. "What I am best at is the art of learning."

In his riveting new book, The Art of Learning, Waitzkin tells his remarkable story of personal achievement and shares the principles of learning and performance that have propelled him to the top -- twice.

With a narrative that combines heart-stopping martial arts wars and tense chess face-offs with life lessons that speak to all of us, The Art of Learning takes readers through Waitzkin's unique journey to excellence. He explains in clear detail how a well-thought-out, principled approach to learning is what separates success from failure. Waitzkin believes that achievement, even at the championship level, is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process. Rather than focusing on climactic wins, Waitzkin reveals the inner workings of his everyday method, from systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs, to honing techniques into states of remarkable potency, to mastering the art of performance psychology.

Through his own example, Waitzkin explains how to embrace defeat and make mistakes work for you. Does your opponent make you angry? Waitzkin describes how to channel emotions into creative fuel. As he explains it, obstacles are not obstacles but challenges to overcome, to spur the growth process by turning weaknesses into strengths. He illustrates the exact routines that he has used in all of his competitions, whether mental or physical, so that you too can achieve your peak performance zone in any competitive or professional circumstance.

In stories ranging from his early years taking on chess hustlers as a seven year old in New York City's Washington Square Park, to dealing with the pressures of having a film made about his life, to International Chess Championships in India, Hungary, and Brazil, to gripping battles against powerhouse fighters in Taiwan in the Push Hands World Championships, The Art of Learning encapsulates an extraordinary competitor's life lessons in a page-turning narrative.

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