Summary of Benedict Carey's How We Learn

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Benedict Carey's How We Learn in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.Original book introduction: In How We Learn, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we are all learning quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey's search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives-and less of a chore.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638153528

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Summary

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Benedict Carey’s

How We Learn

The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens

Table of Contents

Overview

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Important People

Author’s Style

Author’s Perspective

Overview

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (2015) by Benedict Carey investigates the conditions under which the brain learns best. Carey provides counterintuitive advice on how to modify study habits and improve performance.

Students are commonly taught that the best way to study is to establish a routine, often by finding a quiet space, focusing intensely for a long stretch of time, and repeatedly poring over the information to be memorized. They’re taught that forgetting and distraction are antithetical to learning, and that cramming is effective. However, according to decades of research in cognitive science, much of what is taken for granted about learning is wrong.

Learning works best when it is messy, interrupted, forgotten, mixed up. Techniques that force the brain