A Brief Review of Josh Waitzkin's, "The Art of Learning"

Today, I began re-reading a highly stimulating book by Josh Waitzkin entitled, "The Art of Learning" (2008).  Part biography and part treatise-on-pedagogy, the work is both well-written and rich with detail from the point of view of an observant, sensitive, and experienced individual competing at the highest levels of chess and tai chi chuan push-hands. In "The Art of Learning" Mr. Waitzkin manages to articulate a paradigm in which intuition and rote learning not only coexist, but nourish each other; what he calls "learning numbers to leave numbers," or integrating theoretical principals with instinctual, creative impulses.

Of equal interest is his attitude toward mastery, which focuses on process rather than innate ability. Indeed, very little is said about talent in this book, perhaps because the very idea of 'talent' is considered a distraction in the learning process--an abstract concept that weakens resolve in the face of adversity. The learner is at their best when attacking a challenge with a beginner's mind, focused and without ego.

There's much of interest in this book, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning, teaching, and/or performance psychology. "The Art of Learning," is one of the best treatments on the subject I've yet read.

For more on Josh, here's a youtube interview with him, and his wikipedia page for more general reading.