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Summary of A Mind for Numbers 

4.6 . 4590 reviews

Short summary

For students afraid of math and science and those who love the subjects, this engaging summary of “A Mind for Numbers” guides in establishing study habits that take advantage of how the brain works. Barbara Ann Oakley is a Professor of Engineering in two universities, Oakland and McMaster, whose online learning courses are the world’s most popular MOOC courses. Her authoritative guide is based on the latest research in the cognitive sciences and provides a clear, concise, and entertaining road map for how to get the most out of learning. If you have struggled with mathematics or want to enhance your learning experience, you need this summary. “No matter how advanced your skill levels in math and science are, these skills can change your thinking and change your life.” ~ Barbara Oakley, Ph.D.

Table of content

  • Summary of A Mind for Numbers
  • About the author
  • What is A Mind for Numbers about?
  • Who should read A Mind for Numbers
  • Topics in A Mind for Numbers
first key point

A Mind for Numbers provides the manual for the amazing abilities of your brain

Listen the first key point
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You’ll find new ways to improve your skills and techniques for learning, especially in the areas of Mathematics and Science. It does not matter whether you’re a novice or an expert.

Henri Poincare, a 19th-century mathematician, cracked a complicated mathematical problem he had been working on for weeks when he decided to take a vacation, leaving the unsolved problem behind. Dr. Oakley explains how this strategy can work for you too. Taking a break from a complex task can be the key to solving it.
The intense effort before a vacation or falling asleep is vital for priming your brain to solve a challenging problem.
Rereading material makes it easier for our minds to process the information so that we fall prey to the cognitive illusion that we have learned the material. There are other illusions of understanding that this summary will expose. You will also get the tools to overcome them and boost your learning time’s productivity. We are already experiencing a knowledge explosion in this new world of insight. Hence, we need to learn how to learn effectively. “A Mind for Numbers'' is an indispensable guide to achieve this goal.
Learning can be an adventure rather than hard labor. ~ Barbara Oakley, Ph.D.
The techniques of effective learning, how to hold your focus and space out your practice, and how to condense critical ideas so you can hold them more easily in your mind are all explained in this fascinating summary. Enrich your learning and life with simple, practical approaches that will reduce frustration and enhance learning.

Who should read this summary?
• High school students who loathe math
• College students who are already good at math and science want to add to their learning toolkits
• Parents whose children are falling off the math track or rising toward math and science stardom
• Workers who need to pass a vital certification test
• A convenience store clerk who has dreamed of becoming a nurse or doctor
• Homeschoolers, teachers, and professors in different fields
• Retirees who want to embrace new knowledge in computing or cooking
second key point

The thinking processes of our brains exist in two modes: focused and diffuse

You toggle between both modes to solve a daunting problem. At first, you focus on the situation. Then, you turn away from the new learning to use the diffuse way of thinking.
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third key point

Chunks are bits of information that combine to make meaning

fourth key point

Retrieval practice is an attempt to recall the material you are learning and is more effective than merely rereading the material

fifth key point

When you procrastinate, you force yourself into superficial focused-mode learning

sixth key point

Habit is an energy saver for us because it allows us to free our mind for other types of activities

seventh key point

Ancient and modern memory experts leverage naturally supersized visuospatial memorization abilities

eighth key point

Testing yourself enhances learning

ninth key point

Conclusion

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What is A Mind for Numbers about?

Who should read A Mind for Numbers

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What are the benefits of books summary?

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.