Pragmatic Thinking and Learning

Pragmatic Thinking and Learning, by Andy Hunt, is a book with many techniques for improving your Brain. While there is a lot of information in it, not everything will work for everyone. While I found the first sections, which talk about the drefus model, and how the brain works interesting, I found suggestions earlier in the book rather abstract and difficult to apply practically to my own life. 

In the second half of the book really has a great deal of practical tips, but you can't expect to retain everything in one reading. I found it helpful to make notes so I could go back and try to apply some of the techniques to my life. Andy explains SQ3R, a method of reading where you prepare yourself before you read in full. He explains how damaging context switching is, and explains ways we can minimize is. He is a big fan of mind-maps, and suggests the use of a personal wiki as an external storage space for your mind, something i'm attempting to do with Color Note at the moment. Even something like keeping a learning portfolio and treating it like a financial portfolio, where you invest time instead of money was interesting to me. While it seems like a no-brainer, the comparision made makes seem more important and urgent. The book is full of these moments where you get a new take on an idea, and I would recommend it for everyone, not just programmers.