Saturday, November 7, 2020

book: Man's Search for Meaning

Amazon.com: Man's Search for Meaning (Audible Audio Edition): Viktor E. Frankl, Simon Vance, Blackstone Audio, Inc.: Audible Audiobooks


Man's Search for Meaning - Wikipedia

"Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. The book intends to answer the question "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Part One constitutes Frankl's analysis of his experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy.


According to a survey conducted by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress, Man's Search for Meaning belongs to a list of "the ten most influential books in the United States."


“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”


“Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it”


“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.”


“Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.”








Saturday, October 17, 2020

book: Shoe Dog

Amazon.com: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike eBook: Knight, Phil: Kindle Store

Shoe Dog - Wikipedia

Shoe Dog[2] is a memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight.[3] The memoir chronicles the history of Nike from its early struggles to its evolution into one of the world's most recognized and profitable companies.




Saturday, September 5, 2020

book: The Brave Learner


Amazon.com: The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life eBook: Bogart, Julie, Bauer, Susan Wise: Kindle Store


The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

"A masterpiece. This is the deepest, most meaningful book on parenting I have ever read. If you want to raise your child to be a happy learner, whether via homeschooling or conventional schooling, read this book."

Barbara Oakley, author of Learning How to Learn and A Mind for Numbers

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Saturday, August 22, 2020

book: Why Don't Students Like School?

Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom: Willingham, Daniel T.: 0787721851448: Amazon.com: Books


Seven principles of learning better from cognitive science by ScottHYoung podcast


Why Don't Students Like School Summary

1. "People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking."
2. "Factual Knowledge must precede skill."

3. "Memory is the residue of thought"

4. "We understand things in the context of what we already know, and most of what we know is concrete."

5. "It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice."

6. "Cognition early in training is different from cognition late in training."

7. "Children are more alike than different in terms of how they think and learn."

8. "Children do differ in intelligence, but intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work."

9. "Teaching, like any complex cognitive skill, must be practiced to be improved."


Why Don’t Students Like School? Summary, Review

"The key message in this book summary:

Students don’t like school because those involved – including educational institutions – haven’t fully got to grips with some essential cognitive principles involved in learning. Two types of memory are involved: long-term and working memory. The best strategies for learning involve pattern recognition and “chunking” information for the long-term memory. The bottleneck of working memory is best avoided. Furthermore, we should resist the notion that intelligence is entirely genetically determined, or that we all have a learning “type.” Therefore, by giving students the right context and content, and making sure educators keep learning too, we can ensure that students will learn a great deal more efficiently. And who knows – maybe they’ll even start to like school!

Actionable advice:

Promote the power of effort

If you’re in close contact with children, either in a mentoring role or as a parent, impress upon them that skill and intelligence are not settled from birth. It’s important for children to understand they can achieve almost anything with enough determination and practice. Remember: A piano virtuoso is not born with harmonic knowledge and muscle memory; those are learned."



Why don’t students like school… In 30 mins! – Punya Mishra's Web

Why Don't Students Like School?

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Caffeine Science vs Fatigue

interesting podcast discussion and links to articles and books

The science behind caffeine featuring Danielle Rath of GreenEyedGuide.com (Brain Science #25) |> News and podcasts for developers |> Changelog

advice for strategic usage of caffeine

How to drink caffeine strategically with the 5 Levels of Fatigue | GEG Research and Consulting


5 Levels of Fatigue Archives | GEG Research and Consulting



"FATIGUE LEVEL 1: Dehydrated & Drowsy

At this level, you’re feeling a little drowsy, but not exhausted or overwhelmed.

SOLUTION = Do something Different.
Go for a walk. Switch tasks. Take a 5 min break.
Drink WATER. DO NOT drink any caffeine at this level.

FATIGUE LEVEL 2: Too Tired

At this level, “I’m too tired” becomes the excuse for action. You’re not exhausted and not just bored or drowsy. You’re just a little bit off, a little sluggish, a little lethargic. You’re “too tired”.

SOLUTION = A LITTLE sluggish means A LITTLE caffeine.
Look for caffeinated beverages with no more than 100 mg caffeine.
FATIGUE LEVEL 3: Stressed & Struggling
At this level, you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. You’re trying to wake up but you’re really struggling to stay focused and engaged. A walk and a cup of tea aren’t going to cut it here, but it’s still not worst-case scenario “energy emergency” quite yet.

SOLUTION = Several scientific studies and international organizations say you should have
no more than 200 mg caffeine at a time. So that’s what we’re looking for here.
FATIGUE LEVEL 4: Energy Emergency
At this level, we’re going to ignore health guidelines and go over that 200 mg caffeine per serving recommendation. This is an energy emergency. This is one step short of being a walking zombie. We’re talking just-trying-to-survive, counting-the-hours-before-I-can-go-home crisis.

SOLUTION = Choose a carbonated energy drink with more than 200 mg caffeine per can.
You can also pick an energy shot because shots have higher caffeine mg per oz than energy drinks. Energy drinks with sugar will give you an extra boost though you may crash after a few hours so ONLY pick drinks with more than 10 grams sugar if you absolutely need that much more help.

FATIGUE LEVEL 5: Zombie
At this level, no amount of caffeine can save you.
This is your absolute breaking point. This is worst-case-scenario.

SOLUTION = Only sleep can save you now."


How to get more energy from your caffeine | GEG Research and Consulting


Saturday, July 11, 2020

book: Limitless by Jim Kwik: Learn FASTER

How to Learn FASTER - +1 | Optimize

Limitless - Jim Kwik
FASTER = Forget + Act + State + Teach + Enter + Review.
"F is for Forget – The key to laser focus is to remove or forget that which distracts you. …
A is for Act – Traditional education has trained many people that learning is a passive experience. You sit quietly in a class, you don’t talk to your neighbor, and you consume the information. But learning is not a spectator sport. The human brain does not learn as much by consumption as it does creation. …
S is for State – All learning is state dependent. Your state is a current snapshot of your emotions. It is highly influenced by your thoughts (psychology) and the physical condition of your body (physiology). …
T is for Teach – If you want to cut your learning curve dramatically, learn with the intention of teaching the information to someone else. Think about it: If you know you have to give a presentation on what you learn, you will approach how you learn the topic with the intention of mastering it well enough to explain it to someone else. …
E is for Enter – What is the simplest and most powerful personal performance tool? Your calendar. We enter important things on our schedule. … Do you know what a lot of people don’t schedule? Their personal growth and development. If it’s not on your calendar, there’s a good chance it’s not getting done. …
R is for Review – One of the best ways to reduce the effects of the forgetting curve is to actively recall what you learned with spaced repetition.”
Jim Kwik | 5 Steps To A Limitless Brain and A Limitless Life





Limitless - Jim Kwik

Kwik Brain Starter Pack


Limitless BRAIN = Limitless LIFE (USE THIS IN YOUR LIFE!) | Jim Kwik - YouTube




Limitless - Jim Kwik (Mind Map Book Summary) - YouTube


Method of loci - Wikipedia

The method of loci (loci being Latin for "places") is a strategy of memory enhancement which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information. The method of loci is also known as the memory journeymemory palace, or mind palace technique

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Happiness vs Well Being; Hedonic vs Eudaimonic

What happiness is? Hedonic or Eudaimonic? - YouTube

Happiness or Well-being can be categorized as either be hedonic well-being or eudaimonic well-being.


Comparing Hedonic & Eudaimonic Views of Happiness - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com



“Eudaimonism, then, refers to a life dedicated to seeking meaning, engagement with the existential challenges of life, and the actualization of human potential, whereas hedonism refers to a life dedicated to seeking pleasure, happiness, and enjoyment.”

"hedonic treadmill"
accumulating more and more “stuff” (whether that’s the latest gadgets or Instagram likes), we often find ourselves working harder and harder but not getting any happier.

THERE ARE NO EUDAIMONIC TREADMILLS
When we focus on living with more and more virtue, we ACTUALLY GET HAPPIER!

The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes.


  1. Self-acceptance
  2. Personal growth
  3. Purpose in life
  4. Environmental mastery
  5. Autonomy
  6. Positive relations with others



Friday, May 29, 2020

World vs Mind

Pema Chödrön: This Lousy World - YouTube

Cover It All in Leather - +1 | Optimize

Chodrön uses the lessons of the Indian Buddhist monk Shantideva to make a very powerful analogy about moving through the world constantly pissed off and disappointed. …

[She says]: “We’re laughing, but that’s what we all do. That is how we approach things. We think, if we could just get rid of everything and cover it with leather, our pain would go away. Well, sure, because then it wouldn’t be cutting our feet anymore. It’s just logical, isn’t it? But it doesn’t make any sense, really. Shantideva said, ‘But if you simply wrap leather around your feet.’ In other words, if you put on shoes then you could walk across the boiling sand and the cut glass and the horns, and it wouldn’t bother you. So the analogy is, if you work with your mind, instead of trying to change everything on the outside, that’s how your temper will cool down.'”

Sunday, February 16, 2020

book: Counterclockwise

Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility - Kindle edition by Ellen J. Langer. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.



Ellen Langer 'Counterclockwise: the power of possibility' at Happiness & Its Causes 2012 - YouTube


PNTV: Counterclockwise by Ellen Langer - YouTube

The Psychology of Possibility - Interview | Optimize
"Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard and one of the world's leading experts on the science of wellbeing, and what she refers to as the "psychology of possibility." Dr. Langer was first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University, and is the the author of eleven books--including Mindfulness, The Power of Mindful Learning, and her Counterclockwise--and more than two hundred research articles. She has been described as the “mother of mindfulness” and through her work, Dr. Langer challenges us to overcome our mindless patterns, let go of false limits, focus on the process and notice all the wonders present in our lives."

MIND Reviews: Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility - Scientific American

Ellen Langer: books

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Best Coursera courses

Which are the Best Coursera courses? | Class Central Help Center

  1. An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 1) from Rice University ★★★★★(3160)
  2. Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (“ModPo”) from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(184)
  3. Python Data Structures from University of Michigan ★★★★★(3914)
  4. Mountains 101 from University of Alberta ★★★★★(333)
  5. Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects from University of California, San Diego ★★★★★(8997)
  6. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) from University of Michigan ★★★★★(8484)
  7. Aprender from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★★(106)
  8. Presentation skills: Designing Presentation Slides from Tomsk State University ★★★★★(141)
  9. Learning How To Learn for Youth from Arizona State University ★★★★★(134)
  10. Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential from McMaster University ★★★★★(2503)