DOUBLE YOUR BRAIN POWER by Jean Marie Stine. Barnes & Noble, 1997
INTRODUCTION (p9-22)
PART 1 --- Doubling your "learning power" (p27-76)
1) Instant learning (p29-41)
PART 2 --- Doubling your memory power (p77-103)
[1] You are already a fabulous learner (p33-35)
2) Tapping your "optimum" learning state (p43-53)
[2] Overcoming the four barriers to instant learning (p35-39)
(1) LEARNING BARRIER ONE = "Learning is boring!" REMEDY = to reverse and rephrase your barrier statement into its opposite, such as "Learning is exciting, involving and interesting!"
[3] Reward "successful" learning experiences (p39-41)
(2)LEARNING BARRIER TWO = "I am NOT a good learner!" REMEDY = to reverse and rephrase your barrier statement into its opposite, such as "I am an excellent learner who has already learned a lot about a lot of subjects!"
(3) LEARNING BARRIER THREE = "I can NOT learn this subject!" REMEDY = to reverse and rephrase your barrier statement into its opposite, such as "I learned my job and many survival skills and many subjects in school --- and I can learn this subject, too!"
(4) LEARNING BARRIER FOUR = "I will NOT remember what I learned!" REMEDY = to reverse and rephrase your barrier statement into its opposite, such as "I have already learned to remember many important things, including names, facts and dates --- and I can and will remember the most important aspects of this subject, too!
[1] Activating your "optimum" learning state (p45-51)
3) Discovering your "personal" learning style (p55-76)
[2] Accessing your "inner"optimum learner (p51-53)
[1] Discovering your best learning approach (p58-60)
4) Mastering three stages of learning (p69-76)
[2] Discovering your best learning senses (p60-63)
A Harvard University study proved that there are at least SEVEN l"learning senses:"
[3] Discovering your best learning resources (p63-65)
(1) Verbal
(2) Logical
(3) Visual
(4) Musical
(5) Kinesthetic --- Body movement
(6) Intrapersonal --- Self knowledge
(7) Interpersonal --- Knowing others
Next time you are faced with a learning opportunity --- THINK about what is your own BEST learning sense or senses? Is it verbal, logical, visual, musical, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, or interpersonal, or a combination thereof? Then apply that knowledge to acquiring a new skill or mastering new data!
[4]Discovering your personal learning style (p66-67)
[1] Before learning --- Preparation, planning, and action (p70-71)
[2] While learning "Propositions" and "revised propositions" (p72-73)
[3] After learning --- "Attaching" yourself to the knowledge (p74-76)
5) Instant memory (p79-85)
PART 3 --- Doubling your reading power (p105-139)
[1] Five steps to instant memory (p80-81)
6) Power memory --- using "mnemonic techniques" (p87-96)
(1) You can "tag" the information with a "mental charge," which lifts the information above other data and ensures your conscious mind will be able to locate it quickly and easily whenever you need to recall it!
[2] Recall what you missed with "instant replay" (p81-82)
(2) These FIVE simple words can help you consciously "tag" critical new information so it will be remembered longer! They are BELIEVE --- INTEND --- VISUALIZE --- COMMAND --- REVIEW!
The FIVE "FOOLPROOF" STEPS to "instant memory" are:
Step One = BELIEVE you will remember the material, which energizes your brain for remembering!
In addition, you can recall what you missed with "instant replay" and capture complex details forever with "mental review!"
Step Two = INTEND to remember the material by putting your genuine willpower into an effort that doubles your chances for success!
Step Three = VISUALIZE or repeat the material once clearly in your mind!
Step Four = COMMAND by consciously telling yourself to remember the material!
Step Five = REVIEW your memory of the material the next dry!
Also, you can forget what you do NOT need to remember with "memory delete"
Your "power memory" can be improved by using "mnemonic techniques" and "memory maps," which personalize your efforts to improve your memory skills!
For truly successful and fulfilling quick and efficient learning, you need to think about planned repetition of the FIVE STEPS or techniques of "instant memory" by thinking about remembering in a new more complex way!
[3] Capture complex details forever with "mental review" (p83-84)
[4] Forget what you do not need with "memory delete" (p84-85)
7) Memory maps --- the power of "personalizing" (p97-103)
8) Instant reading (p107-116)
PART 4 --- Doubling your listening power (p141-172)
9) Reading smarter (p117-127)
10) Evaluating what you read (p129-139)
11) Instant listening (p143-152)
PART 5 --- Doubling your "thinking power" (p173-204)
12) Listening "one-on-one" (p153-161)
13) Listening "between-the-lines" (p163-172)
14) Instant thinking (p175-183)
RECOMMENDED READING --- 23 books about brainpower! (p205)
15) Three steps to "power thinking" (p185-194)
[1] Thinking logically (p188-190)
16) Applying what you think (p195-204)
[2] Thinking inductively (p190-192)
[3] Thinking deductively (p192-194)
[1] Using the "six modes" of thinking --- using ALL six modes of thinking --- You can sextuple your brain power by having you think about the situation from each of the following viewpoints: (p197-201)
(1) Thinking OBJECTIVELY --- this way of thinking logically scrutinezes ALL facts, figures, and other objective information available about your situation
[2] Using the "nine maxims" of creative thinking to MAXIMIZE your THINKING POWER! (p201-204)
(2) Thinking CRITICALLY --- this way of thinking examines a situation carefully, looking for every possible problem, downside, drawback, and negative consequence that could be associated with your situation
(3) Thinking POSITIVELY --- this way of thinking views a situation from a positive viewpoint and searches ONLY for possibilities, solutions, opportunities, pluses, and benefits
(4) Thinking CREATIVELY --- thinking creatively projects creative solutions, combinations, and ideas that might better your situation
(5) Thinking INTUITIVELY --- thinking intuitively tries to tune in with the DEEPER reactions to a situation such as your "gut feelings," the language of the heart, emotional nuances, hunches, and any other signals from your unsconscious
(6) Thinking about the MODES --- thinking about the "modes of thinking" monitors your own thinking and feeling about a situation and how they might color, distort, or affect your THINKING about that situation!
(1) Get ALL the data --- BEFORE you decide on an answer!
(6) Apply what you have learned before!
Before you can generate a valid solution or a new approach or a theory, drop ALL preconceptions and first gather ALL the data you possibly can.
(2) Classify --- and invent new classifications!
Without these data, you will NOT have the mental capacity to develop your thinking process, and your preconceptions can prevent you from seeing important facts and relationships!
Creating your own categories and classifications helps you SEE connections! This leads you to make generalizations about the relevant things you are concentrating on.
(3) Generalize --- generalize --- generalize!
Generalizations help you generate new insights, ideas, and solutions. There significance is that they set you thinking! At this stage it is NOT so important whether you are right or wrong.
(4) Explain --- explain --- explain!
You truly "know" something ONLY when you understand it! And you understand it ONLY when you can explain it to yourself in your own words. When you try to explain a situation or a dilemma, the process of thinking itself "hot-wires" your mind and gets your thinking process working.
(5) Pretend that you do NOT understand anything and question everything!
Look for things that don't make sense to you since the key to thinking is paying attention to what you do NOT understand, namely, the anomalies of life.
Often unrelated things you already know will help spark insights and inspirations!
(7) Reject the "standard" wisdom!
Question "current" explanations since they might be limiting your awareness!
(8) Let your thoughts wander!
Daydreaming and mind wandering can result in fresh insights and solutions! Flitting from thought to thought is still thinking.
(9) Give yourself permission to fail!
1. The path to success is littered with failure!
2. Expect to fail, embrace failure, welcome failure!
3. Consider each idea that does NOT work to be a step that carries you closer to the answer you are seeking.
This assumption will give you the FREEDOM to take a chance since you will NOT hold back for FEAR OF FAILING!
INDEX (p207-216)
Go to: Brainpower and Ignorance at Work
Go to: Creativity and Distress at Work
Go to: Success and Fear of Failure at Work
Go to: Thinking Skills of Librarians
Go to: Keyword Glossary of Leadership Ideas
Go to: Interactive Index