Best Books on Learning

“If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” —  Mark Twain

This is a list of my favorite and noteworthy books on learning. 

I put the bulk of the list in categories to make it easier to explore relevant books and for you to compare with your existing library of learning books.

10 Best Books on Learning

1. Brain Dancing: Work Smarter, Learn Faster and Manage Information More Effectively , by Patrick T. Magee
2. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School , by John Medina
3. De Bono’s Thinking Course, Revised Edition , by Edward De Bono
4. How to Develop a Super Power Memory , by Harry Lorayne
5. How to Have a Beautiful Mind , by Edward de Bono
6. Learning How to Learn, by Barbara Oakley
7. Mechanism of Mind , by Edward De Bono
8. Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition) , by Michael Michalko
9. Super Learning, by Shiela Ostrander, Lynn Schroder, Nancy Ostrander
10. Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career, by Scott Young

Best Books on Learning by Category

Creativity

• Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step (Perennial Library) , by Edward De Bono
• The Designful Company: How to build a culture of nonstop innovation , by Marty Neumeier
• Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition) , by Michael Michalko

E-Learning

• Delivering E-Learning: A Complete Strategy for Design, Application and Assessment , by Kenneth Fee
• E-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age , by Marc Jeffrey Rosenberg
• The Backchannel: How Audiences are Using Twitter and Social Media and Changing Presentations Forever , by Cliff Atkinson

How It Works

• Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School , by John Medina
• How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (Wiley Desktop Editions) , by Susan A. Ambrose
• Mechanism of Mind , by Edward De Bono

Learning

• Achieving High Performance: A Research-based Practical Approach (Defining and Delivering Successful Professional Practice Series) , by Richard Gerson
• Brain Dancing: Work Smarter, Learn Faster and Manage Information More Effectively , by Patrick T. Magee
• How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition , by John Bransford
• Human Learning (5th Edition) , by Jeanne Ellis Ormrod
• Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) , by Ian J. Deary
• Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide (Jossey-Bass Higher & Adult Education) , by Sharan B. Merriam
• Learning Gap: Why Our Schools Are Failing and What We Can Learn from Japanese and Chinese Education , by Harold W. Stevenson
• Learning, Interim (4th) Edition , by A. Charles Catania
• Learning to Learn: Strengthening Study Skills and Brain Power , by Gloria Frender
• Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher , by Judy Willis
• The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance , by Josh Waitzkin
• Training Ain’t Performance , by Harold D. Stolovitch
• Turning Research Into Results – A Guide to Selecting the Right Performance Solutions (PB) , by Richard E. Clark

Learning How To Learn

• Learning How to Learn, by Barbara Oakley
• The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education (Learning how to Learn Book 1)
• The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition: Advanced Methods to Learn, Remember, and Master New Skills and Information (Learning how to Learn Book 2)
• The Self-Learning Blueprint: A Strategic Plan to Break Down Complex Topics, Comprehend Deeply, and Teach Yourself Anything (Learning how to Learn Book 3)
• The Science of Accelerated Learning: Advanced Strategies for Quicker Comprehension, Greater Retention, and Systematic Expertise (Learning how to Learn Book 4)
• Learn Like Einstein: Memorize More, Read Faster, Focus Better, and Master Anything With Ease… Become An Expert in Record Time (Learning how to Learn Book 5)
• Accelerated Learning for Expertise: Rapid Knowledge Acquisition Skills to Learn Faster, Comprehend Deeper, and Reach a World-Class Level (Learning how to Learn Book 6)
• Neuro-Learning: Principles from the Science of Learning on Information Synthesis, Comprehension, Retention, and Breaking Down Complex Subjects (Learning how to Learn Book 7)
• Build Rapid Expertise: How to Learn Faster, Acquire Knowledge More Thoroughly, Comprehend Deeper, and Reach a World-Class Level (Learning how to Learn Book 8)
• Polymath: Master Multiple Disciplines, Learn New Skills, Think Flexibly, and Become an Extraordinary Autodidact (Learning how to Learn Book 9)
• Painless Mental Math: Quick, Easy, and Useful Ways to Become a Human Calculator (Even if You Suck at Math) (Learning how to Learn Book 10)

Memory

• How to Develop a Super Power Memory , by Harry Lorayne
• The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play , by Harry Lorayne
• Use Your Perfect Memory: Dramatic New Techniques for Improving Your Memory; Third Edition (Plume) , by Tony Buzan
• Your Memory : How It Works and How to Improve It , by Kenneth L. Higbee

Motivation

• Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery , by Kathleen Cushman
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (P.S.) , by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• It’s About Time!: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them , by Linda Sapadin
• Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success: A Self-Management Approach , by Myron H. Dembo

Study Skills

• How To Study In College Seventh Edition , by Walter Pauk
• What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades. Optimum Learning. Minimum Time. , by Adam Robinson

Taxonomy

• A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Abridged Edition , by Lorin W. Anderson
• The New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives , by Robert J. Marzano

Teaching

• Deschooling Society (Open Forum) , by Ivan Illich
• Learning and Instruction (2nd Edition) , by Richard E. Mayer
• Start Where You Are, but Don’t Stay There: Understanding Diversity, Opportunity Gaps, and Teaching in Today’s Classrooms
• Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap , by Steven Farr
• Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College , by Doug Lemov
• Teach What You Know: A Practical Leader’s Guide to Knowledge Transfer Using Peer Mentoring
• Teach Your Child How to Think , by Edward de Bono
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons , by Phyllis Haddox
• Teaching How to Learn: The Teacher’s Guide to Student Success , by Kenneth A. Kiewra
• The Teaching Gap: Best Ideas from the World’s Teachers for Improving Education in the Classroom , by James W. Stigler

Thinking

• De Bono’s Thinking Course, Revised Edition , by Edward De Bon
• How to Have a Beautiful Mind , by Edward de Bon
• Power Thinking: How the Way You Think Can Change the Way You Lead , by John N. Mangier
• Six Frames: For Thinking About Information , by Edward De Bon
• The Habit of Thought: From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice , by Michael Stron
• The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking-Concepts and Tools , by Richard Pau
• Think!: Before It’s Too Late , by Edward De Bono

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