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13th out of 18 books
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The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence
Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a teenager when his father's book "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic chess world for ten years, Wa...more
Hardcover, 265 pages
Published
May 8th 2007
by Free Press
(first published 2007)
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Reya Kempley
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone involved in competitive sports or games, fans of chess and Tai Chi
Shelves:
nonfiction
As someone who has been seriously involved in a highly mental competitive sport since the age of nine, I deeply related to so many of Josh Waitzkin's experiences and mental strategies he's developed. While the level of fame I have realized (so far!?) is very small when compared to Josh's, and only exists within a small circle of competitors and enthusiasts, my struggle to excel in competition parallels so much of what Josh describes, from the mistake of denying emotions completely (leading to co...more
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For those of us interested in the learning process, either for ourselves or our students or children, Waitzkin's book The Art of Learning has some incredible insights. The author was a world-class chess player (was actually the teenage subject of the book, and movie adaptation "Searching for Bobby Fischer"), and after leaving behind his chess career became a world-class martial arts champion. Obviously someone who has had such outstanding success in such different fields, one physical,...more
The Bhagavad Gita describes Arjuna as “the conqueror of sloth” (Prabhavananda and Isherwood’s translation). The Gita is a symbolically interpreted text, but this declaration can stand on its own in a literal sense. It is a powerful description, and challenging to think about the effort involved to get to such an effort. Josh Waitzkin has conquered sloth.
His effort and dedication is nothing short of incredible. This has led him to excel at two disciplines (as of the writing of thi...more
His effort and dedication is nothing short of incredible. This has led him to excel at two disciplines (as of the writing of thi...more
At first it seemed like Waitzkin was writing this book as a weird way to satisfy his ego. After the first few pages written about how great and successful he has been in not one, but two realms of competition, I started to get a little irritated with him.
I found it a little suspect that he "invented" all of the moves he mentions in his learning process and fine-tuning his martial arts. The traditions have been around for thousands of years, and some twenty-something fro...more
I found it a little suspect that he "invented" all of the moves he mentions in his learning process and fine-tuning his martial arts. The traditions have been around for thousands of years, and some twenty-something fro...more
Very good book about achieving world-class mastery of a skill and the attendant phenomena (like slowing down time).
it teeters on mysticism early on, but if you get past that, there are rewards in sound arguments and interesting observations
Some key highlights:
- using simplified/limiting drills to understand key concepts more deeply/fluently
- a very compelling model of skill acquisition as layering, one pass at a time, your conscious understanding on top of automati...more
it teeters on mysticism early on, but if you get past that, there are rewards in sound arguments and interesting observations
Some key highlights:
- using simplified/limiting drills to understand key concepts more deeply/fluently
- a very compelling model of skill acquisition as layering, one pass at a time, your conscious understanding on top of automati...more
Waitzkin, the child chess prodigy upon whom the book and movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was based upon grew up to become a World Champion in Push Hands, the competitive martial arts side of Tai Chi practice. This book triangulates what Waitkin learned about learning through intense practice in both chess and Push Hands.
I read this at the same time I read 37signals' "Rework" and the contrast was stark. Waitzkin's book is deeper, getting to the heart of what it...more
I read this at the same time I read 37signals' "Rework" and the contrast was stark. Waitzkin's book is deeper, getting to the heart of what it...more
I really enjoyed this book but I am oddly unsatisfied. For those who don't remember, Josh Waitzkin is the subject of the lovely movie _Searching for Bobby Fischer_. He was the top american high school-aged chess player back when I was playing high school chess. He left chess in his young adulthood and is now a world-class practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan. This book is a very compelling memoir of his experience in the worlds of competitive chess and tai chi. It's also _sort of_ a self-help book ...more
Michael
added it
Josh Waitzkin grabbed my attention with his experiences in two of my favorite pastimes--Chess and Martial Arts. World Chess champion and subject of the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer", he is the perfect person to talk about the pressures of both celebrity and success. He is also on the mark with his observations on martial arts success, as the holder of 21 national championships and a world championship title in taijiquan. In this book he talks about how to learn and achieve...more
it's unaccountably rare to find someone who can perform at the highest levels of human capacity (mentally or physically) who can articulate much meaningfully about how they do it. You can survey top performers, and many have, and most won't have a concrete framework of thought behind that performance and most of it is intuitive. the underlying principals are essentially a mystery.
Josh Waitzkin has performed at high levels both mentally (through world class junior chess) and physical...more
Josh Waitzkin has performed at high levels both mentally (through world class junior chess) and physical...more
If you're interested in gaining insight into the mind of a child chess prodigy turned adult martial arts champion, this is a decent book. It's reasonably readable and has a lot of interesting stories about the author's chess and marital arts careers. As an inspirational or how-to book, though, it falls short. Maybe it would be helpful if you're interested in single-minded, highly-focused training in chess, martial arts, or another highly technical, subtle, and competitive pursuit. But, despite h...more
4/10 As a young boy, the author was the subject of the book and movie – Searching for Bobby Fisher. After winning 8 national chess championships, Josh Waitzkin went on to become a national and world champion in Tai Chi. The book presents Josh’s ideas about learning and specifically the type of learning necessary to become a world class competitor in any area. The book had too much martial arts descriptions and details about the competitions for my taste. However, there were enough stories a...more
Having studied Tai Chi with Grandmaster Chen myself, this book was particularly interesting. I had to do the, "hey...wait a minute" a couple of times, when Josh pointed out that the other students in the class seemed to be missing the subtle lessons because they were checking themselves in the mirror or looking at the clock. Ahem. NO I *never* do that. Josh is a bit of a superstar, and if you can get past his "I'm a humble child prodigy who gets it, and you don't" tone, t...more
Waitzin became famous as the young protagonist of the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. Since then he's become a champion Tai Chi competitor (yes, I know that sounds like an oxymoron). And lately, he's Marcelo Garcia's number one Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student with the goal of winning a world championship by 2011. Don't bet against this guy.
This book shows clear marks of the "success" literature genre: it's full of inspiring anecdotes and amazing conceptual breakthroughs t...more
This book shows clear marks of the "success" literature genre: it's full of inspiring anecdotes and amazing conceptual breakthroughs t...more
Learning theory told through master level experience in chess and tai chi
Author Josh Waitzkin has mastered two complex, esoteric disciplines: chess and tai chi, a martial art. He won national chess titles as a youth, and national and world championships in “push hands,” or partner tai chi. In this book he presents his theories about learning and high level performance, using as a case study his own rise to excellence in highly competitive sports. Even without the theoretical speculat...more
Author Josh Waitzkin has mastered two complex, esoteric disciplines: chess and tai chi, a martial art. He won national chess titles as a youth, and national and world championships in “push hands,” or partner tai chi. In this book he presents his theories about learning and high level performance, using as a case study his own rise to excellence in highly competitive sports. Even without the theoretical speculat...more
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Part I: The Foundation
Chapter 1: Innocent Movies
Josh discovers chess in the park. Lessons with Bruce: first lessons establish camaraderie.
Chapter 2: Losing to Win:
Loses first nat'l championship. Summertime is off to the sea -- the little breaks from competition are important for success, since they allow a new perspective and new energy.
Back to life, he's a mess. Bruce realizes he needs fun more than chess. Wins national tournament.
Chapter 3:...more
Chapter 1: Innocent Movies
Josh discovers chess in the park. Lessons with Bruce: first lessons establish camaraderie.
Chapter 2: Losing to Win:
Loses first nat'l championship. Summertime is off to the sea -- the little breaks from competition are important for success, since they allow a new perspective and new energy.
Back to life, he's a mess. Bruce realizes he needs fun more than chess. Wins national tournament.
Chapter 3:...more
Waitzkin provides the reader with a better understanding of how to create an environment for peak performance in stressful, competitive situations.
I found the discussion around creating a trigger insightful. Josh teaches us to prepare for competition with a routine that puts us in the optimal mindset to perform well.
He teaches us how to use emotionally charged situations to sharpen our awareness under intense pressure. He reminds us that we need to practice organizing...more
I found the discussion around creating a trigger insightful. Josh teaches us to prepare for competition with a routine that puts us in the optimal mindset to perform well.
He teaches us how to use emotionally charged situations to sharpen our awareness under intense pressure. He reminds us that we need to practice organizing...more
Elizabeth
marked it as to-read
from the library
from the library computer:
Booklist Reviews
Waitzkin, a champion in chess and martial arts, brings enthusiasm and obvious love of learning to this amazing look at what he aptly describes as the art of learning. He begins by recounting his own quirky journey. At the age of six, Waitzkin learned chess from a motley crew of street hustlers, gamblers, junkies, and artists. Since then, he has been among the highest-ranked chess players. He recounts the dist...more
from the library computer:
Booklist Reviews
Waitzkin, a champion in chess and martial arts, brings enthusiasm and obvious love of learning to this amazing look at what he aptly describes as the art of learning. He begins by recounting his own quirky journey. At the age of six, Waitzkin learned chess from a motley crew of street hustlers, gamblers, junkies, and artists. Since then, he has been among the highest-ranked chess players. He recounts the dist...more
As a motorcycle racer, this book has been highly recommended. It presents a fantastic, deep dive into the mind and how to enhance the mind's ability to embrace new information, integrate it, and improve constantly. If it did nothing else, this book would be a fantastic resource.
But honestly, the Art of Learning goes far beyond just the actual learning process. It shows in detail how to integrate new things into one's life, and how to excel at doing so. The lessons here I have a...more
But honestly, the Art of Learning goes far beyond just the actual learning process. It shows in detail how to integrate new things into one's life, and how to excel at doing so. The lessons here I have a...more
If you've ever seen the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer or read the book of the same name, you know who Josh Waitzkin is. What you may not know is that after the book/movie came out Josh slowly started turning away from chess and became interested in Tai Chi, eventually winning the 2004 World Push Hands championship.
This book breaks down how Josh goes about learning and becoming top in his field. What he doesn't mention is the intense determination and drive you need to practice...more
This book breaks down how Josh goes about learning and becoming top in his field. What he doesn't mention is the intense determination and drive you need to practice...more
The Art of Learning is about half autobiography and half self improvement how-to. I first learned about the author, Josh Waitzkin, when I was working through the extensive tutorials in the Chess Master computer program. Josh seemed like a pretty interesting guy, and a good teacher (although I’m still awful at chess) so I went on to read his father’s book Searching for Bobby Fischer, and kept an eye out for Josh’s book, The Art of Learning.
I’m not really into the whole self improvement gen...more
I’m not really into the whole self improvement gen...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was excited about the book because the author has a very compelling bio for a book about learning (he is the "Searching for Bobby Fischer" kid and was a top chess player although not a world champion for a number of years, and then he dropped that to practice Tai Chi which he did become a world champion at). Also a friend recommended it.
I was hesitant about the book because it seems in the "self-help" category, which I am generally not a fan of (I would rather ...more
I was hesitant about the book because it seems in the "self-help" category, which I am generally not a fan of (I would rather ...more
The two ideas from this book that made the biggest impression on me were incremental learning (the stance that says "I could have done that differently" rather than "I'm no good at this") and investment in loss (seeking out difficulties as learning opportunities--a manifestation, I'd say, of Socratic wisdom). Peak performance is inspiring, and the book got me wondering how I could apply the learning principles it describes in my spiritual life, or in my teaching. And the jour...more
Mr. Waitzkin uses his own biography to teach the effective achievement of excellence in any field. I have to say that I agree with what he has to say on the subject, and his life is fairly interesting too. I would say that his major flaw is a peculiar tension between 'you can do it,' and 'of course that's beyond the pale.' I would still recommend it as a great and useful read. Especially for those who wish for mastery, and aren't quite sure how. This book should provide an excellent scaffold.
Loved this book. To be honest, I was not sure I would. He's a world class chess and martial arts champion. I wondered if what he had to say would apply to normal, everyday people. And if it did, could someone obviously so intelligent communicate those ideas clearly to the rest of us? The answer is yes. The book is very readable and gives wonderful insights for how to learn better, while still acknowleging that all of us are different and will need a slightly different approach.
A complete inspiration. There were so many pages where I got goosebumps and had to pick myself up from the way Josh describes his journey. More the story of his journey than a how-to book, there's a lot to be learned simply from the way Josh expresses himself, to say nothing of the content of the book. It made me feel like I knew who he was and was on the same quest as he. A complete inspiration for anyone who has experienced total dedication to a passion.
I really like the message of the book. He combines and references a few of the other books that influenced his thoughts on the subject. But it's his clear explanations of the events of his life and how the lessons pertain to him that does an excellent job of showing just how effective some methods are vs. others. Waitzkin is a very accomplished young man and his accomplishments more than demonstrate that what he is talking about is correct.
He outlines what he calls a process for producing outstanding performance, predictably. What is really interesting is the memoir portion of the book. It is a portrait of a person who has found more than one pursuit that he was deeply committed to, and pursued with single-minded determination. I am more interested in that aspect, and in how one can develop that level of determination in young people. For instance, my kids.
As a former hoarder of intellectual curiosities and frustrated underachiever, always impatient for answers, this was a reminder how much more worthwhile it can be to cultivate skill until it becomes part of me.
Very inspiring, and a good challenge to those who are biased towards an overly rationalistic approach to everything. Too philosophical for a beginner looking for simple directions to follow--though it contains a few of those, they're not Waitzkin's most important points. I'm s...more
Very inspiring, and a good challenge to those who are biased towards an overly rationalistic approach to everything. Too philosophical for a beginner looking for simple directions to follow--though it contains a few of those, they're not Waitzkin's most important points. I'm s...more
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Joshua Waitzkin is an American chess player, martial arts competitor, and author. As a child, he was recognized as a prodigy, and won the U.S. Junior Chess championship in 1993 and 1994. He is the only person to have won the National Primary, Elementary, Junior High School, High School, U.S. Cadet, and U.S. Junior Closed chess championships in his career. The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer is b...more
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“He landed on cheap shot, but I knocked him out of the tournament.”
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