People learn all their lives to build different skills. But, something that they rarely acknowledge is that learning is a skill itself. That’s why some people can master learning materials faster or better than others. No, learning isn’t a talent that comes naturally to you – it is something you learn to do and practice to perfect.
If you want to become better at learning, there’s one sure way to do it – read the best books on learning. Learning to learn is the first step to success, especially if you want to use this skill to improve and become better at other things.
To help you with this, we’ve selected great writings and created a short list of the top 10 books on how to learn. The books below belong to the top of your list, before any other book you wish to read or basically – learn from.
1. Tribe of Mentors , Timothy Ferriss
The subtitle of this book says it all - Short Life Advice from the Best in the World. Ferriss is a best-selling author that also created The 4-Hour Workweek. His latest and probably one of the most popular masterpieces is the compilation of different tactics, tools, and advice from some of the top performers the world has seen.
In this book, you’ll find out how the most successful entrepreneurs and the most iconic billionaires achieved the results that drastically transformed their life. The book contains tools and tactics of over 130 mentors.
2. High Performance Habits , Brendon Burchard
High Performance Habits is a book of similar style as the first one. Still, this is now one of the most popular books on learning and success. The book shares six habits that tell people ‘how extraordinary people become that way’.
The author says to have spent a decade of research in the position of a successful performance coach, all leading to these six habits that help people win and overcome every struggle.
3. Deep Work , Cal Newport
Deep Work by Cal Newport teaches readers how to focus on a demanding task without any distraction.Peter Mara, a professional essay writer who works with learners on daily basis, has rated this book as ‘the most productive, motivational, and inspirational book every student should read.’’ By reading this book, you should learn to master the most complex information within a shorter timeframe than the usual, all by providing you with tips on eliminating distractions and learning to the super-power of learning.
4. Peak , K. Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
These two masterful authors have recently created one of the best books for learning and mastering of any skill you desire to possess. Ericsson has made a successful career for himself by studying champions in chess, athletes, and violin virtuosos. With the help of Pool, he has given us access to information gathered in three decades of thorough research, one that will help us understand the best approach toward acquiring a chosen skill.
5. Tools of Titans , Timothy Ferriss
Ferriss is one of the most popular motivational authors who’ve created learning guides in the past few years. As such, he deserves one more spot in our short list. His other book, Tools of Titans, shares the wisdom of over 200 word-class performers.
Timothy Ferriss gathered this information with the help of his podcast – The Tim Ferriss Show and turned the results into a book filled with tactics, tools, and useful life lessons.
6. Black Box Thinking , Matthew Syed
Black Box Thinking gives people an entirely new perspective in this digital and fast-changing world. It’s primarily focused on sports, but at this point, people use the guidance provided by Syed in all career fields. This book has enjoyed great popularity in the past few months and not only with adults, but also with students.
The book draws on real-world stories and case studies and shares creative ways to learn and perform better in life.
7. 10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades , Thomas Frank
As you can assume by reading the title of this book, it’s primarily focused on students. It’s a perfect way to learn how to learn, as well as master some very useful tricks that will serve you during your study years. To learn about these tricks and see if the book is what you’ve been looking for, check this thorough review and the list it provides.
8. Fluent Forever , Gabriel Wyner
Gabriel Wyner is a true example to those who strive to learn more languages. At the age of thirty, the author already speaks six languages – and fluently. He learned them on his own, with everyday practice, and without any formal education. That being said, this is the perfect person to listen to if you want to be fluent fast and forever.
9. A Mind for Numbers , Barbara Oakley
Barbara Oakley’s book is written for students who struggle with their science and math assignments. The book is an excellent guide for those who need some math help, even if they are already professionals looking for some career guidance.
Oakley flunked through the science and math courses while in high school, after which she enlisted in the army. But, since the lack of technical and mathematical skills only pulled her backwards, she returned to studies with determination to master the hardest subjects.
In this book, she shares details of her journey and tips that can truly help you gain a lifelong skill you’ll use forever.
10. Make It Stick , Peter C. Brown
Brown speaks to students, trainers, teachers, and athletes in his book ‘Make It Stick’. This book is focused on teaching readers tricks for self-improvement and better learning. Since memory is essential for the success of our cognitive tasks, we need to learn how it’s encoded and how to make the memories stick. With the tips in this book, you can finally get access to concrete, refreshing techniques that will make you more productive.
The Bottom Line
Have you read any of the books in this list? If you haven’t, you should do it right away. There’s no person in this world that doesn’t need to learn how to learn. Whatever you will aim to pursue in life and whatever goals you set for yourself, you’ll have to use learning skills to find your way.
Many of these books are specifically focused on students, but most of them are enjoyed by professionals, athletes, and any person who wishes to master his skill to learn better and more effectively. Start from the top and get to the bottom of the list – you won’t regret it!
Author’s Bio:
Michael Turner is a book lover who speaks four languages fluently and visits a minimum of ten countries every year. Thanks to his vast experience in many areas of life, Michael is the person thousands of people turn to for help and guidance. With his skills and knowledge, he contributes to writing companies and blogs online. You can follow Michael on Twitter.
