The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance [Paperback]

Josh Waitzkin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Waitzkin's name may sound familiar—back in 1993, his father wrote about Josh's early years as a chess prodigy in Searching for Bobby Fischer. Now 31, Waitzkin revisits that story from his own perspective and reveals how the fame that followed the movie based on his father's book became one of several obstacles to his further development as a chess master. He turned to tai chi to learn how to relax and feel comfortable in his body, but then his instructor suggested a more competitive form of the discipline called "push hands." Once again, he proved a quick study, and has earned more than a dozen championships in tournament play. Using examples from both his chess and martial arts backgrounds, Waitzkin draws out a series of principles for improving performance in any field. Chapter headings like "Making Smaller Circles" have a kung fu flair, but the themes are elaborated in a practical manner that enhances their universality. Waitzkin's engaging voice and his openness about the limitations he recognized within himself make him a welcome teacher. The concept of incremental progress through diligent practice of the fundamentals isn't new, but Waitzkin certainly gives it a fresh spin. (May 8)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

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 distractions of adolescence as well as fame after the publication of his father's book and, later, the film based on it, Searching for Bobby Fischer. He later discovered that chess principles could be applied to learning tai chi. In fact, he found a respect for artistry, meditation, and philosophical devotion within both chess and martial arts and realized the possibility for broader application to learning in general. Waitzkin integrates his personal experiences in mastering chess and tai chi with research on psychology and learning techniques to offer a vibrant and engaging look at the love of learning and the pursuit of excellence. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743277465
• ISBN-13: 978-0743277464
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #26,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #6 in	Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Board Games > Chess
  #6 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > By Topic > Learning
  #6 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Tai Chi & Qi Gong

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, but Practical Value Questionable, May 25, 2008

By	Hilliard B. Grossman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance (Paperback)

The Art of Learning as an autobiographical story makes for good reading. However, the book introduces itself, and seems to be marketed, as a practical guide for people interested in improving their own learning skills. I question how well the majority of people will be able to make much use of the book in that way.

Waitzkin's presentation and description of learning techniques is pretty vague. While I have little doubt that Josh Waitzkin is an accomplished learner, I don't think that he successfully, practically transmits what he knows about learning to the reader. It seems that he has an unusual capacity to learn, and while I don't think that that capacity is necessarily "genetic" or somehow hopelessly unavailable to those not blessed with it from birth or a very early age, I don't think that most people will improve their learning skills very much through Waitzkin's description of techniques that he may understand and be able to apply very easily, but which refer to and rely on processes and perceptions internal to him that can't, or at least aren't in this book, adequately conveyed through the written word. Though I think I may understand what "smaller circles" (one of the learning strategies Waitzkin outlines) means on some level, how to actually apply it to something I'm trying to learn is not clear to me (and the ideas behind it seem fairly cliche, like take one step at a time, you have to walk before you can run, etc.).

Though it could be argued that it's scope is more limited, for a book that provides more concrete methods for improving learning and performance, I'd recommend "The Inner Game of Tennis". I think in that book more people are going to find techniques that they can try out and from which they can make some real progress in learning tennis and in understanding how we learn. It can also be applied to endeavors other than tennis.

Read "The Art of Learning" for its interesting stories and to get a peek into the life and development of an uberachiever, but for a practical guide on improving your learning ability and acquiring new learning skills, look elsewhere.

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A narrative too meaningful to miss, May 31, 2007

By	P. Roden "runpatrick1" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence (Hardcover)

I heard Josh interviewed on NPR recently. Before the show was completed I ordered his book; The Art of Learning. Having just finished my first reading, the pages are heavily highlighted and the margins are drenched in notes. This is a narrative too meaningful to miss, rich in the human experience. The application of his life experiences go beyond chess and martial arts. Josh's struggles and his victories may be on a different level than most but you will resonate with the humanity, as I did.
I have worked in critical care nursing for many years and the intensity can at times be overwhelming. This leads many to burn-out and leave the profession. The insights Josh provides in this book should be an integral part of nursing education. Concepts such as investment in loss, using adversity, and making sandals, are tools I now employ in the workplace challenges I face. I know these ideas could help others whether you are a nurse committed to healing, a business person closing a deal, or a parent raising a child.
Healing is invoking the will to live in others--Josh has done that for me in this work.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warrior of the Mind Turns Martial Artist, August 26, 2007

By	Kevin Quinley "GeezerJock" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence (Hardcover)

Josh Waitzkin transformed himself from a warrior of the mind into a top-level tai chi martial arts practitioner. This is somewhat an unusual, as many/most chess players (with a few exceptions) appear to be pallid who would get sand kicked in their faces at the beach. (Too much library and study time, perhaps.)

You may recall that Josh Waitzkin was the main character in the best selling book and popular movie, "Searching for Bobby Fischer." As a chess prodigy, he received intense publicity and attention, which wore thin on him as he progressed into his late teens and early 20s. Even though he was a top level chess player, the pace of his progression did not advance to the point where he was challenging Garry Kasparov or anyone else for the world championship. Being under the microscope became tiring, so he shifted his focus into tai chi.

This book is an unusual and difficult one to categorize. It is part autobiography, part chess memoir, part martial arts philosophy. Essentially, Waitzkin offers his own approach to becoming a student and applying certain disciplines and habits toward learning and eventually mastering any skill. Your mileage may vary, but for a 29 year old, Waitzkin's insights seem mature beyond his years. It is almost unfair for a young person to be so accomplished and insightful, and I mean that as a complement.

In many ways, "The Art of Learning" reminded me of "Flow" by Mihaly Csiksentmihaly. Focusing on the task and hand in getting better at it rather than obsessing over results and outcomes can be a liberating experience, paving the way toward learning and eventual mastery.

Whether you are a chess player or martial arts practitioner, "The Art of Learning" is a very effective study in one approach to building your skills in any realm. The book could have benefited from both an index and bullet-point suggestions for the reader, but these are minor quibbles regarding what is an excellent book.