BOOKS, PODCASTS, COURSES, TOOLS
Digested and Curated learning for the Curious
I read voraciously, continuously hunt down new podcast series, try out innovative courses I stumble upon and experiment with the latest digital tools. Here, I sort the wheaf from the chaff and offer curious learners the opportunity to share in my connected and critical learning journey.
Think Like an Economist
I can't get enough of podcasts, especially the more informative ones.
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This series from Himalaya Learning is brilliant as it does a great job of bridging that gap between a subject and our everyday experience.
Language Transfer - Free Courses
Stumbling across this resource was horizon changing for me. I have long loved learning languages – I wrote about my love of etymology in my university personal statement! But languages tend to be so poorly taught at school level but many drop them.
Cue the Language Transfer. Low in tech and massive in impact and thought.
Rose Macaulay, Potterism, 1920
One of my best reads from 2020. Published a century ago but a novel that speaks so strongly to our current struggle with the media and the blurred boundary between truth and falsity.
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A new edition has just been published. But you can also read the original for free on Project Gutenberg.
Carol Dweck, Growth Mindset
Much vaunted in education (and corporate) circles, Dweck's detailled research on how our approach to learning can hold the key to success is definitely worth a good read. The book is framed round a number of case studies spanning a whole range of scenarios: from becoming a published academic to developing as a romantic partner.
Cal Newport, So Good they Can't Ignore You
A great university friend recommended this book to me whilst walking across cliffs as part of a 30th birthday weekend - such a great suggestion! Newport drills into the whole passion career narrative. It might feel controversial but his points are amply backed up by repeated examples of people whose happiness and 'success' comes from graft and then passion.
Professor Barbara Oakley, Professor Terrence Sejnowski,
'Learning How to Learn' MOOC
Essential for every learner, no matter their age. At the time of writing, the course is ranked as the top course in Personal Development and Self Improvement by Class Central.
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This course brought together lots of disparate elements for me. It also offers a great model for how to break up content into manageable chunks. The 'bonus material' of interviews with a range of learners and thinkers is brilliant.