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ysabetwordsmithThis year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about reading as a way of becoming an expert in a given subject.
Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert
Previously I posted about "How to Get Good at Anything." That touched on "The 3 Book Rule to Become An Expert." The premise is that, if you have read just three books on a subject, you know more about it than the general level of knowledge. You don't know as much as a professional should, but you know enough to answer about 80% of questions on the matter. This is enough to be useful to most people regarding most issues in that area. The really complicated or difficult stuff can be left to the professional level of experts.
Of course, I should point out that it's not how I grew up learning subject areas. My method was to check out as many books as I could carry, or the library's per-subject limit if they had one, read them all, and next week get more until I finished that section. Then pick a new section. This is how I inhaled whole libraries when I was little. Nowadays, because I have that very broad database already loaded, if I need to absorb a new subject area, I read one book. If that doesn't suffice, then I choose another to fill the gaps. And you know what? I can almost always get as much as I need from three books or less, which is very useful to know. ("When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?" "Last night.")
There are a number of handy things you can do with this information. One is that, if you are a generalist who thrives on exploring many subjects so you can connect the dots between them, you have a good baseline for learning a new one. Three books is a reasonable limit if you can't afford or don't wish to consume a shelf or more worth of content. With a limit of three books per subject, you can cover many more subjects. Another advantage is that, if you wish to stock your home library with a wide range of topics, three books per topic makes an excellent start. You can always expand your favorite topics later.
Furthermore, if you want to start a business, reading three books about entrepreneurship and three about your subject area will give you an excellent foundation. Remember that most college courses use only one textbook. If you count one book as one class, you can calculate how much to read in order to equal a typical major (about 14-20 books) or minor (about 5-6 books) program. That three-book framework lets you build subsections of knowledge within a field.
Choosing Your Three Books
An important point lies in selecting those three books per subject. Three random books will help, but not maximize your return on effort. You want to choose books that will cover three different subsets of information which reinforce each other to strengthen your understanding. There are different ways you could break this down, and some of those will fit certain subjects better than others. Here are some good options:
* Chronology -- Book 1: Historic, Book 2: Middle Period, Book 3: Contemporary. Many subjects with a deep history offer material covering different times.
* Complexity -- Book 1: Basic, Book 2: Intermediate, Book 3: Advanced. Most subjects have this kind of progression available.
* Famous People -- Book 1: Author A, Book 2: Author B, Book 3: Author C. This approach works best in fields that rely heavily on influential experts (like philosophy) or are all about people in the first place (like pop culture or politics).
* Geography -- Book 1: Region A, Book 2: Region B, Book 3: Region C. Some subjects really have separate sections per locale if they developed independently from each other.
* Foundation and Iteration -- Book 1: Overview, Book 2 and Book 3: Details. This works with any subject, because you start with a book that gives you a general introduction to it. The followup books can elaborate anything that caught your interest. You might decide to focus on two different locations, two different times, two famous people in the field, two specializations, etc. If you're not sure which set of three to use, try this one.
If you have a tight budget, there are options too. First, check your local library to see what they have (or could get on interlibrary loan) in your target subject. Second, used book stores often have enough titles to make a good set of three in many subjects. Third, use the internet to search for free books. I find (subject) (free PDF) and synonyms like (handbook / manual / textbook / guidebook) effective in locating resources. Some websites have a whole archive of free PDF books on their subject, so you can download an entire library of titles if you wish.
Beyond Books
When you're learning a new subject, of course there are many more resources than books. For subjects with a concrete aspect, you may want to add practical exercises, workshops, and so on. Many people remember things better when they work with their hands rather than just reading. Other folks find a social aspect vital, who learn best from other people and/or in groups. Some prefer an audiovisual experience and favor videos. It's fine to mix methods.
Some subjects can't really be learned from books alone, such as most practical crafts or skills. However, you can still learn about them by reading. A book can teach you their history, vocabulary, tools and materials, how techniques work, how the finished product looks, and so on. You don't have to be able to do something in order to appreciate it, and the more you know about a subject, the more you probably will appreciate it.
So what are some benefits you might gain from knowing about a subject, even if you don't practice it personally? You can be a fan of a thing for fun. It's more fun to look at a museum display or a event when you know the names of different entries and how hard they are to make or do. I know how to quilt; I do it rarely; but if I recognize a pattern then I will belt out its name. Familiarity with a subject also enables you to talk about it with people who actually do it. That's another thing I enjoy about street fairs and craft shows -- I'll stop and chat with people about their specialties. "Eee, that's tatting!" The more rare the craft, the more its crafters light up when someone recognizes it. Knowledge also allows you to distinguish high from low quality, and to spot bargains. For instance, if you know how painting works, you can spot original paintings at a garage sale.
Conclusion
Learning new topics is something that anyone can do. You can choose whatever interests you. It does not take a massive time commitment. If you're a bookwork, you may be able to chug a whole book in a day or few. But even if you're not, devoting 10-20 minutes a day to your topic, or reading a chapter a day, will gain you steady progress. It adds up, often faster than you expect.
You don't need anyone else's permission to learn or use what you learn. Some advanced topics have license requirements to practice professionally but very little knowledge is truly inaccessible. You don't need a degree in architecture to become a fan of it and drive around town looking at memorable buildings and pointing out their distinctive features.
Pick a topic. Grab some books. Let's have fun with this!
Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert
Previously I posted about "How to Get Good at Anything." That touched on "The 3 Book Rule to Become An Expert." The premise is that, if you have read just three books on a subject, you know more about it than the general level of knowledge. You don't know as much as a professional should, but you know enough to answer about 80% of questions on the matter. This is enough to be useful to most people regarding most issues in that area. The really complicated or difficult stuff can be left to the professional level of experts.
Of course, I should point out that it's not how I grew up learning subject areas. My method was to check out as many books as I could carry, or the library's per-subject limit if they had one, read them all, and next week get more until I finished that section. Then pick a new section. This is how I inhaled whole libraries when I was little. Nowadays, because I have that very broad database already loaded, if I need to absorb a new subject area, I read one book. If that doesn't suffice, then I choose another to fill the gaps. And you know what? I can almost always get as much as I need from three books or less, which is very useful to know. ("When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?" "Last night.")
There are a number of handy things you can do with this information. One is that, if you are a generalist who thrives on exploring many subjects so you can connect the dots between them, you have a good baseline for learning a new one. Three books is a reasonable limit if you can't afford or don't wish to consume a shelf or more worth of content. With a limit of three books per subject, you can cover many more subjects. Another advantage is that, if you wish to stock your home library with a wide range of topics, three books per topic makes an excellent start. You can always expand your favorite topics later.
Furthermore, if you want to start a business, reading three books about entrepreneurship and three about your subject area will give you an excellent foundation. Remember that most college courses use only one textbook. If you count one book as one class, you can calculate how much to read in order to equal a typical major (about 14-20 books) or minor (about 5-6 books) program. That three-book framework lets you build subsections of knowledge within a field.
Choosing Your Three Books
An important point lies in selecting those three books per subject. Three random books will help, but not maximize your return on effort. You want to choose books that will cover three different subsets of information which reinforce each other to strengthen your understanding. There are different ways you could break this down, and some of those will fit certain subjects better than others. Here are some good options:
* Chronology -- Book 1: Historic, Book 2: Middle Period, Book 3: Contemporary. Many subjects with a deep history offer material covering different times.
* Complexity -- Book 1: Basic, Book 2: Intermediate, Book 3: Advanced. Most subjects have this kind of progression available.
* Famous People -- Book 1: Author A, Book 2: Author B, Book 3: Author C. This approach works best in fields that rely heavily on influential experts (like philosophy) or are all about people in the first place (like pop culture or politics).
* Geography -- Book 1: Region A, Book 2: Region B, Book 3: Region C. Some subjects really have separate sections per locale if they developed independently from each other.
* Foundation and Iteration -- Book 1: Overview, Book 2 and Book 3: Details. This works with any subject, because you start with a book that gives you a general introduction to it. The followup books can elaborate anything that caught your interest. You might decide to focus on two different locations, two different times, two famous people in the field, two specializations, etc. If you're not sure which set of three to use, try this one.
If you have a tight budget, there are options too. First, check your local library to see what they have (or could get on interlibrary loan) in your target subject. Second, used book stores often have enough titles to make a good set of three in many subjects. Third, use the internet to search for free books. I find (subject) (free PDF) and synonyms like (handbook / manual / textbook / guidebook) effective in locating resources. Some websites have a whole archive of free PDF books on their subject, so you can download an entire library of titles if you wish.
Beyond Books
When you're learning a new subject, of course there are many more resources than books. For subjects with a concrete aspect, you may want to add practical exercises, workshops, and so on. Many people remember things better when they work with their hands rather than just reading. Other folks find a social aspect vital, who learn best from other people and/or in groups. Some prefer an audiovisual experience and favor videos. It's fine to mix methods.
Some subjects can't really be learned from books alone, such as most practical crafts or skills. However, you can still learn about them by reading. A book can teach you their history, vocabulary, tools and materials, how techniques work, how the finished product looks, and so on. You don't have to be able to do something in order to appreciate it, and the more you know about a subject, the more you probably will appreciate it.
So what are some benefits you might gain from knowing about a subject, even if you don't practice it personally? You can be a fan of a thing for fun. It's more fun to look at a museum display or a event when you know the names of different entries and how hard they are to make or do. I know how to quilt; I do it rarely; but if I recognize a pattern then I will belt out its name. Familiarity with a subject also enables you to talk about it with people who actually do it. That's another thing I enjoy about street fairs and craft shows -- I'll stop and chat with people about their specialties. "Eee, that's tatting!" The more rare the craft, the more its crafters light up when someone recognizes it. Knowledge also allows you to distinguish high from low quality, and to spot bargains. For instance, if you know how painting works, you can spot original paintings at a garage sale.
Conclusion
Learning new topics is something that anyone can do. You can choose whatever interests you. It does not take a massive time commitment. If you're a bookwork, you may be able to chug a whole book in a day or few. But even if you're not, devoting 10-20 minutes a day to your topic, or reading a chapter a day, will gain you steady progress. It adds up, often faster than you expect.
You don't need anyone else's permission to learn or use what you learn. Some advanced topics have license requirements to practice professionally but very little knowledge is truly inaccessible. You don't need a degree in architecture to become a fan of it and drive around town looking at memorable buildings and pointing out their distinctive features.
Pick a topic. Grab some books. Let's have fun with this!
