![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() People who know more about a subject have a kind of X-ray vision they can zero in on a problem’s underlying fundamentals, rather than using up their brain’s processing power on getting to grips with the information in which the problem comes wrapped. As Leslie says: “Knowledge makes you smarter. Chess seems like a game of pure abstract reasoning, but being good at it depends on knowledge. With this enthralling manifesto on the power of curiosity, Ian Leslie has written a book that displays all the key characteristics of its subject matter: an inquisitive, open-minded, and ultimately deeply rewarding exploration of the human minds appetite for new ideas. Beginning with the hippo soup eaten in Africa in 6000 BC, through to the dangerous blowfish enjoyed in contemporary Japan, A Curious History of Food and Drink reveals the bizarre origins of the food and drink consumed throughout history. They can “see” most of the board without having to memorise each piece and its place. Grandmasters and experienced players did much better than novices – because they have thousands of positions and kinds of positions stored in their memories already. Show people a chess board, with the pieces arranged as if a game is under way, and then ask them to replace the pieces from memory. He takes on the absurd idea that schools should teach “thinking skills” instead of “knowledge”, and illustrates it with a great experiment carried out in 1946. Sometimes in the book, Leslie talks such good sense that he makes you realise what an idiot you have been all these years. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |