Education Book Reviews

Review: Programming the Brain by Chandana Watagodakumbura, PhD

Programming the Brain by Dr. Chandana Watagodakumbura

Educational neuroscience is a relatively new field, and one that is expertly explored in Programming the Brain: Pedagogical Practices and Study Skills for Enhanced Learning and Metacognition. A PhD engineer and academic who teaches computer science at Australia’s Central Queensland University, Dr. Chandana Watagodakumbar’s premise, intelligently and comprehensively set forth, is that just as computers are programmed to “learn” in a specific way, the principles of neuroscience can offer a useful modality for teaching humans.

Programming the Brain comprises an introduction to neuroscience and its implications for how we access knowledge; an examination of learning related concepts widely employed […]

Review: Human Behavior in Extreme Situations by Robert H. Koff & Kathryn Hanna

★★★½ Human Behavior in Extreme Situations

Human Behavior in Extreme Situations by Robert H. Koff and Kathryn R. Hanna is a book that unfortunately needed to be written, given that school shootings have become the “new normal.” Investigating a number of tragic events throughout history, Koff and Hanna examine what we can learn from them in order to be better prepared when a similar events happen in the future.

Koff and Hanna make clear at the outset that this book isn’t about preventative methods. They don’t delve into the gun control/mental health debate. They reference the head of the NRA saying “We need to be […]

Review: Studying Evolved by John Duckworth ★★★★★

Studying Evolved by John DuckworthJohn Duckworth brings his authorship to a new guide for studying, with a vengeance. Duckworth targets typical errors and easy “hacks” in studying methods not employed by the majority of exam-takers in an easy-to-digest guide for anyone else in the world who finds themselves using textbooks for self-percussive therapy over actual study in Studying Evolved: One peculiar British gentleman’s guide to accelerated learning as an adult student – the straight A habits, study skills and memory hacks you need to master any subject.

The first point to make about the book is perhaps unexpected: it’s hilarious. I don’t use […]

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