Lockdown Reading: Use Your Head - Tony Buzan

Lockdown Reading : Use Your Head - Tony Byzan

I re-read Tony Buzan’s book  ‘Use Your Head’ in these lockdown days. The book was published in 1984 for the first time but even after 36 years, it is relevant. 

Tony is  inventor of the revolutionary Mind-Mapping technique, and acquired fame by improving the memory and learning capability of a lot  of people. 

The book is based on the research into the workings of the human brain. Tony presents an ingenious system for training the memory to achieve extraordinary feats. The book provides surprising, yet simple, techniques for remembering names, dates, phone numbers and appointments. Special programmes are given for card players and there is a useful section for students on how to attain optimum examination results.

Buzan reveals his methods with engaging enthusiasm, drawing upon extraordinary, surreal images to illustrate how the mnemonic system works. Some of these images are illustrated in full colour in the book. For anyone who has difficulty in remembering facts and figures, people and places, ‘Use Your Memory’ will be invaluable.

I've read a lot of non-fiction books about what the potentials of the mind and positive thinking are. This book gives more than just information about what could be, it shares tools for expanding your creative skills and organizing what goes in and comes out of our mind.

Tony claims :

"No man yet exists or has existed who has even approached using his full brain. We accept no limitations on the power of the brain — it is limitless." pg 24

He also  shares the keys for maximizing your memory — imagination and association. By combining images with simple rhymes, he's created a surprisingly easy way to remember lists and, potentially, large sections of information.

I was intrigued by his method of organizing information and study materials with the use of "mind maps." Basically, you start with a topic and draw branches coming out from this main theme, that relate to the information in some way. Continue to branch out, using colors and shapes to stimulate your brain while drawing conscious connections between the ideas on the paper.

It's a fun little creative exercise, but also it helps you see associations you may not have considered before.

There's a lot of self help advice in these pages too. It's mainly common sense, but I found almost all of it useful as reminders of what is possible. For example, Buzan suggests considering your perspective before starting any program of study or problem solving.

"On average, people assume that there are theoretically infinite insoluble problems and only a relatively minor number of solutions. The fact is, every problem has a solution and there are no insoluble problems for a human brain that is properly trained, activated and aware of its creative functions." pg 82