Introduction and Content
I picked up this book after receiving a recommendation for it a few years ago. I was very intrigued by the premise, and it’s strongly influenced how I learn and how I teach.
The book, which summarizes research findings in cognitive science, poses a difficult question: what produces enduring and complex mastery of skills or knowledge? The authors, through anecdotal stories and explanations of the supportive research, list several practical ways that challenge conventional thinking on how to study: instead of repetitively reading textbooks and focusing on mastering one topic before moving onto something else, we should incorporate more low-stakes quizzes, allowing for some forgetting between study sessions, and interleaving different but related topics to build a more robust understanding of what we’re studying. On the surface, this resonates with my opinions that simply memorizing textbooks is not an effective or efficient way to learn - and yet this is the approach we often take when confronted with the need to “grow our knowledge base.” Passive learning is not learning.
The book is very accessible, with each chapter focusing on one concept, weaving practical examples with explanations of the research that revealed the principles. In many chapters, there is a misconception about learning that is challenged (for example, “massed practice” - the act of reading/reviewing the same material over and over until it is fully mastered - produces short-term proficiency but does not have enduring retention). While not all of the anecdotes translate well to learning ophthalmology, the underlying concepts are very helpful in understanding how to develop study habits that can produce the expert-level knowledge and recall we need in our field.
Ratings
Organization: 5 out of 5
Each chapter builds on previous concepts, and many of the stories that are told throughout the narrative are alluded to in latter chapters, which helps to tie the entire work together.
Readability: 5 out of 5
I’ve primarily read the audiobook version of this book, which is excellent. However, the text is also easy to read, easy to follow, and the authors do an excellent job of making all of the concepts accessible.
Suitability for the Beginning Ophthalmologist: 5 out of 5
This is one of those books that I believe should be mandatory reading for all medical students and residents. We do not have the luxury of infinite time to learn massive amounts of information, and one of the often-relayed challenges of ophthalmology residency is the steep learning curve. While this book does not promise to make learning easier (in fact, one of the major premises is that enduring learning needs to have some difficulty), it outlines some strategies that can help trainees study “smarter, not harder.”
Cost: $
$ = $0.00-$50.00
$$ = $50.00-$150.00
$$$ = $150.00-$250.00
$$$$ = $250.00-$350.00
$$$$$ = $350.00 or more
Amazon lists the hardcover version for $27.90 right now. It is 100% worth the money.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
I cannot recommend this book enough - this book has influenced how I structure my study content, and is driving many of the resources the AAO produces for ophthalmologists. It is easily translatable to virtually any context of learning, whether you are just starting out or pursuing continuing education.