Also what exactly makes a person smart?
2006-09-07 03:57:15 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
Brains make you smarter. Book learning just fills your head, but it could help you make a connection!
Don Juan the Yaqui Way of Knoweldge, CArlos Castenadas
The Way of Zen, Alan Watts
I and Thou, Martin Buber (Jewish Religion, but heavy reading)
General Relativity by Albert Einstein
(I and Thou and Realtivity should keep you busy for 4 to 5 years, both are heavy duty).
A History of Time by Stephen Hawkings
Barocas Brain by Carl Sagan (COsmos is Easier reading but not as meaty)
The Games People Play by Eric Berne, MD
The Nature and Evolution of Female Sexuality by by Mary Jane Shifery, MD
The Secret Life of Plants (very easy reading)
Love and Addiction by Stanton Peele
The Federalist Papers by John Jay
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
Prisoners of Liberation
1984 by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldus Huxley (a black comedy, not dramatic, it's satire).
The Hairy Ape a play, I beleive, by Eugen O'Neil.
The Cherry ORchard, a play by Anton Checkov (now he was not an Ensign on Star Trek).
The Fear of Flying by Erica Jong
Going Crazy by R.D. Lang
An Actor Prepairs by Stanislavsky
The Source by James A Michner
The Boys in the Band, a play I forget by whom (you can also watch the movie)
Anything by Dickens or Mark Twain
The Old Man and the Sea
Moby Dick
This is my non math cirriculum. Remember most of this is 40 to 200 years old!
For math, take up programming BASIC and learn how to use all the functions, do bubble sorts, amortization tables, etc.
2006-09-07 05:09:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Curiosity about the world is one of the ingredients. Kids that ask "Why? What's that? Why?" are learning. Experience does also help,, field trips to find out personally what things are like besides just reading about them,, to zoos, planetariums, museums. My mom used to buy books that are full of 'brain teasers', which are full of problems to solve that really call on skillful deductions and logical thinking. Getting an SAT study book from the book store has good vocabulary expanding sections, reading comprehension exercizes and stuff. Reading classics is also helpful for vocabulary and grammar practice,, newer books tend to have very limited vocabulary.
A lot of what is considered 'smartness' or intelligence is familiarity with the main stream American or English speaking culture. People from other cultures and languages tend to be at a disadvantage. Part of it is memory and how well we remember and can repeat what a teacher has said or presented, whether it is right or wrong. Part of it is being creative and being able to take what is presented, and think about ways to build on it.
We each have 'smarts' in some areas more than in others. One mentioned 'street smarts' which is what we learn in our daily lives that may not be found in the main stream culture's text books, but it helps you get by in your life.
Book learning and smarts is mostly intellectual, and can mean you know a lot of things that may or may not be applicable or practical in daily life.
When someone says,, "S/he's pretty smart.", it means that that person catches on, understands, and responds wisely.
2006-09-07 11:50:17 · answer #2 · answered by mary_n_the_lamb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would read a variety of books about different subjects. No one knows it all so maybe pick a few topics that you are interested in and saturate your mind with knowledge about that particular subject. For example if you like history, you could study world history and there's lots a material available to learn from. Same thing with politics, you can study politics in itself, and at the same time you can read a popluar news papers and magazines to stay up on current events. If you want to build your vocabulary, try reading the dictionary and using a new word each day in a sentence.
If it's wisdom you're after read the book of Proverbs. It's in the bible.
As far as what makes someone smart...I think some people are just born with more common sense and also the ability to retain information better than others. However, our brain's are designed to learn so never limit yourself to what you can achieve.
Good luck in your quest for knowledge. It's good to see someone wants to be enlightened in a positve way.
2006-09-07 11:04:57 · answer #3 · answered by Confuscious 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Anything you can get hold of. If it bores you, let it go and move on to another book. Try some of the classics, in modern English if you find the original language difficult. Try every genre. Keep an open mind about the things you pick up, and decide for yourself which ones are worth reading, which ones you learn from.
Maybe a good place to start is biographies; after all nearly everybody is curious about other people to some extent.
2006-09-07 11:10:53 · answer #4 · answered by kittybriton 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most ANY book will make you smarter...Read "An Incomplete Education"...for a short course, then find the bibligoraphy & find the actual books & read them. Being smart is several things. Being able to learn, being interested in learning is key to being smart.
Read till your eyes fall out...not romances or garbage or kids stuff. No picture books...Instead of TV all the time, or Game boys...pick up a book. They are portable, you can read just about anywhere!
Go for it! You can be on your way!
2006-09-07 11:06:17 · answer #5 · answered by fairly smart 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No book is going to make you smarter. However, they will make you better informed.
Your IQ (smartness) is largely inherent. Your knowledge is determined by your experience and how much you retain from your experiences. While higher IQ people have an advantage when it comes to acquiring knowledge, it is very possible for lower IQ people to become much more knowledgeable than high IQ people by applying themselves to the task of acquiring useful information.
To increase your knowledge I suggest picking an area of interest that suits your fancy and reading everything you can about it. As for me, I like science and technology and read several articles a day from the following sites.
http://www.topix.net/tech
http://www.sciencedaily.com/
http://www.scitechdaily.com/
http://slashdot.org/
2006-09-07 11:05:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Read what interests you. Then follow through whenever possible and experience firsthand some of the knowledge you have obtained.
For instance if you like history and read about a particular battle or historical figure, then go to the location of that battle or an exhibit of that historical figure and check out some of the things first hand.
2006-09-07 11:04:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No one can learn everything there is to know. Knowledge is infinite. So learn what your interested in and what gives you a job you like since you are going to be doing it all your life.
Get training in one thing. That is what we were told by experts.
Bill Gates the smartest man in the world was a University drop out. He was bored in school and Paul Allen his friend, played with computers is his garage in Oakland Ca.
they are now the two richest men in the world.
When he dropped out his father was very disappointed with them.
2006-09-07 11:09:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would recommend Yahoo Answers. I learned more in 10 days than 4 years in High School.
2006-09-07 11:02:49 · answer #9 · answered by JistheRealDeal 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think you should read books with IQ boosters. I would reccomend that you should read more in order for you to gain knowledge.
Well, i think it makes a person smart if he knows everything and it is easy for him to think somethings like solutions on a problem or even it takes lesser time for him to answer a particular question.so i think that's it...
2006-09-07 11:20:52 · answer #10 · answered by darkangel_leehom 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋