Synopses & Reviews
Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a teenager when his father's book
Searching for Bobby Fischer was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic chess world for ten years, Waitzkin expanded his horizons, taking on the martial art Tai Chi Chuan and ultimately earning the title of World Champion. How was he able to reach the pinnacle of two disciplines that on the surface seem so different? I've come to realize that what I am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess, he says. What I am best at is the art of learning.
In his riveting new book, The Art of Learning, Waitzkin tells his remarkable story of personal achievement and shares the principles of learning and performance that have propelled him to the top twice.
With a narrative that combines heart-stopping martial arts wars and tense chess face-offs with life lessons that speak to all of us, The Art of Learning takes readers through Waitzkin's unique journey to excellence. He explains in clear detail how a well-thought-out, principled approach to learning is what separates success from failure. Waitzkin believes that achievement, even at the championship level, is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process. Rather than focusing on climactic wins, Waitzkin reveals the inner workings of his everyday method, from systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs, to honing techniques into states of remarkable potency, to mastering the art of performance psychology.
Through his own example, Waitzkin explains how to embrace defeat and make mistakes work for you. Does your opponent make you angry? Waitzkin describes how to channel emotions into creative fuel. As he explains it, obstacles are not obstacles but challenges to overcome, to spur the growth process by turning weaknesses into strengths. He illustrates the exact routines that he has used in all of his competitions, whether mental or physical, so that you too can achieve your peak performance zone in any competitive or professional circumstance.
In stories ranging from his early years taking on chess hustlers as a seven year old in New York City's Washington Square Park, to dealing with the pressures of having a film made about his life, to International Chess Championships in India, Hungary, and Brazil, to gripping battles against powerhouse fighters in Taiwan in the Push Hands World Championships, The Art of Learning encapsulates an extraordinary competitor's life lessons in a page-turning narrative.
Review
"Josh Waitzkin's The Art of Learning is a testimonial to the timeless principle of 'do less and accomplish more.' Highly recommended for those who want to understand the power of consciousness." Deepak Chopra
Review
"This is a really superb book, one I wish someone had given to me long ago. The title is accurate at a profound level, it's about real learning from hard conflict rather than from disinterested textbooks. It will take a ferocious interruption to make you put this book down." Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance
About the Author
Josh Waitzkin started playing chess at the age of six in New York's Washington Square Park, where he was discovered by Bruce Pandolfini, who became his teacher. He became a national master at thirteen and an international master at sixteen. He has won eight national scholastic championships and became the U.S. Junior Champion in 1994. Josh lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
Introduction
I
THE FOUNDATION
1. Innocent Moves
2. Losing to Win
3. Two Approaches to Learning
4. Loving the Game
5. The Soft Zone
6. The Downward Spiral
7. Changing Voice
8. Breaking Stallions
II
MY SECOND ART
9. Beginner's Mind
10. Investment in Loss
11. Making Smaller Circles
12. Using Adversity
13. Slowing Down Time
14. The Illusion of the Mystical
III
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
15. The Power of Presence
16. Searching for the Zone
17. Building Your Trigger
18. Making Sandals
19. Bringing It All Together
20. Taiwan
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About the Author