Level Up Your Thinking Skills
The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn
by Richard Hamming
Science & Technology
TL;DR
This book is basically your grandpa's guide to not sucking at smart people stuff. It's all about how to actually do groundbreaking work, not just understand it. Hamming drops wisdom bombs on picking the right problems, managing your time like a pro, dealing with distractions, and constantly learning from literally everything. He's like, "Stop being a basic bitch and start asking the big questions." It's less about equations and more about developing a mindset for serious innovation and making your brain a high-performance machine.
Action Items
Track your energy levels for a week. When do you feel sharpest? When do you feel like a zombie? Schedule your hardest tasks for your peak times.
Before starting any new task, ask yourself, "If I nail this, what's the real impact? Is it a 'who cares?' or a 'holy shit!'?" If it's the former, reconsider.
Get a dedicated notebook or open a new note on your phone. For the next 24 hours, write down every idea, question, or observation related to your work/studies, no matter how silly.
Identify one "big" problem or idea you've been too intimidated to pursue. Spend 15 minutes today outlining the first tiny step you could take towards it.
Pick one person you interact with today (colleague, friend, even a stranger). Observe something specific about how they approach a task or problem, and reflect on what you can learn from it.
Unlock the full book to see more action items
Key Chapter
Chapter - Stop Being a Basic Bitch: How to Actually Do Important Shit (aka The Importance of the Problem)
Hamming basically slaps you across the face and says, "Yo, why are you wasting your precious brain cycles on tiny, irrelevant crap?" He's not about just doing work; he's about doing important work. It's like, don't just clean your room; figure out how to build a self-cleaning house. He pushes you to identify the big, juicy problems that, if solved, would actually make a dent in the universe. Stop being a task-completer and start being a game-changer. It's about having the audacity to tackle challenges that others deem too hard or not worth their time.
Key Methods and Approaches
Your Brain's Battery Pack
(AKA: Temperament & Energy Sources)
Description:
Figure out when your brain is actually useful and when it's just a potato.
Explanation:
Your brain ain't always on 100%. Sometimes it's a supercomputer, sometimes it's a brick. Hamming's like, "Know your peak hours, fam!" Are you a morning goblin or a night owl? Don't try to do rocket science when your brain's running on fumes, just like you wouldn't try to game on a phone with 2% battery.
Examples:
Trying to write a complex report at 3 AM after a Red Bull binge.
Scheduling your hardest coding tasks for after lunch when you're in a food coma.
Doing creative brainstorming right after waking up when your mind is fresh.
Today's Action:
Track your energy levels for a week. When do you feel sharpest? When do you feel like a zombie? Schedule your hardest tasks for your peak times.
End of Preview
Want to read the complete insights, methods, and actionable takeaways? Unlock the full book experience with Pro.
Your daily 1-minute insights