Do One Thing Every Day Journals / Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Smarter

I am still learning

Michelangelo


This was a favorite saying of one of the greatest artists of all time. And modern science has proved him right. Neuroplasticity the ability of the brain to change throughout adulthood was one of the great discoveries of the late 20th century. We come into the world programmed with the capacity to change what is given to us by nature, so that we can go beyond it, according to cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf. Groups of neurons, she writes, create new connections and pathways among themselves every time we acquire a new skill.

The psychologist Howard Gardner introduced the Theory of Multiple Intelligences in the 1980s. He identified eight different ways in which we can excel at processing information at being smart from the linguistic to the musical, only three of which are measured by standard IQ tests.

What better way is there to take advantage of both Wolf s and Gardner s insights than to accept the challenge of this book to do one thing every day that makes you smarter? Prompts activate all of your intelligences in response to the words of brilliant poets, artists, entertainers, writers, actors, scientists, politicians, and philosophers. Skim through the book s pages each day to find a way to expand your mind that interests you.

Compare yourself to underestimated geniuses like Thomas Edison, who was once told by a teacher that he was too stupid to learn anything. Discover secrets to getting smarter from MacArthur geniuses, winners of an award given by the MacArthur Foundation for extraordinary originality and dedication . . . and a marked capacity for self-direction. Flex your brain with word, number, and optical puzzles, and pledge to add to your knowledge from lists of key information in a range of fields from classic films to contemporary technology skills. Read about the Aha! moments of Stephen Hawking, Oprah Winfrey, and others, and record Aha! moments of your own. Find tips for how to work, study,

Robie Rogge is a New York City-based packager who has created many successful guided journals and novelty products for Clarkson Potter and the Museum of Modern Art.

Dian G. Smith is a freelance writer and reading specialist.