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Music is about emotion; a lot of music is generic on purpose, because you can capture a certain set of emotions that everyone feels & then leave it up to interpretation by however a person sees fit to respond internally to them. One of my favorite songs is Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhJ65v_C-eI

There is a story in there (if you can understand the lyrics clearly, haha!), but it's not super relevant because of how the song was written, sung, and played. Just crank it up & soak it in, you know? If you like it, you like it, and if you don't, you don't. Maybe it speaks to you in a specific way, or touches on an emotion that makes you feel something, or perhaps makes you feel something you didn't realize you could feel before. Another unrelated song is Yellow by Coldplay...it kind of has a direction & some specific lyrics, but it's hugely open to interpretation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PDUO3l8xiM

So I'd say that the first thing to realize is the difference between lyrics & melodies. The melody is like the force field around the song...I've literally listened to songs for years without ever understanding what the lyrics are just because I like the melody & like to sing along & groove to the music. There's a fun show you might enjoy watching, if you haven't seen it, called "Music and Lyrics" with Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore. There's a really good quote from the movie that explain the division between the two a little bit better:

>Sophie: A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction.
>
>Alex: I so get that.
>
>Sophie: But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical.

So you can kind of divide a song into two buckets:

1. How it sounds, the fun of it, the beat of it, the musical part
   
2. The meaning & the heart of it, the lyrics, the story, the message
   
   One trick to understand is that musical categories already exist, so you have targets to aim for. It's not like you're writing random stuff that's going to magically appeal to everyone on the planet, because everybody's different. So you have to shift from a monolithic perspective of "I have this great song that everyone will love" to dividing it into chunks and saying "I have a great song that people who love modern country (pop) will love". See Old Town Road as a recent example...it offended a lot of hardcore country fans, and yet the Youtube version alone has 300 million views.
   
   Writing song lyrics is half of the design process in music (melody being the other half); design is critical because nothing else happens until that is locked down. There's a really good little 5-minute documentary on "how to make a pop star" on Youtube that exemplifies this:
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irk3_p15RJY
   
   So here's what we know so far:
   
   
3. Music is niche, and the niches are pre-defined, so you're marketing to a specific target audience, in a world of music that has a particular set of rules
   
4. A song is made up of the melody & the lyrics; the melody is the fun part that you jam to & the lyrics are the heart of the song that you identify with & that guide you emotionally, which is backed up by the melody
   
5. Those two parts create the design instructions for all other parts of the river of music...the music video, live performances, inclusion into movies & TV shows, and so on - it all starts with that initial design process
   
   If you're up for some reading, I'd actually suggest a couple books from the film world to get started with. The first is the Anatomy of Story, which are the keys to telling a good story:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Story-Becoming-Master-Storyteller/dp/0865479933/
   
   The second is Writing for Emotional Impact:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Writing-emotional-impact-techniques-fascinate-ebook/dp/B004UC6E22
   
   I'd start out with those two books, because if you can learn how to tell a good story & learn how to manipulate a listener's emotions, then you can apply that to the lyrics & also to the melody to create a great piece of music within your specific genre of choice. Good song writers understand how both the lyrics & the melody works within a song in order to create a desired emotional impact, and then use tools like earworms & repetition to make the song work.
   
   part 1/2

Sorry if this list is a bit long, this is kind of an obsession of mine. No one source is really all encompassing, but each one offers a different point of view. They also may seem like slightly odd choices, however I have found each one very useful when it comes to understanding how people work. If you want a more streamlined set of sources just use every other link. (I don't know how well these work if you have any sort of innate understanding of body language, but they are excellent for beginners).

Tricks of the Mind - Derren Brown - This isn't the sort of book you would imagine when looking for body language guides, and in fact it doesn't even scratch the surface of how complex our bodies are. However it does contain what I consider to be the most important thing when learning to read people, which is the concept of relativity. Lots of sources give set actions and ascribe to them a meaning based only on the movement, but people are so wonderfully complex that this doesn't work all the time. Derren instead comes up with the concept of relativity - the idea that everybody has their own baseline for body language, and that in order to read body language effectively you need to take into account the divergence from this person's normal body language instead of just looking at their actions in a vacuum. It's also a fascinating read throughout and cites numerous other books you can use if you want more sources.


Changing Minds - this is a very good resource for looking up on any one area of body language you feel you may be rusty on, as opposed to a complete guide. Everything is organised by mood and then by body part, so you can focus on whatever you want. It also covers many other related areas and little tricks for surviving interpersonal relationships.


The Game - Neil Strauss / Fastseduction - Again, odd choices for someone looking to learn how to read body language. These are more of a meta-read than actual sources on body language, as they don't go into body language in much detail at all. Honestly I wouldn't recommend these at all if it weren't for another concept that is introduced through them called Inner Game. Inner Game is about taking all the information that you have gleaned from days surrounded by words -all the actions, routines, and painfully memorized sequences - and inserting it into your daily life, with the aim of having them completely internalized and instinctual. In the book Strauss goes to some crazy pick-up gurus and gets hypnotised over the course of a weekend to try and improve his Inner Game, but honestly that's not necessary. I feel that the concept is very much related to the phrase "Fake it 'till you make it" - just as the man looking to become more confident must put on a façade and keep confidence in mind at all times until the adopted mannerisms become habit, if you want to read people you have to pay attention to everything around you and compare it with what you know. After a while you will find that it takes less and less time to understand what a particular stance suggests, and eventually you won't have to consciously think about it at all. So yeah, not very good for body language outside of one specialist area but excellent for state of mind. There may also be a seduction community on reddit, though I couldn't speak for their body language resources.

Peoplewatching - Desmond Morris - This is one of the single greatest books ever written. It was originally released as Manwatching in the late 1970s and is a staggeringly useful guide to body language. It looks at human behaviour through a zoological lens, giving it a more sterile feel than the more well known guides, but covers everything perfectly. This is I feel the perfect introduction to the subject, covering what body language conveys and speculating on how it came about without attaching too much meaning to any one gesture.

The Definitive Book of Body Language - Allan + Barbara Pease - This is almost an obligatory mention. I don't like this book. It's undoubtedly an excellent resource on the subject, and covers most topics in a nice, well-ordered manner, but I can't bring myself to like it. It has something to do with the attitude of the book I think - right from the title the authors try and place themselves somewhere up above normal humans, and the entire book has an underlying air of condescension combined with complete confidence that what it says is 100% correct and a corresponding smugness. It is also guilty of the worst crime possible (aside from the aformentioned certainty) when discussing body language, which is dressing up speculation and correlation as fact. The book is littered with speculation on numerous topics that are stated without any nod to the fact that it is in fact speculation, such as the line 'Henry VIII popularised this gesture (pursed lips) as a high-status signal because of his small mouth and modern Brits and Americans still use it'. Here I opened the book to a random page and read the first sentence I could. This sounds like an excellent fun fact except for the complete lack of evidence, and this is repeated on every single page of the book. So, while it is an excellent source for body language, please read it with an open mind and salt at the ready.



There are probably hundreds of books and websites I've missed, but hopefully those should help a bit.

Edit: As mentioned above Lie to Me and the Mentalist are good as TV goes, but I might recommend Psych over both of them just because of the way it deals with it - there is some body language stuff in there to pick up on (occasionally), but mostly it's just a hilarious and spectacular show.

From a theory/craft/story building perspective, I'd start with either John Truby's Anatomy of Story (The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller https://www.amazon.com/dp/0865479933/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_l1iMBb6PRTA0G), or Robert McKee's Story (Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060391685/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_e2iMBb0CKZ42M). They have some similarities but either is a good starting point for the background theories in story telling and story development.

For formatting/templates there are lots of guides. A general Google search for screenplay formatting should get you a good starting point for the standards needed.

Teaching yourself to have a critical eye to discern between good and bad film (and then further between good and great film) takes time as well as remembering that each person's opinion on what makes any one film good/great is subjective. That said, getting a basis in critical film analysis can help because that will get you watching films that have the best stories/characters/dialogues/settings/etc. This will prime your subconscious and get you thinking in those ways so that when you write your own work, you're starting from a place of strength rather than from cliche.

Research what kind of screenplays you could do - original, adaptations, big budget, studio specific, independent, genre, art house, etc. Maybe you'd be happier in a writer's room at a small studio as opposed to a large one. Maybe you really like adaptations. Try to figure out what powers your desire to write (Truby has a great exercise early in his book for this).

Find a local writer's group if possible. Hopefully one that has other screenwriters, but any good group you mesh with well helps, as they can be external mentors and feedback for your efforts.

Look at participating in National Novel Writing Month in November as a rebel (i.e. someone writing something other than a novel) as motivation/structure/deadline to forcing yourself to write.

And most of all - write. Just start. Get going and keep going. You'll want to freeze up or get it right, but so much good comes during the many iterations your story will take, so start earlier rather than later.

Hope that helps.

ETA: links

Yeah beane is correct. There is only one case in medical history of photographic memory but the person was only tested once, the scientist who tested her later married her, and then she refused to ever be tested again. So it's probably crap.

Photographic memory is really something popularized by the media, movies, tv shows, and novels. It's not uncommon for an intellectual protagonist or antagonist to have a photographic memory. Unfortunately the popular conception of photographic memory is no where near realistic.

Even news reporting is inaccurate. The news often cites autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire as having a photographic memory. But if you compare his drawings to a real photograph they are different.

London Skyline (look carefully and you will see significant differences in scale, proportion, shape, texture, number of buildings, etc... Don't get me wrong it's phenomenal but it's not photographic)

People can remember what they know about really well. Better than amateurs. So chess master's can remember hundreds of games move by move. But put a chess board in front of them with the pieces in a nonsensical order and they do no better than the average person.

With Stephen Wiltshire he has a strong interest and knowledge of architecture and cityscapes. So when he sees a city from above his mind is able to consolidate it better than yours or mine. But he is consolidating. His mind is doing what all minds do with memory but at an advanced level because he's been drawing nonstop since being a kid (for which he did start with a natural drawing talent). Another savant Kim Peak also made mistakes in remembering but he too was often touted by the media as having a photographic memory.

Also note that in recent years there have been lots of stories about people with autobiographic memory. It's impressive but not photographic. They can remember events of their lives very well but not information(such as a text). 60 minutes did a story about it recently that is really fascinating.

All hope is not lost though. Nearly everyone can develop extraordinary memory powers by practicing mnemonics.

Your Memory by Kenneth Higbee is excellent. Kenneth Higbee is both an mnemonics enthusiast and a brain scientist. His book is full of techniques and the science behind them.

In the book Moon Walking with Einstein science reporter Josh Foer chronicles his accent from having no special memory talents at all to being the US Champsion in the course of a year.

So like I said most anyone can do it but it takes practice.

This is a repost of my comment on this reddit thread

Check out harry potter and the methods of rationality.

• A Brilliant fan-fiction about Harry potter, much darker and smarter. Both informative and entertaining.
  
  Read/Learn Non Violent Communication
  
  
• Language shape our thinking, this method is absolutely brilliant and will immediately improve understanding for oneself and other people. The book & [Youtube videos] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dpk5Z7GIFs&list=PL16F02595B1BB9FA8)
  
  Start to [Meditate] (http://humanistsofmn.org/127-better-critical-thinking-through-meditation)
  
  
• Emotions and unconscious thoughts and belifs are many times very irrational. Meditation is greater for becoming more aware of them, which is the first step before critically evaluating them. Also many studies show a myriad of benefits such as: Increased happiness, better health, lower stress, increased IQ & EQ. And much more
  
  Philosophy - "love of wisdom"
  
  
• [Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations: Ancient Philosophy for Modern Problems] (http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Life-Other-Dangerous-Situations/dp/1608682293) , Is a great introduction to Philosophy. Very practical, will increase understanding of oneself and help in living a happy life.
  
  
• Or if you prefer video [Philosophy: Guide to Happiness] (http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/philosophy-guide-to-happiness/) , Is a great introduction to Philosophy. If you want it bite sized [School for life] (https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel):s youtube channel is also very good.
  
  Read about rationality/critical thinking
  
  
• [Less wrong] (http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Sequences), [Audio] (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1267969302/lesswrong-the-sequences-audiobook). Less Wrong is a community blog devoted to refining the art of human rationality. Video
  
  Learn about the common [cognitive biases] (http://www.businessinsider.com/cognitive-biases-2014-6?op=1) and [logical fallacies] (https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/)
  
  
• [Thinking fast and slow] (http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555) Is a brilliant book by Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman which shows oh so many ways we are less smart than we think. podcast
  
  
  Create some rationality habits
  
  
• [Memorize the Rationality checklist] (http://rationality.org/checklist/). anki deck (anki is an app for memorizing facts)
  
  
• Center for applied rationality have workshops (mostly in the USA).
  
  Learn about the ways Marketing/propaganda is used to influence you
  
  
• [The century of the self] (http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-century-of-the-self/). This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy.
  
  
  The Trivium
  
  
• General Grammar, Aristotelian Logic, and Classical Rhetoric comprise the first three rules-based subjects of the 7 Liberal Arts and Sciences. As these disciplines are learned and practiced together, they form the overarching, symbiotic system for establishing clarity and consistency of personal thought called the Trivium.
  

Lots of great recommendations in this thread; I've added a few to my reading list. Here are my suggestions (copied from a previous thread):

• How to Win Friends and Influence People - Everyone with a mother should practice this.
  
• Tao Te Ching (S. Mitchell translation)
  
• Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy - I never cared about economics until after I was done with school, and didn't remember anything from university class. This helped explain a lot of common fallacies many people make.
  
• Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets - As Taleb says in the beginning of the book, anyone from any profession could have written this book, but a financial background makes this much more interesting. Anyone interested in science and what we can learn from the world of past experience should read this. This led to the next book:
  
• How to Live: A Life of Montaigne - A biography of Montaigne, a great skeptic, always curious, interested in what it means to be human. I found I could relate a great deal with the man, as many others have in different ways. The dust-jacket description made it sound like a boring historical overview, but I think the book flowed pretty well and was always interesting.
  
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information - Anyone that ever creates a slideshow, or attempts to represent data visually should read this book. More than once. I'd say it changed my life.
  
  And, the following two are a look into the lives of two great men that lived in the 20th century; both offer many points worth emulating.
  
  
• Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
  
• The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (once available in full on PBS website, seems not to be the case now ...)

Would it not be just as easy to ask /r/chess?

Anyway, in addition to what /u/Dazvac has said, you'll also want to learn about tactics; this is probably the most important part of chess. You can learn about them here and practice them here. Read through the first few pages of each chapter of the former site, then see if you can obtain the answers to the rest of the pages in each chapter. When you're fairly confident with the material in it, then train with the latter site. Don't worry if you fail the first 200 problems or so; you'll soon get to a point where the tactics are at your level (if you create an account).

As for reading material, I would suggest the two books "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" and "Logical Chess Move By Move". You can easily find pirated PDF copies online, but you can also buy them here and here. "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" mainly focuses around checkmating the king; "Logical Chess Move By Move" walks through games explaining EVERY SINGLE MOVE. It's also best if you have a chessboard set up when you read "Logical Chess", as it sometimes lists variations.

So here is, in summary, what the full list is:

1. Learn the values of each piece (see first table), and make sure you can immediately see the 8 squares a knight can move to from anywhere on the board. Also learn algebraic notation, as that's used almost everywhere now. Finally, make sure you know correctly the rules of pawn promotion, castling, and en passant.
   
   
2. Simple endgames (RQ, RR, Q, R, BB, BN, P). You can easily learn these online with a bit of searching. Recommended reading: "Silman's Complete Endgame Course"
   
   
3. Learn the strengths of each square; most notably the centre, and the weakness of the f-file and h-file pawns.
   
   
4. Learn the opening lines. I'd actually disagree with this; one should learn the general principles of the opening instead; namely:
   
   
5. Control the centre. This means developing knights to the c3 and f3 squares for white, c6 and f6 squares for black, and moving your d- and e- pawns two spaces forwards so as to gain space in the centre.
   
   
6. Develop all your pieces. That is to say, move all of them off the back rank. Start off with your minor pieces (knights and bishops). Leave your queen and rooks until quite a bit later.
   
   
7. Castle your king. This is to make it less susceptible to attacks, which are easier to direct towards the centre.
   
   
8. Open the centre once you have done all this. This is often done by exchanging pawns in the centre.
   
   
9. Tactics, tactics, tactics. Did I mention tactics?
   
   
10. Find some opponents to play with. Stronger opponents will show you your weaknesses, opponents of similar ability will bring you delight when you win, and weaker opponents will give you chances to experiment with different play styles and openings.
    
    
11. Tactics. Seriously, that's how important they are.
    
    
12. When you're up material, don't hesitate to trade away material. It makes the game harder for your opponent to win.
    
    
13. Finally, check out /r/chess; it has a wealth of information.

Take a genuine interest in the people you are talking to. Remember, it is (in most cases) easier to get people to talk about themselves. So if you help guide by asking questions about them and taking a real interest in them it will start to come naturally.

While you talk to them, make sure you listen. When they are talking, you should not be thinking about the next thing you are going to say as that will surely lead to a dead conversation. If you are busy thinking about what to say next, you are not going to hear what they say and it will be obvious. So make sure you listen and comment back on the topic. It helps the conversation continue and shows that you are interested in what is being talked about. If you are constantly changing subjects people tend to think you are not that interested.

There is a good book by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People. There are many good tips and pointers in there.

Another good tip, work on remembering names. People like to hear their own name and using it is a powerful tool. This works great in sales and for guys, ladies simply love it. Especially when you meet them once briefly and the next time you see them you remember and use their name. It shows you are thoughtful and ladies like thoughtful men.

"How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie is a book that is decades old, but still useful. It's probably the most famous book of its type ("how to talk to people"). Literally over a dozen million copies have been sold. Check out some of the reviews on Amazon.

"How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships" by Leil Lowndes is also a great book. I have read part of this book before and it offers extremely useful tips. It's also easy to read as the author provides great anecdotes to explain the tips and to help you easily recall them. This one is more recent than Carnegie's book, which was published in 1936. I believe this book would be a better read because our society/culture is a little different from what it used to be back in 1936. Still, some claim that there are timeless pieces of advice in Carnegie's book, which is true but if you're only getting one, I'd get this second book instead.

TL;DR: Draw EVERYTHING, draw CONSTANTLY, and TURN OFF YOUR LEFT BRAIN!


As an artist, I will tell you what all of my art teachers failed to ever tell me, and hopefully help kick-start you into drawing.


First of all, as /u/Im_A_Nidiot said, draw anything and everything and draw constantly. It's hard to train your fingers to do what your brain wants them to, so just like exercising to become a body builder, you have to draw constantly. Whether it's someone you passed by on the street wearing a funny hat that you want to capture, or something you just dreamed up, always draw. If you can, draw for at least an hour every day. For detailed pictures that's an easy task, but if you have a busy life and can't just sit down and devote time to it, then sketch every time something comes to mind. 10 gestures or sketches a day will be much more helpful in developing the skill than just one or two occasionally.


Secondly, a big thing my art teachers wanted us to do but never explained why, was drawing still life or from life. Figure drawing, inanimate object drawing, drawing your own feet from your own perspective, it's all incredibly important. Why, you might ask? Because it builds a library in your head of what things look like. If you have a pile of stuffed animals, and you say draw one each day as realistically as you possibly can, then after a month suddenly you'll know exactly what that stuffed giraffe looks like and how to draw it in various positions, even ones you haven't drawn before. Same if you have a pet cat or dog and you draw it every day in various positions- you'll be able to draw a cat or dog from your imagination without much issue. So even if it seems trivial, draw from life! An exercise I would do is I would divide my work space in half, and draw the boring realistic object in one side, and then draw the same thing on the other side but with added "weirdness" from my imagination. If it was a pill bottle on one side, it would have an octopus coming out of it on the other. That helps keep it interesting and helps you expand your mental library.


And finally, once you start building your finger skills and your mental library, as /u/jus_richards already mentioned, I highly HIGHLY recommend buying Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The entire purpose of this book is to train you to "turn off" your left brain, because it interferes with right brain activity which is what you use when you create art. Being an extremely analytical person, my left brain was always giving me fits whenever I would draw. Now I know how to quiet it down so I can draw, and it has done wonders for my work. If you are serious about wanting to learn how to draw, definitely invest in this book and do all the exercises.

I think we may be looking for the same things. I read a book a few weeks ago called Pragmatic Thinking and Learning that I found really helpful and interesting. Its not too expensive and if you have the money I'd recommend it. Don't be intimidated by the programmer talk, none of it is really relevant.

Last week, I discovered a wiki that gave great advice on learning and memory techniques that seemed like it would have been extremely useful. I've spent the last hour searching for it but I just can't find it. When I come across it, I will let you know.

Another book that I found useful a few months ago was How to Read a Book. Don't let the title undermine the books value; its an awesome book. Definitely worth looking into. I don't follow the advice given in the book very rigidly, but since I've read it, I've found that I approach books much more methodically and absorb the information much more easily.

Its great to see that there is someone else out there looking for the same sort of resources I'm looking for. The way I look at it, learning is a skill that can be developed and mastered. It is an interesting pursuit in and of itself.

I haven't found any single resource for this sort of thing but maybe we can put together a subreddit where we can pool our resources for things that may be particularly helpful.

This guy helped me a lot! http://www.dueysdrawings.com/drawing_tutorials.html
Drawing is one of those things that anyone can learn to do well, it's just a matter of practice and patience. But Duey's tutorials give a great run down of basic techniques to master, good tips most people starting out wouldn't think of and even gives a great list of essential materials and how to use them properly. I had been drawing for years without knowledge of all the right tools and blending with my fingers (a drawing sin as taught in school!) before I stumbled upon that site and found out that the oils on your hands are bad for the paper and to blend with tissues and blending stumps! Had always been artistic growing up but Duey honestly helped bring my work to a whole new level and made me appreciate the art form all the more. His free tutorials are definitely enough to become really good at drawing but if you want to refine or further advance your skills, he mentions a book on his site that he learnt a great deal from, which I ended up buying and definitely recommend. There's also another really good one here: http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201
No matter what method or techniques works for you, the most important and also the most difficult thing is to just stick to it and keep drawing!

Nerves of steel come from confidence and being above fear. Confidence comes from practice and competition. Being above fear comes from a lifestyle of conquering fears.

If you want to be more comfortable on the street, figure out exactly what you're afraid of and get better at it. Are you afraid he's going to hit you? Learn boxing or muay thai or bjj. Are you afraid he's going to yell at you? Learn debate skills.

My dad was a firefighter for a decade. His dad trained WW2 bomber pilots. I asked my dad how he kept calm on intense calls. He said he would rely on his training and took every problem as it came. You have no idea what the scene is going to look like on your way there, but you can trust that you're the best prepared one there, so everyone's depending on you to take charge and lead. Planning ahead is very important, but more important is staying in the moment.

Meditation works out that muscle. Staying in the moment is a muscle in your brain that you have to work out. What fear and anxiety is is you living outside of the moment. Fear is you trying to bring the past into the present. Anxiety is you trying to predict the future. Live in the moment and take shit as it comes. The more you can do that, the more you can relax into chaotic situations with confidence. Just do your best and know that that's all anyone can do in life. We can only do our best.

Another thing is your mindset for life. Always do your best. Always give your fullest. Figure out your core values and live to them every day of your life. If you can say every day that you did your fucking best, then you are going to be able to say "I am ready to die today" and you won't walk around terrified of death. Death is the root fear of all the fears. If you can conquer the fear of death, you will be very strong.

.

There's a lot more to this, I'm just kind of rambling off what comes to mind before I go to work. But this will get you started. I wish you all the best and I hope I've helped some.

Some good resources are Shambhala, The Art of Learning, On Becoming a Leader, Better Under Pressure, Leading at the Edge, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and then this interview with Rickson Gracie (one of the greatest fighters to ever walk the Earth).

This is an oft-recommended book on Russian grammar, from what I've seen.


Order that, then get on this site and learn the alphabet. It's not too difficult to get it down on a basic level.


From there, get used to some basic vocabulary using a resource like Memrise (vocabulary practice site). Sign up on Livemocha.com and start with the basic Russian course. You'll learn some beginning phrases, get used to reading, eventually the alphabet will become second nature.


After some time with these resources (maybe a couple hours, maybe a couple of days), start listening to Russian music. You need to practice listening early and often to get the ear for words and how they sound together. Go on a Russian radio streaming site that lists the track currently playing (you can do this using a phone app, TuneIn Radio, which may also have an online site), then look up songs you like the sound of and listen to them over and over again with the lyrics in front of you. Try to sing along, even if you're sort of just mumbling Russian-sounding noises along with the singer.

At this point, start watching movies with subtitles. Search Mosfilm on Youtube. All of this studio's movies are free online, and most of them have English subtitles available.

Keep practicing like this, study the grammar using your Penguin book, and then find a penpal or something via Livemocha. It'll be scary at first, trying to communicate with someone in a language you're still making a lot of mistakes in, but people who study languages understand each other and are generally patient.


TL;DR:

1. Order grammar book
   
   
2. Before it arrives, learn alphabet, basic words / phrases
   
   
3. Listen to songs
   
   
4. Watch movies
   
   
5. Learn grammar
   
   
6. Find penpal
   
   
7. Practice, practice, practice!!!
   
   
   Good luck! If you need any other help, PM me! I absolutely love Russian and would gladly help out anyone else who's interested.

First you need to start off making sure you're in good health. Make sure you're eating a good diet, especially one that contains foods that improve cognition (e.g. foods with choline, lecithin, omega-3s, etc.). Make sure you're getting enough quality sleep and exercise (20 min. of aerobic exercise has been shown to improve memory). And stay adequately hydrated (I usually drink 2 1/2 liters of water a day).

Now for digesting and assimilating what you read, look into close reading techniques; taking notes while you read and jotting down questions you have while reading; marking-up text; and, echoing what /u/Firetaffer suggested, reading "How to Read A Book" by Mortimer Adler.
I've also heard good things about "Moonwalking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer.

Also, SuperMemo and Anki might be of interest of you.

Here are some links that might help:

• An overview of "How to read a Book" by Mortimer Adler part one and two
  
• Marking-up text link one and two
  
• How to write beautiful visual notes
  
  
  Edit: /r/Nootropics might also be of interest to you.

There is this one book by Josh Kaufman which you might find helpful

The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything . . . Fast! https://www.amazon.in/dp/1591846943/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GbjTDb8RNVJRT

Then there is a another book which is also said to be pretty good

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance https://www.amazon.in/dp/0743277465/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TgjTDb2W9TWFD


You can also check the art of deliberate learning where you improve yourself constantly through examination.

You can find good chunks of this in the book - Grit by Angela Duckworth


Others things that help me learn anything quickly is by learning from my mistakes and asking these 3 questions

1. What did I do well?
   
   
2. What did I not do well?
   
   
3. What could I have done better?
   
   Also make sure once you learn these things you can constantly put them into practice.
   
   For example with the books... a person who learns 10 books and applies whatever he learns is hella lot powerful than a person who just skims through a 1000..
   
   See what works for you and get started on this amazing journey
   
   Cheers

While I'm certainly no expert by any means, I believe things that can help include reading and practice.
A friend once told me reading good books helps you learn good writing, and good writing I would imagine also leads to good speaking.

Practice would be helpful too. Even if we don't write well, we get better by just forcing ourselves to write, and similarly with reading and speaking.

A popular book on reading books that I've noticed is ["How to Read a Book" by Morimer Adler.] (http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/dp/0671212095)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a good place to start :)

Also How to Win Friends and Influence People is great for learning how to be an adult in a social setting and look good while doing it.

the biggest convo thing I got from the Game was conversational hooks- things in a conversation that you can hook on to to branch out on.

If someone tells you "I just got back from studying in Australia" you've got 2 main hooks: study and Australia and from there you can get what'd you study? Why Australia to study? What's Australia like? How'd you ever get the courage to pick up and leave? Did you learn to surf? How'd you like vegemite? Some of those were closed ended questions but from them you might be able to get more hooks.

Also check out How To Win Friends and Influence People Lots of good tips for maintaining conversations. At the very least it made me less of an abrasive dick. Also you'll find getting hooks easier if you can find a common interest and then just ask them questions you want to know on the subject or use your knowledge on the subject to ask questions.

You know what? I have an awful memory. My SO gets mad at me all the time because she'll tell me things and I'll inevitably forget them.

Which is to say that your memory isn't holding you back. It's the way you interact with information you want to retain that is the problem here, much like it was for me.

My background is that I wanted to "become smarter". Didn't know wtf that meant but I figured reading book was important to that goal so that's what I did. I've read some really awesome books and I can tell you that I don't remember a lot of them.

However, there is a book that you should absolutely read to learn to how correctly interact with the information you're trying to retain: How to Read a Book, by Mortimer J. Adler. The book is an instruction manual on how to read books effectively, so as to learn from them and really really understand them.

Nowadays, I can't say that I remember specific parts of books that I read, but I absolutely can recall the general idea of a book (which is often helpful in conversation) and whereabouts in the book I read something so I can look it up again if I need to.

And this information can be applied to literally anything you read.

As far as learning in general, Make It Stick was alright. Would recommend, but it's pretty basic.

I would recommend you start with Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess as a starting point.

Yes, he turned into a freakshow, but the man could play some chess. You're not going to learn to be a champion by reading this, but it will help you learn the basics and, more importantly, teach you what you need to learn.

Then go out and play. Pick up a decent chess set you can carry around and get as many people to play as you can. Take notes. Learn from your mistakes. And keep playing.

Lots of people are recommending ways to learn a language, and I just want to pop in to say: most popular languages are much more alike than they are different. Learn any one of them for a few months (until you're no longer looking up references for how to write a for loop or getting confused by the language's comparison operators), then try your hand at a different language.

If you find something hard to grasp in one language, it's probably about equally hard to grasp in another language - so don't just think "Hmm, well, maybe this is easier in other-language" and switch over to that one instead. (There are a few exceptions - for example, you don't have to worry about memory management in Java the same way that you do in C. You can still get memory leaks in Java, but the fact that you've got garbage collection makes memory management on the whole far simpler.)

In terms of getting into hacking - the first step, hands down, is to read this book. It will teach you the really really basic stuff, on a far deeper level than most laymen ever think about, in a very gentle and even fun way. After that, start getting your hands on networking texts, security texts, and just plain writing a lot of code. Get the source to some popular open source projects (Apache, for example) and run it in a debugger, watching how the values change and looking for unexpected things.

Best Android app I've found yet: Russian in a Month. Best online site (for pocasts when you are driving: RussianPod101.com. Best book I've found: New Penguin Russian Course

Other then that, read children's articles, watch Cheburaska, follow the Russian subreddits /r/Russianlessons, /r/Russian101, and /r/Russian, read Russian wherever you can, and listen to Russian music. If you want any other tips or tricks I've used, just let me know. Good luck!

I'm learning this too. I've found Dale Carnegie to be an extremely helpful guide to communication.

Right now I'm reading The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking. And I'd recommend How to Win Friends and Influence People too, for the general communication and people skills he teaches.

(rest assured, the content is much higher quality than the titles =D)

Possibly one of these? They were the only books about coding/computers with the name Charles that I could find. I'm guessing you're talking about the first one. It looks like a more popular version of things, but probably all still new stuff for me, so I'll check it out!

EDIT: The second one looks really promising too. Thanks for the suggestion!

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold

Fundamentals of Logic Design by Jr. Charles H. Roth & Larry L. Kinney

The book Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer is a good place to start. It combines Joshua's personal story of how he became the 2006 U.S.A. Memory Champion, with plenty of background information on the history and science of the art of memory.

It will give you a clear view of the possibilities and limitations of the method of loci (memory palace). Although strictly it is not a self help book or an instruction manual, it will explain the basics of what you need to know and it discusses some more advanced techniques as well. As a bonus it is very well written and easy to read.

There are several free online recources available as well:

• on Archive.org you can download a copy of the Rhetorica ad Herennium for free. I haven't read it but it is one of the most famous books on the art of memory
  
• http://artofmemory.com/ and the artofmemory wiki offer plenty of information
  
• There is apperently a subreddit dedicated to nmemorics reddit.com/r/Mnemonics/ they might be able to give you more information.

This looks like a good book

http://www.amazon.com/MAKE-Electronics-Learning-Through-Discovery/dp/0596153740/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279769926&sr=8-3

This IS a good book but deals with advanced theories.


http://www.amazon.com/Art-Electronics-Paul-Horowitz/dp/0521370957/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279769926&sr=8-16


And this looks pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Circuitbuilding-Yourself-Dummies-Ward-Silver/dp/0470173424/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279769941&sr=8-21


Go to the book store, pick up some books. Go the the library and see what they have. Pick up old radios and junk off of the street take them home and pull them apart but be careful of the capacitors, if you dont know what a capacitor is then read one of the above books.

Look on craigslist for free electronics and start taking them apart. Be careful of anything that uses Alternating current, anything that plugs into a wall deals with large voltages so be sure to start small.

Here's some books and YouTube videos I've found helpful.

The Charisma Myth is easily my favorite.

Anything by Leil Lowndes, but particularly Goodbye to Shy and How to Talk to Anyone

Charisma on Command YouTube videos

The 5 Languages of Love is pretty much for marriages but it is helpful for developing empathy in general and relating to people better.

This book is a great place to start, even if only to inspire you. I really enjoyed it and listen to it about once a year if not more.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Learning-Journey-Optimal-Performance/dp/0743277465

Happy to someone interested in learning how to learn, since it is the ultimate skill. Happy learning!

The Feynman Technqiue can be a good place to start. Basically entails learning a concept and then writing it down (or explaining it in your head) in a way that would be understandable to a class of 3rd graders. That way if there's any gap in your understanding you can figure out where you need to improve your understanding. Makes the ideas very strong in your mind like you are looking for.

You could also check out Moonwalking with Einstein. It sounds like that's more the sort of thing you're looking for. It goes into teaching the reader how to use the memory palace technique to develop a near perfect memory.

EDIT: Added the second paragraph.

There are several videos on YouTube I like to use.
This page will help you with the rapid start.

https://www.youtube.com/user/charismaoncommand

Charlie is a very good with introducing body language and tips how to work on your expressions as well.

Than I recommend to continue by reading books.
https://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Book-Body-Language-Expressions/dp/0553804723
Good luck

I would highly suggest investing the time and money in Lessons. You will improve much faster under the guidance of a teacher (even just once or twice a month) than by yourself. If you absolutely refuse to go this route, however, I would suggest getting "Alfred's Basic All-In-One Piano Course Book One" (https://www.amazon.com/Adult-All-One-Course-Lesson-Theory-Technic/dp/0882848186). Go through this book and the others in the series (I think there are 3 total) and by then you should have enough technique under your fingers to be able to learn whatever songs/tunes/pieces you want.

Speaking as a professional musician (classical trumpet player) I can't stress enough the value of practicing scales and other "boring" technical exercises. These fundamentals are the building blocks of virtually all the music you'll ever play and the more you practice them, the easier it will be to learn new music. Good luck and happy practicing!

You’ve got to have a piano or at least a keyboard. Once you get one I’d recommend this piano book: Adult All-In-One Course: Lesson-Theory-Technic: Level 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882848186/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.hRQAb5KQXXJC. It covers a lot of the basics and is pretty straightforward. Teaches chords, hand positions, note names, different styles, and etc. if you ever need any help shoot me a pm! Best of luck.

I recommend Moonwalking With Einstein. The author trains with memory champions from around the world in hopes of becoming a memory champion himself. Great read.

There is actually a system to Braille. I read the first part of the book Code, and it does a great job explaining how someone might have first conceived of a system like Braille. For instance, notice the letters A though J. Then notice the letters K through T. The Braille patterns for K through T are the exact same as those for A through J but with the lower left dot filled in. Then notice the letters U through Z. With the exception of W, the last few letters of the Braille alphabet are like the first few letters, but with the bottom two dots filled in. (W doesn't match the pattern because W isn't part of nineteenth century French, the native language of Louis Braille).

Knowing some contextual information like this will help you memorize and understand the Braille alphabet better. I would start by learning the numbers associated with the different dot positions and go from there. This page is a good introduction I think.

This is such a great book, and is what really sparked my interest in body language and psychology. Great explanations, illustrations, and integration of humor!

EDIT: Here is the link to the book on amazon

this helped me out a decent bit. you may also want to check out books on poker (specifically those covering bluffs and tells) as well as videos like this, [this](https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=l_k-u0bldf4) and that. good luck, and happy learning.

For an entertaining summary of how these methods, along with a great story of how a regular guy became the US Memory champion, I strongly suggest picking up Moonwalking With Einstein by Josh Foer.

Drawing on the Right side of the Brain is a very impressive educational resource:
http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201/

I can't draw well, but this book is helping me get better. I need to spend more time with it and practice more, but it definitely showed me that I could do it.

I am going through this book:

Make: Electronics (Learning by Discovery)

Beginner like you and it is pretty easy to follow along with. Great explanations.

Cannot upboat enough.

I was kind of indignant when a highschool teacher recommended this to me about 15 years ago, but I went ahead and bought it anyway.

WOW! What a difference! I could already draw pretty well and this brought my skill to another level. Very good book.

It's available at Amazon: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain ~$12

/r/learnart

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

These two resources will pretty much do you for a while. The book is like learning the abc's for drawing. It'll run through everything a beginner needs to know. The sub-reddit will allow you to post your drawings and then get critique for them: really helpful tool.

For drawing kit all you'll need is a pencil or a pencil set and some paper. Don't go nuts with buying too much 'cause you never know if you'll like it enough to keep going.

Read “What Every Body Is Saying” by Joe Navarro. It is the most comprehensive, accurate, scientifically-valid explanation of body language I have ever read.

He was a Cuban refugee or immigrant, so when he came to the US, he couldn’t speak any English. He had to learn how to read body language to interact with people because he couldn’t verbally communicate with them yet. That’s where his perceptive body language skills began to develop.

Then he became an FBI interrogator and had to learn how to read people’s body language in an interview setting where getting someone to fess up could mean the difference between catching a serial killer of not.

In addition to his own personal skill set he developed, he also backs up everything he says with evolutionary biology. For example, people crossing their arms over their body could be indicating that they feel threatened by you/someone, and as such their body acts unconsciously and instinctively to protect their vital organs, whether they are at an immediate physical risk or not.

In saying that, no single piece of body language is definitive. Crossing your arms over your body could mean you’re just resting them - it doesn’t ALWAYS mean you feel threatened. It’s really a game of reading the situation around you, being aware of the emotional tenor of the room and drawing conclusions from there.

It is one of the most useful books I have ever read in my life. I have integrated it into my life and use it all the time to read people. It has really helped me gauge lots of social situations and is just honestly such a fascinating book.

Here’s a link below to it on Amazon. Hope you enjoy :)

What Every Body Is Saying

I super-duper recommend this book

The reviews give a good idea of why this book is so fantastic. I started using this book casually in high school and it concisely gets a ton of vital information.

It's not afraid to mention exceptions and weird things that a lot of beginner books would let you ignore and sound stupid later. It also has accent marks on all of the words past the first few chapters.

The pronunciation guide is priceless, as well. It's clear but comprehensive. I've seen tons of pronunciation aides for Russian but so far following this book's guide on it has yielded the best accent that I know of.

1 month ago I thought it was impossible for me to draw something "nice". Now, even though I'm no DaVinci, I have improved my drawing skill. How, you ask? Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book.

You don't need any prior experience, and just by dedicating 30 min/ 1 hour a day will improve your drawing skills dramatically.

Good luck!

A similar question was posted on Quora not long ago, and the main recommendation was Code by Charles Petzold:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395088237&sr=8-1&keywords=code+charles+petzold

Having subsequently read the book I think it's a fantastic introduction, and goes through everything from the importance of binary code and applying Boolean logic to circuits, to the details of the inner workings of the first microprocessors, and all in an interesting and engaging way.

I am not great with hardware, so I can't help with actually building a computer.

Nonetheless, a book that's been really helpful to me and a lot of other people is Charles Petzold's Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software. Basically, it's about machine organization. It walks you through how computers work by building a theoretical computer with you, starting from how to encode information and building to logic gates, relays, and circuitry.

It's also hilarious, written for the layman, and informative enough for serious students. It's incredible. Absolute, unreserved recommendation. Petzold is a master. I recommend the (published later) paperback version because its preface give the book great context.

Moonwalking with Einstein is one book that explores and teaches this method. I personally haven't read, but a friend of mine said it was great and the techniques taught are like that of the above comment.

EDIT: Posted this comment before reading the others, which also talk about Moonwalking with Einstein. Give the karma to them :)

EDIT2: Damn, I didn't even finish reading your post before posting my comment. This should just be deleted now.

Very Special Relativity a simple explanation of a complex phenomena

Thinking, Fast and Slow explains why we actually do live in a Matrix, and how, focusing on statistics instead what your guts tell you, to be able to break the veil of lies sometimes.

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid how music is connected with art and mathematics? Exploration of symmetries, where none are expected to be found.

Watch everything Richard P. Feynman related on YouTube, start with interviews and the rest will probably follow.


I seriously think you should start with science. Getting a glimpse of how world works at the quantum levels can surprisingly enlighten someone on topics one thought were philosophical. E.g. recent Reddit post asked whether true randomness exists, and the answer to read almost pointless kilograms of philosophy made me cringe. Quantum physics has tonnes more to say, and it's actually verifiable by experiment. So I guess my advice is, before going the way of philosophical banter about the existence of coffee shop around the corner, you can just walk the few steps and take a look yourself. Hence, science as a first suggestion.

I teach a college seminar on "efficient and effective reading" of research monographs. I always start the course the classic work How to Read A Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren. It's not a speed reading guide, but really a set of strategies for anyone looking to read non-fiction efficiently. Some of it is common sense but most of the strategies are things I didn't learn until graduate school, and then through trial and error. My undergraduates love it and often complain that we waited until they were juniors to "show them the tricks" needed to actually read several books a week for our classes.

Speed reading isn't that useful. You want to read efficiently-- and that requires active reading. Van Doren will teach you to be an active read.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0671212095?pc_redir=1414393418&robot_redir=1

Excellent book. This was given to me as a gift before college, and I single handedly give it credit for getting me through the tough literature of my theory and philosophy classes.

Practice, practice, practice, practice. Getting good at maths is 90% equal to the practice you put in. People who seem "naturally" good at maths, most of the time, are just used to trying everything in their head and thus get more practice. Also, they may have done more in the past, and gotten used to using the smaller concepts they need to solve a bigger problem.

2 good books about learning: Waitzkin, The Art of Learning and Polya, How to Solve It.

The book Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess. Easy and it walks you through some great strategies in a simple fashion.

I'd pick up the following kit and book. I've had this kit for years, and it's a pretty good intro. The breadboard and external components make it expandable so you can use your own components for experimentation. It also had a lot of IC circuits.

The book will get you playing on your own, and supplement where the kit leaves off.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28733516#

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0596153740/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_OnZaub1V8MYBY

One way is to use memory palace technique.

Here is a book my a memory champion who used this technique to train himself and improve his average memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0143120530

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

My father has recommended this to me on numerous occasions. I just haven't picked up a copy. It may be useful to you

I started learning russian because my ex bf was Rusian.
I bought this book, which is absolutely perfect for beginners.


I also met a Russian penpal who I help with English in exchange for Russian on penpalworld.com

How To Read A Book.

A great novel that will teach you about the different types of books, how to take notes, make outlines, and read for understanding in general.

How to Read a Book. Actually really good and useful.

I'm in my junior year of highschool, myself, and I know that some extremely basic circuitry is going to pop up later this year in physics, but I don't think it will sate my appetite at all. And you're right, it's the practical part of it that interests me, which is why I haven't bought any kits already - it seems that the entry kits are all things that I have no use for, like pocket VU meters and infrared tripwires, but I guess I'll have to get over that. I'm not a fan of For Dummies books, so I think I'll look into this one, which I found in one of the threads in videoj's link.

Thanks.

1.) This, by the end of three weeks my reading speed increased by about 100 wpm. The cliff notes is to basically use your index finger or pen to mark where you are on the page (that increased my wpm by about 50 wpm) the rest was just practice/patience.

2.) This one helped me to read more efficiently.

This book is the best I ever read about that subject. Really. Buy it, it's worth it.

I just read Moonwalking With Einstein which covers some memory techniques and is a pretty good story.

GREAT book: http://www.amazon.com/What-Every-BODY-Saying-Speed-Reading/dp/0061438294/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382718784&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+read+people

Check out Joshua Foer's book, Moonwalking with Einstein (Foer was interviewed on the Colbert Report recently).

He talks about the various techniques for improving your memory, most of which are fairly standardized, but follow along the following lines:

1. NOBODY has a photographic memory. That is not how memory works.
   
   
2. Memory is an active process, and as such, the more active you make the items to be remembered, the more likely you will be able to recall them. This means imagery.
   
   
3. There are traditional methods, such as the Peg system and the Method of Loci, that can be used by anyone.
   
   
4. Practice.

http://www.reddit.com/r/breadboard
http://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/

I enjoyed this book as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Electronics-Discovery-Charles-Platt/dp/0596153740

I personally think the most important step is learning what prevents you from critically analyzing events, situations and people. In order to objectively analyze something, we must learn what biases to avoid. In learning these biases, you'll learn how to develop a framework for approaching new information in a manner that will mitigate our innate biases.

I'm inherently biased with this recommendation, as I only recently finished the book, but I really enjoyed Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It's all based on academic studies, but I thought that it was written at an accessible level.

Like /u/JoshMnem pointed out, the method of loci is exactly what you want. Basically you just imagine some place you know well and place (absurd) things in it. check out the link /u/JoshMnem provided and if you want something more in depth, Joshua Foer has written a book about it

If you're interested in looking at how computers work on a fairly deep level, I'd recommend finding a copy of Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software. I thought it seemed very approachable.

I recommend some books on body language.

I'm currently reading The Definitive Book of Body Language

I have also read What Every BODY is Saying

I recommend both of them.

The first book is more about general body language, body language in business, and body language is courting. The second book is about lying and catching people lie.

There is also this book: Unmasking the Face: A Guide to Recognizing Emotions From Facial Expressions which I haven't read yet, but it looks good.

Heard great recommendations for this book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0061438294/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d3_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=00Y69KAT3HNHGWWK204J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=317823447&pf_rd_i=468294

"What every body is saying" would be a great book to start with.

I'd recommend you start with the book "Code", which handles just this progression: http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319

From there, investigate operating system development. The Minix OS is very well documented.

"Hang by your teeth"

Picture yourself as a circus performer swinging high above the ground. Then picture yourself doing that, but holding onto the bar with your teeth. This will align your entire body into good posture. Every time you walk through a doorway, picture yourself hanging by your teeth. Source.

Is this it?

http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319

I am interesting in building an 8-bit cpu as well.

If you already have the piano this is the book my piano class used.
http://www.amazon.com/Adult-All---One-Course-Lesson-Theory-Technic/dp/0882848186/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458688360&sr=1-1&keywords=learning+piano

Go through it begining to end, practice each song until you have it down and be sure to look up musical examples of concepts such a syncopated notes.

(Edit)
Pawn shops will have plenty of cheap keyboards that will be good enough. A proper piano has 88 keys, but in the beginning a 64 key keyboard will work just fine.

THIS book will get you drawing at an amazing level.

i really enjoyed the book "how to talk to anyone" by liel londers (here). I just practice those tips and after a short time things just flow. this book changed my life

The mother learned russian at school back in the day, i'm trying to follow in her footsteps, mainly by means of a teacher.

But this is the one book my mother recommends from back then. I bought it, and it is excellent. No stone is left unturned.

Read this book: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. Seriously. Great techniques that make it so much easier to remember things and keep them in your head. Helped me so much.

Maybe I'm thinking of a different pose, but I'm not too sure about this, Joe Navarro says in his book

> When people place their arms behind their backs, first they are saying, “I am of higher status.” Second, they are transmitting, “Please don’t come near me; I am not to be touched.” This behavior is often misunderstood as merely a pensive or thinking pose, but unless seen in someone studying a painting at a museum, for example, it is not. Putting the arms behind the back is a clear signal that means, “Don’t get close; I don’t want to make contact with you”.

so you may be perceived differently than you think? I'm not too sure myself, because this always have to be seen in context and many more factors, but I'm reading this book at the moment and the quoted paragraph came to mind, so I thought I might share.

If you want a book to learn from, the Alfred All-In-One Course is good for adults.

Forcing yourself into anxiety-causing situations can actually strengthen the disorder. You can't heal a broken hand by whacking it with a hammer. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is needed to change the way your brain approaches social situations. If a therapist tells you to "face your fears" then he doesn't truly understand the problem and you should find another therapist.

I used the audio series from the Social Anxiety Institute and it really opened my eyes about my behavior and ways of thinking. Poke around their websites (socialphobia, sai). It's a good place to start.

Also: There are lots of books out there on how to prepare for/act in social situations. I've read many of them and the one I highly recommend is How to Talk to Anyone. It's a simple layout, a fun read, and it's full of good tips and tricks.

1. get this book https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201
   
2. follow the method
   
   that's a very good start.

My Favorite book on this skill

I learned to read the Cyrillic alphabet in about 3 hours thanks to this book. It breaks down the letters for English speakers in a way that makes more sense than merely learning them in order.

Check out Moonwalking With Einstein, its a good read.

I read "The Definitive Book of Body Language" by Barbara and Allan Pease. It was easy to read, and might have actually helped a bit.

Also, first season of Lie to Me for microexpressions


Edit: I learned how to link

I'm currently reading "How to Read a Book"; it outlines and illustrates exactly how to read different types of books. So far I'd highly recommend it. There's also an Audible version.

I'd recommend you to read and study this book by Adler and Van Doren, titled "How to Read a Book".

Second this. The FBI's top expert on body language. Actual book title is What Every BODY is Saying

For an introduction on how computers work the book "Code" by Charles Petzold is very informative. It starts from rudimentary circuits of blinking lights to the complexity of modern computers. I found this book to close the gap between the concepts of software and hardware.
Amazon link: https://amzn.com/0735611319

This is a good book:

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

It kind of teaches you to stop thinking you can't draw and just see what you see and get it on paper.

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Book-Body-Language/dp/0553804723/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Body Language by allan pease, who's basically written a lot of standardized text on the matter.

http://www.paulekman.com/publications/recentbooks/

Paul Ekman and his FACS, METT, and SETT programs/methods.

Between these two authors you basically have everything you need to decode larger body language and finer subtleties of of facial movement.

buy this. http://www.amazon.com/What-Every-BODY-Saying-Speed-Reading/dp/0061438294

http://www.amazon.com/What-Every-BODY-Saying-Speed-Reading/dp/0061438294 - book description

http://www.mediafire.com/?uziimmknyy2 -download link

I found this helpful: http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Anyone-Success-Relationships/dp/007141858X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319237401&sr=1-1
After I read it, I wrote out all the headings on index cards and used them to memorize the tips. If I was foggy on one of the headings, then I could just look up that specific info to refresh myself.

This book, I think, is what you're looking for.

Check out this book: Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything.

Here's one to try.

I started to read the book Moonwalking with Einstein, and this is the first technique it talks about.

This book often comes recommended

Book

Tools and parts

MAKE Electronics: http://www.amazon.com/MAKE-Electronics-Learning-Through-Discovery/dp/0596153740

The Make books for electronics will get you a decent groundwork for the practical application side of things. Practical Electronics for Inventors will you get you covered on the theory side of things.

Best learning electronics book, evar

Read "How to Read a Book"

http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Touchstone-book/dp/0671212095/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321631804&sr=8-1

How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler

How to Read a Film by James Monaco

http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Touchstone-book/dp/0671212095

Read The Art of Learning

Check out Drawing on the right side of the brain http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201

It really helped me.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

Edit to add: https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201/

I highly rec. this book: http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201

I first read the Verbal Judo book and then Nonviolent Communication which I find has a more structured approach to dealing with difficult people. I recommend taking a look at [NVC on Wikipedia] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonviolent_Communication) as a first step.

http://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009

I would recommend looking into
Nonviolent Communication - Marshall B. Rosenberg, which has a number of examples of deescalating angry conversations.

Book: What Every Body is Saying - Joe Navarro

Podcast: You Are Not So Smart

YouTube Series: Practical Psychology

Social Psychology seems to be what you're looking for

To be honest, eye contact has more to do with how people perceive you (confident, shy, lying, nervous) than with reading what they're feeling. And these perceptions are notoriously unreliable. Body language, the hands in particular, are a much better guide to what they are feeling. Here's a great book on body language.

As to general advice, the main thing is to pay attention. We're absolutely horrible at paying attention to other people even when we nominally are. We routinely tune out, or start thinking ahead to how we will respond instead of just paying attention to what they are doing and saying. Next time someone is complaining about something, pay attention to the stress in their voice, how they're sitting, what their hands are doing. Notice the details. Don't lapse into your own thoughts. Don't start formulating your answer until they're done talking.

tl;dr: Use your eyes to control how you are perceived. Watch their hands to see what they're feeling. And pay attention.

Read a book called “Moonwalking With Einstein.”

It’s all about memorization using a technique called the memory palace. I’m able to memorize crazy amounts of information using this method.

Link:

https://www.amazon.ca/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0143120530

I took a drawing class at a community college. Cost me $35 plus pencils and paper supplies. It gave instruction and a reason to spent the time and focus on learning. I'd recommend that as the primary strategy.

A big part of learning to draw is to learn "to see". Most people don't actually see what they look at but instead they let their brains tell them what their brain/memory presumes they are looking at, abstractly.

This is where/why you get amateurish child-like drawing that look horrible initially - your brain "knows (better)" superficially and overrides what's actually hitting your eyes. Then you draw this abstraction and it's always wrong and unrealistic looking. So you have to "unlearn" this way of seeing things to learn to draw.

There are a lot of books on this subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201

http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Techniques-Learning-Peter-Jenny/dp/1616890541

http://www.amazon.com/Learn-See-Draw-Larry-Wither/dp/B0013MELQS

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Artists-Brain-right-brain/dp/1440308446

These books can be helpful and are often used in drawing classes but the first thing is to start drawing.

One other hint I've learned: the #1 and #2 parts of the face you MUST get right (and in fact you can do only these two parts and create a recognizable portrait - of a Western person for a Western audience) are the shape and details of the eyes, and of the nose/mouth. It's different if you are in Asia (asian models) - then it's the outline of the head/hair and nose/mouth.