In The 4-Hour Chef, Timothy Ferriss goes into great detail of the DSSS formula and gives detailed examples of how it works for learning any type of skill, from languages to dance to Judo to cooking. Although technically a book on cooking, the first sections of the book are devoted to “meta-learning,” or how to learn any skill rapidly and effectively. This alone is worth the price of the book, but for those of us who eat multiple times per day, knowing how to prepare healthy and delicious meals is also a worthwhile skill set to have.
In August, 1996, my Sifu sent me home from Kung Fu practice with this book. At the time, many of the concepts seemed esoteric, or at best more applicable to the “internal” arts like Baguazhang or Taijiquan than a fighting style of Kung Fu. Since that day, however, I have re-read this book dozens of times and gained a deeper understanding of Kung Fu with each reading.
This is not a “techniques” book, but rather one that explores principles and concepts for generating power, cultivating awareness and sensitivity, and learning to ground or root for a solid foundation. The essential “Five Principles” are as applicable to Wing Chun as to any of the internal arts: Being Calm, Relaxing, Centering, Grounding, Being Whole and Total.
Within the Wing Chun Concepts coursework, you’ll likely find many references to concepts and principles that Peter Ralston discusses in this book.
What is the secret of talent? How do we unlock it? In this groundbreaking work, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle provides parents, teachers, coaches, businesspeople – and everyone else – with tools they can use to maximize potential in themselves and others.
Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds – from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York – Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.
