Learning the Luddite Way

November 12, 2011

I frequently buy eBooks on any topic that peaks my interest. But when I want to learn something in earnest, I buy a print copy and lug it around with me.

I underline, make margin notes, test things, and make long lists of things to come back to and practice later. It’s an excruciatingly slow process.

Even then, my mind is far from a steel trap - in fact it’s more like a sieve - so I frequently have to refer back to old notes and supplement gaps with the more modern methods of Google’d articles, Stack Overflow posts, and recorded presentations on InfoQ.

But in the end all notes and practice works in a lasting way. The truth is learning requires hard work. While it’s important to work smarter, you first have to be willing to work hard and grind it out when the going gets tough.

Head down, power through. It’s the luddite mantra.