Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Edward B. Burger is president and CEO of the St. David's Foundation, president emeritus of Southwestern University, and an educational and business consultant. He has authored or coauthored more than sixty-five articles, books, and video series; delivered over five hundred addresses and workshops throughout the world; and made more than fifty radio and television appearances. His teaching and scholarly writing have earned him many national honors and the largest teaching award given in the English-speaking world. Michael Starbird is University Distinguished Teaching Professor at The University of Texas at Austin and an educational and business consultant. His numerous books, lectures, workshops, and video courses have reached large national audiences of students, teachers, businesspeople, and lifelong learners. His success at teaching people to think has been recognized by more than fifteen awards, including the highest national teaching award in his field as well as statewide and university-wide honors selected from all disciplines.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

"I remember as a kid in school being told by teachers to think harder and having no idea what to do. This book solves that once and for all. We now have a guide for people of all ages to learn how to think more effectively. I highly recommend this book."--Jack Canfield, cocreator of the New York Times best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul^® series andThe Success Principles

"Think...fail...question...understand...change...learn: in their powerful new book, Burger and Starbird show students, teachers, and everyone else how to harness the genius of learning.The 5 Elements argues that the door to knowledge is not opened by a magical test. Instead, the key is for each of us to boldly embrace a willingness to fail while organizing persistent approaches to thinking. Even more than helping one master content, this book can lead to a satisfying and rewarding life of the mind."--Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association

"The authors invoke Michael Jordan, Warren Buffett, and Winston Churchill to illustrate practical approaches--including failing--to understanding, creativity, and wisdom. Their observations apply to honing any skill from sports and school to leadership and citizenship. Knowing how to listen and learn has become a rare art--The 5 Elements is a timely tutorial."--Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates

"In this compact and remarkable book, two renowned professors share decades of teaching experience with anyone--from students to business people--seeking advice on how to improve skills and expand learning. It should be read, studied, and cherished--then reread."--Fay Vincent, former commissioner of Major League Baseball and former president of Columbia Pictures

"This book is just what American education needs. It guarantees invention and discovery."--Barbara Morgan, former NASA "Teacher in Space" astronaut

"The 5 Elements is an enormously insightful examination of what constitutes effective thinking. Everyone will find something of value in it."--Morton O. Schapiro, president of Northwestern University

"I highly recommend this book for instructors who care more about their students than test scores, for students who care more about learning than their GPA, for leaders of society and masters of the universe who care more about serving the public good than increasing their profit margin, and for artists who constantly remind us of the human condition.The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking provides comfort in a world that has lost its equilibrium."--Christopher J. Campisano, director of Princeton University's Program in Teacher Preparation

"Our brain is our greatest asset in life, so it is a 'no brainer' that we should invest some time learning how to use it effectively. In this concise and carefully crafted book, renowned professors Burger and Starbird demonstrate their talent for making difficult concepts accessible. An average reader can peruse this book in only a few hours, but for many people those will be the best hours ever spent on a book. Highly recommended."--Brett Walter, president of the Homeschool Buyers Co-op

"Edward Burger and Michael Starbird became renowned scholars and educators by demonstrating that mathematical expertise is within the reach of the general population and not confined to those with the 'right' aptitude. With the publication of this remarkably wise and useful book, they extend their pedagogical principles to the general realm of practical affairs and the entire range of academic endeavor. Regardless of the reader's background,The 5 Elements offers highly applicable and original lessons on how to think."--John W. Chandler, president emeritus of Hamilton College and W

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

Contents

Preface Thinking Makes the Difference...................................................viiIntroduction Elements of Effective Thinking, Learning, and Creating.....................1Earth 1. Grounding Your Thinking........................................................13Fire 2. Igniting Insights through Mistakes..............................................47Air 3. Creating Questions out of Thin Air...............................................73Water 4. Seeing the Flow of Ideas.......................................................95The Quintessential Element 5. Engaging Change...........................................119Summary A Way to Provoke Effective Thinking.............................................136Share Your Own Stories of Effective Thinking.............................................149Acknowledgments..........................................................................151About the Authors........................................................................155

Chapter One

1. Grounding Your Thinking Understand Deeply

He never did a thing so very bad. He don't know why he isn't quite as good As anyone.

–From "The Death of the Hired Man" by Robert Frost

Silas felt the nervous excitement that all students feel as their professor returns graded exams. When Silas saw the red "58%" on the top of his test paper, he was frustrated, annoyed, and bewildered. "I really knew the stuff on the test. I just made a bunch of stupid little mistakes. I really knew it. Really." And he really believed he knew it. Really. Sadly, such unpleasant surprises do not necessarily end after we receive our diplomas. Many people spend their entire careers confidently (and erroneously) thinking they know more and deserve more than their yearly evaluations, salaries, and success seem to reflect.

Understanding is not a yes-or-no proposition; it's not an on-or-off switch. Silas spent hours studying for his test. But he spent that time memorizing facts rather than building a deep understanding. He would have earned a higher grade had he invested the same amount of time mastering the fundamentals, identifying essential themes, attaching each idea to that core structure, and, finally, imagining what surrounds or extends the material he was studying. Instead, Silas's strategy was like that of a well-intentioned elementary school student who meticulously memorizes the mechanics of adding two-digit numbers but has no idea why the process works, and, as a result, finds adding three-digit numbers as alien as visiting another planet. Silas's understanding was, at best, thin and fragile. Even tiny variations threw him, because he viewed his job as pinning down a certain number of isolated facts rather than understanding the meaning and connections of the ideas.

When you learn anything, go for depth and make it rock solid. If you learn a piece of music for the piano, then, instead of just memorizing finger movements, learn to hear each note and understand the structure of the piece. Ask yourself, "Can I play the notes of the right hand while just humming the notes of the left hand?" If you study the Civil War, rather than memorizing some highlights—Lincoln was president; Lee was a general; slavery played a role—you can try to understand the background, competing forces, and evolving social values that ignited the bloody conflict. When you make political decisions, instead of focusing on a candidate's good looks and fifteen-second sound bites, you can objectively learn about the issues and develop your own reasoned opinions.

You can understand anything better than you currently do. Setting a higher standard for yourself for what you mean by understanding can revolutionize how you perceive the world. The following steps illustrate why a deep understanding is essential to a solid foundation for future thinking and learning.

Understand simple things deeply

The most fundamental ideas in any subject can be understood with ever-increasing depth. Professional tennis players watch the ball; mathematicians understand a nuanced notion of number; successful students continue to improve their mastery of the concepts from previous chapters and courses as they move toward the more advanced material on the horizon; successful people regularly focus on the core purpose of their profession or life. True experts continually deepen their mastery of the basics.

Trumpeting understanding through a note-worthy lesson. Tony Plog is an internationally acclaimed trumpet virtuoso, composer, and teacher. A few years ago we had the opportunity to observe him conducting a master class for accomplished soloists. During the class, each student played a portion of his or her selected virtuosic piece. They played wonderfully. Tony listened politely and always started his comments, "Very good, very good. That is a challenging piece, isn't it?" As expected, he proceeded to give the students advice about how the piece could be played more beautifully, offering suggestions about physical technique and musicality. No surprise. But then he shifted gears.

He asked the students to play a very easy warm-up exercise that any beginning trumpet player might be given. They played the handful of simple notes, which sounded childish compared to the dramatically fast, high notes from the earlier, more sophisticated pieces. After they played the simple phrase, Tony, for the first time during the lesson, picked up the trumpet. He played that same phrase, but when he played it, it was not childish. It was exquisite. Each note was a rich, delightful sound. He gave the small phrase a delicate shape, revealing a flowing sense of dynamics that enabled us to hear meaning in those simple notes. The students' attempts did not come close—the contrast was astounding. The fundamental difference between the true master and the talented students clearly occurred at a far more basic level than in the intricacies of complex pieces. Tony explained that mastering an efficient, nuanced performance of simple pieces allows one to play spectacularly difficult pieces with greater control and artistry.

The lesson was simple. The master teacher suggested that the advanced students focus more of their time on practicing simple pieces intensely—learning to perform them with technical efficiency and beautiful elegance. Deep work on simple, basic ideas helps to build true virtuosity—not just in music but in everything.

What is deep understanding? How can you realize when you don't know something deeply? When the advanced trumpet students played the simple phrase, they played every note and it sounded good to them. Before hearing the contrast between their renditions and the true virtuoso's performance, the students might not have realized that it was possible to play that phrase far, far better.

In everything you do, refine your skills and knowledge about fundamental concepts and simple cases. Once is never enough. As you revisit fundamentals, you will find new insights. It may appear that returning to basics is a step backward and requires additional time and effort; however, by building on firm foundations you will soon see your true abilities soar higher and faster.

* A WAY TO PROVOKE EFFECTIVE THINKING ...

Master the basics

Consider a skill...