Genius by Mike byster

Copyright © 2012 by Brainetics, LLC All rights reserved. Published in the Unted States by Crown Archetype, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com Crown Archetype with colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data is available upon request. ISBN 978-0-307-98585-9 eISBN 978-0-307-98586-6 Printed in the United States of America Book design by Jennifer Daddio/Bookmark Design & Media, Inc. Jacket design by Andrew Janik Author photograph: Lynnette Astaire 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 First Edition INTRODUCTION 3 A Memorable Story If I were to ask you to picture a green apple in your mind, you would have already done so by the end of this sentence. That’s about how fast I can solve lots of complex math equations. I can square any three- or even fourd- igit number, such as 3,567 times 3,567, in my head within seconds. I can divide a three-digit num- ber by a two-digit number, such as 974 divided by 78, and arrive at the answer instantly. And I can unscramble the longest of words orplace words inalphabeticalorder immediately.I know— it’s a bit freaky and unbelievable. When I perform these feats for live audi-ences, the crowd, which is usually made up of elementary school students, teachers, and parents, always roars: “Whoa!” . “. O. h my God, that is awesome!” . . . “No way. You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s not possible.” . . . “I bet you were just born this way!” But then I have to tell them the truth: I was not born this way. I’ll also admit right off the bat that I’m not a psychologist, brainiac, or even someone who understands the science of math and memory 2 MIKE BYSTER down to the neurons and synapses. I don’t have an MD, and I’ve never studied neurology. But I do know this: training your brain to unleash its fullest potential doesn’t hinge on genetics, inherited IQ, access to the best schools, or even medical breakthroughs. Accord-ing to researchers at both the University of Illinois and Princeton, I possess one of the fastest mathematical minds in the world. Why? Because I continually teach myself how to use my brain in fun and cool ways that enable me to process and memorize informa- tion much quicker than others. These techniques have helped me to become smarter, more productive, and exceedingly more imagina-tive. In this book, I’ll share them with you. Let me be clear: this is not a “memory” book. I’m not here to just teach you a trick to memorize or recall the Declaration of Independence in a heartbeat. Without question, you will learn ef-fortless ways to memorize information, from the driest and most arbitrary details to comprehensive facts and lengthy passages, but I want you to know from the getg-o that the strategies in this book will help you become a better, more effective individual in all that you do. These lessons and their related exercises will en-hance yourabilitytocommunicate,innovate, impress others, stand out in a crowd, get ahead of your peers, move up the social—and corporate—ladder, magnify your employability and moneymaking capacity, learn to make excellent decisions, solve problems large and small, spot trouble and keep a keen eye on the future, plan that future, speak publicly with ease, be a stronger player in games and sports, ask for what you want, adapt to new situations and circumstances, handle crises, work under pressure, be more inde-pendent, and so on. I could list hundreds of abilities that can be enhanced by mas-tering the skills detailed in this book. Throughout the chapters, I’ll point out specifically why you’re learning a given stratagem or being told to do something that seems impossible or impractical ... - tailieumienphi.vn