Make the Most of Your Mind

by Tony Buzan

Your brain is like a sleeping giant - its potential is far greater than was generally imagined. Even the commonly heard statement that on average we use only one per cent of our brains may well be an overestimation. Tony Buzan, the leading expert in the field, sets out to help you develop that astounding untapped potential. Essential reading for anyone keen to learn, read, memorize and think more efficiently, this classic bestseller explains clearly how your brain works and how to maximize its unrealized power.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Reference, Ebooks, Business

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Tony Buzan was an English author, educational consultant, and pioneer of the mind mapping technique, which he developed to enhance learning, creativity, and memory. Born in Middlesex in 1942, he studied psychology, English, mathematics, and science at the University of British Columbia and later became a graduate student at Simon Fraser University, where he served as the inaugural president of the student society. Buzan was a strong advocate for mental literacy and radiant thinking, drawing inspiration from figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein. He authored or co-authored over 80 books, including the bestselling Use Your Head, The Mind Map Book, and The Speed Reading Book, and gained international recognition through his 1970s BBC series Use Your Head. Buzan co-founded the World Memory Championships, the Mind Sports Olympiad, and the Brain Trust Charity. His legacy lives on through his books, seminars, and iMindMap software.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

A cheery, happy, optimistic book holding out the reassurances that however poor you think your numeracy, reading, memory, logical thinking abilities, eyesight and hearing are, unconscious processes , Buzan says, prove that they are extremely powerful, and that rather than being subject to entropy, some such as hearing and eyesight can with care avoiding the 20th century and don't even think about having anything to do with the 21st century, even the 19th might threaten to many decibelsappears though to be key - don't expose the ear to loud noise and rest the eyes be maintained at an excellent level of performance, while the rest can be consciously improved with age until ordinary civilians are simply frightened by your perfected brain power.

The slight downside is that I've forgotten the detail of the advice such as it is, whether down to poor memory or poor reading comprehension I'm not sure, maybe both. I wondered at times, Buzan presents a scenario of a business man needing to remember to make an important phone call about a contract as soon as he gets in to work, but also to buy some groceries - to achieve this without forgetting anything he recommends not the memory palaces of classical antiquity but imagining a brightly coloured picture containing all the elements in a dramatic manner for example an arm waving a contact emerging from a telephone receiver, personally I thought - 'why not just write a to-do list', but horses for courses I suppose. The bibliography consists of thirteen books (13), two (2) by Buzan himself and four novels including Dune & The Glass Bead Game so it is drawing on a very small base of reference and quite how much of what he has to say is useful or generally applicable as opposed to referring to odd outliers I'm not sure.

Buzan is best known to me for Mind Maps and each chapter is illustrated by a mind map - practice what you preach after all - giving a one page graphical summary of the chapter, not for the first, nor probably for the last I regret that I can't upload images into my reviews as these are in my opinion the most attractive feature of the book and pleasing in their own right.

Unexpert as I may be in brain stuff my feeling was that the idea of left and right brains as distinct and separate or that the memory is located like a bank vault in only one part of the brain no longer reflects the conscious of opinion, not that this matters since he doesn't recommend physical manipulation of the regions in question to boost efficiency.

Worth a look, not sure it will transform anybodies brain unrecognisably, but you might pick up a handy hint or two.

[David]

3.5 stars

Even though this was a second edition, there have been advancements since 1988. Yet, this book gives good techniques for the following: memory recall; effective listening; speed reading and effective seeing; note-making and fast writing; creativity; simple and quick mathematical capability; logic and analysis; family and group study.

[Zineb | زينب]

الكل يملك عقلاً
قليل من يحسن استخدامه
😉

image hosting

[Sara]

الكتاب رائع جداً ومزود بتمارين عملية بعد كل فصل لتطبيق ما جاء فيه

يتحدث عن كيفية عمل الدماغ وكيفية تخزينه للمعلومات والطرق الأكثر فعالية لاسترجاعها وتخزينها

استفدت منه كثيراً، كتاب قيم بحق

[Jason Holliday]

Wow. I think this book is somewhat accurate but I found myself LOLing at the whimsical yet unconvincingly serious delivery style and dumbed down ideas. I think it's most redeeming quality is it's short time span so was over pretty quickly. I probably would have given it an extra star if it would have been narrated by Kermit the Frog and Ms Piggy.

[GHADEER]

أحد الكتب المحفزة من الدرجة الأولى ,, الاستشهادات والأمثلة مشجعة فعلاً .. أد الكتب التي أنصح بقرائتها

[Olivia Holt]

The book that offers valuable insights into enhancing mental capabilities, though it treads a path quite similar to the author's other works. The book is well-structured and presents various techniques and exercises to improve memory, reading skills, and creative thinking. While the content is undoubtedly useful and presented in an accessible manner, those familiar with the author's previous books might find the concepts and approaches somewhat repetitive. However, this book serves as a great resource for new readers or those who appreciate the reinforcement of these cognitive strategies. It's packed with practical advice and easy-to-follow exercises to help make the most of one's mental faculties. The book's strength lies in its straightforward approach, making complex ideas about brain function understandable and applicable for everyday use. Whether you're looking to sharpen your mind for professional reasons or personal growth, "Make the Most of Your Mind" offers a comprehensive guide to doing just that, albeit with a sense of familiarity for those who have previously explored the author's work.

[Nguyen Anh]

It is a 2.5 non-fiction book for me. Basically, self-improvement books are not my cup of tea since I have read many of them and thereby I do not enjoy reading this book. But overall, it is worthy for those who want to find out more about how your brain works or the best way to perform better in studying something. I highly recommend it for them. Moreover it is a very fast-paced book which you can read in one or two sittings and do not take much time to reading the whole book. Overall, it is valuable for those who have a desire to learn more about your brain's function but for me, it is kind of monotonous.

[Santosh Choudhary]

Absolutely must read book. The only regret I have while reading this book is not reading in my early dyad when I was a student and needed it most. But it's never late.
AmaIng book giving scientific backing for memory enhancement. No gimmicks, truly based on observations and skills.

Must read if you are a student.

[jory Abdullah]

لطالما كان توني بوزان هو المرجع الأساسي في استخدامي لخرائط العقل سابقاً وأهميتها في تنظيم المعلومات والتذكر، جاء هذا الكتاب بمثابة استرجاع المعلومات ومراجعتها، وصصح لي الكثير من المفاهيم الخاطئة حول اماكنيات العقل والذاكرة بصفة عامة استمتعت بقراءة هذه المعلومات وأحاول تطبيق الكثير منها.

[Michael Compton]

This book was published in 1984, so the brain science is dated, but the advice and techniques are solid and time-tested. Easy to read and well organized, this is an excellent guide with practical advice that can be dipped into again and again. I wish I'd had this in my student days.

[Abla]

3.5

[Rania Fakih]

loved it! mind opening and lots of hand on tools to teach you and show how it works.

[3la2]

الكتاب كويس بس الكاتب بيبعد كتير جدا عن موضوع الكتاب اللى هو " العقل واستخدام طاقته القصوى "
الكتاب فيه اجزاء كتير تاريخية حشو مش اكتر
دا غير انه بيستطرد كتير فى الكلام عن وظائف العين والاذن وطرق للحساب بسهولة
وطرق للمذاكرة والقراءة السريعة
ممكن تكون المعلومات كويسة بس مش مترابطة من ناحية وبعيدة عن موضوع الكتاب من ناحية تانية
م الاخر الاجزاء اللى تخص العقل و استخدامه فى الكتاب لا تتعدى ال 40 صفحة والباقى بعيد عن موضوع الكتاب

[Michael]

Ein gutes Überblickswerk, aber leider auch nicht mehr. Es werden die einzelnen Teilbereiche wie Speed Reading, Note Making kurz zusammengefasst und auf weiterführende Literatur verwiesen.
Punkto Aufmachung erinnert das Buch leider an ein kopiertes Skriptum.

[Qudama Ahmed]

كتاب جميل , أستفدت منه كثيراً ...الجميل في مؤلفات توني بوزان أنك تشعر بالإستفادة منها أثناء قراءة الكتاب, الكتاب عبارة عن تعريف بقدرات العقل وطريقة أستخدامه بطريقة مثالية وشرح فيه مواضيع كثيرة أعتقد أهمها هو موضوع الخارطة الذهنية الذي أخترعهُ هو ...

[Aileen]

I picked this up to refresh myself on speed reading, but there were other useful tips on mental arithmetic, efficient note-taking and listening. The principal of mind-maps went over my head a little, but I still found some useful tricks.

[David]

A bit light on specific implementation details, but definitely a good introduction. Got me interested in learning more.

[Lulia Khateeb Halwani]

it is good to know more about your brain and senses and how is the way of their works affect your abilities to benefit the most of them

[Gerry]

bit behind the times in terms of current information about the brain but the principles are timeless and work!

[Tâmèr Êlsèhétry]

كتاب جميل يبين محتوى العقل وتقسيمته يساعد على تقوية الذاكره وزياده اﻵبداع لدى الفرد .العةل على تسريع القرءاه الفعالة وأيضا بحث على العمل الجماعى

[Fatima AlHokail]

نادر ما تحظى بكتاب يقدم معلومات قيمه عن تطوير الذات وممتع في نفس الوقت
أصنفه من الكتب رائعه

[Shrouk Elselhdar]

هُوّ الواحِد ازّاي بيقرا الحاجات دي زمان :D ..تنميّه بشريّه بس في حاجات مُفيده ، نستها الصراحه :D

[Jud Tirawiyeh]

كتاب قيّم ولو كان التقييم متأخرا عن وقت القراءة , بفضل هذا الكتاب استطعت ان أفهم العديد من الامور التي كنت أجهلها و الروابط التي كنت لا أفقه أنها كانت علماً قائماً بحد ذاته

[سارة shaalan)]

من الكتب المفيدة في مجالات الدراسة والقراءة السريعة
وفهم كيفية عمل العقل وتطويره لاقصي حد

[Luigi]

A great classic. Now of course its taught at school and is a standard business tool.

[Krkr Atef]

الأفكار مش منظمة حسب كل عنصر غير أن في حشو كتير وفكرة الكتاب نفسه اخدة صفحات قليلة في الوقت المفروض يكون التركيز على فكرة الكتاب نفسه وجود الرياضة وغيرها بعد تماما عن فكرة الكتاب وهى أنه بيمهد خطوات التفكير واستخدام العقل مش استخدام المجالات العديدة لأن كده انت بتضع قوانين محددة تحد من ابداع كل فرد كذلك اختبارات الذات كتيرة واخدة صفحات كتيرة ع الفاضي من رأى كان المفروض الكاتب اكتفى بكم اختبار في نهاية الكتاب . من وجهة نظري .

[Nash]

الترجمة سيئة، من الظلم أن أحدد أي تقييم هنا