"How We Learn” by Stanislas Dehaene published by Penguin Books shakes the old held notions about how learning happens, the basis of our civilisation. A must read for academicians, practitioners, policy makers in education sector, public policy, the book opens up new perspectives and present insights after considerable research. The book is divieded into 3 parts. While the first part deals with what is learning per se, the later part delves into the process of learning which our brain adopts. The concept of hardwired and plasticity is discussed and makes a case for adaptability in learning process. The author states that the learning is a process which is unique to homo sapiens as they can adapt and learn. infact, Pedagogy is a priviledge for us as no other species teaches its offspring, takes time to monitor progress and point out errors. the invention of school has vastly added our capacity and capabilities. In chapter 2, Why Our brains learns better than current machines:,...
India : A Sacred Geography Do you remember review of Benaras: The City of Light written by Diana L. Eck? As I read more and more about her books, I am sort of liking her. The depth she had in exploring the Indic religious organisation which is very rare for someone looking from outsiders perspective. This book India : A Sacred Geography, published in 2012 by Random House is next in series for the author wherein she has delved into the vastness of religiosity of India as a country. The book is divided into 10 chapters starting with a detailed note on transliteration and pronunciation. In A Sacred Geography, an imagined landscape, the author identifies tirthas as “crossings” where one’s prayers are amplified, one’s rites are more efficacious, one’s vows more readily fulfilled. The book indicted that in the ancient shastras not only geographical teerthas but also teerths of heart are referred as “manas teerthas”. These are enumerated as “truth, celibacy, charity, patience, self-contr...