Limitless Book Summary - Limitless Book explained in key points
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Limitless summary

Jim Kwik

Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

4.6 (2341 ratings)
31 mins

Brief summary

Limitless by Jim Kwik is a self-help book that teaches readers how to optimize their brainpower. The author provides actionable tips and techniques to boost memory, improve focus, and learn faster.

Table of Contents

    Limitless
    Summary of 10 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 10

    Technology makes our lives easier, but it may be hindering our learning abilities.

    Is digital technology good or bad? The question may be simple, but the answer is far from straightforward. 

    On the one hand, smartphones and tablets can seem liberating. After all, they do allow us to “outsource” some of our brain’s simpler functions. Sounds great, doesn’t it? 

    Well, perhaps not. Some researchers feel that this digital habit is becoming a problem. They believe it hampers our cognitive abilities. Think about how we all constantly switch between tasks – from working to checking notifications to texting. One neuroscientist, Daniel J. Levitin, believes that this process causes the brain to quickly burn up its fuel, leaving us stressed and exhausted.

    The key message here is: Technology makes our lives easier, but it may be hindering our learning abilities.

    We have constant access to a wealth of information right at our fingertips. It’s no surprise then that studies indicate that the average person consumes three times more information today than in the 1960s!

    But pummeling ourselves with all this information isn’t necessarily a good thing. That’s because being able to look up facts whenever you need them causes your memory to atrophy. It withers away, like an under-used muscle. On the other hand, forcing yourself to recall information actually creates and strengthens memories.

    Overusing technology may also reduce your capacity to think critically. After all, there’s no shortage of opinion on the internet. Some would say that it’s a good thing: it allows us to see issues from lots of different perspectives.

    But the truth is that most of us don’t actually go looking for varied perspectives. Instead, we identify a few sources we already agree with, and use them to reinforce our beliefs, thus essentially accepting other people’s ready-made opinions. This means that our capacity for deduction and problem-solving begins to weaken, and we lose the ability to think critically.

    So it’s more important than ever to keep your brain in tip-top shape. How do you do this? Jim Kwik offers a few suggestions. One simple tip, especially pertinent for the digital age, is to spend 30 minutes each day with all your devices turned off. You can use this time to relax, be creative, and just let your mind wander. 

    But what if you do spend too much time with your devices? Will it change you – and your brain – forever? Well, maybe not. Our brains are resilient and adaptable, as we’ll see in the next blink.

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    What is Limitless about?

    Limitless (2020) is an empowering how-to guide for making full use of your brain’s incredible capabilities. It goes out to anyone who’s ever felt too dumb, too slow, or too unskilled to succeed. Learn how to unlimit your brain – and gain the power to achieve anything at all.

    Best quote from Limitless

    You can learn to unlimit and expand your mindset, your motivation, and your methods to create a limitless life.

    —Jim Kwik
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    Who should read Limitless?

    • Lifelong learners and people with big aspirations
    • Self-criticizers who fear that they just can’t learn as fast as everyone else
    • Businesspeople, students, and employees who want to fit learning into their busy schedules

    About the Author

    Jim Kwik is a world-renowned expert on meta-learning – the process of learning how to learn. A childhood accident left Kwik with a learning disability. For years, he struggled at school, but then Kwik began to uncover the secrets of learning itself. His findings laid the groundwork for Kwik Learning, an educational program used by individuals and corporations in more than 100 countries. 

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