Building a Second Brain

Posted by MadaboutDana
Nov 1, 2022 at 09:49 AM

Just a quick word, in the midst of much else, to urge all fellow CRIMPers to read Tiago Forte’s very impressive book on “Building a Second Brain”.

When I first read reviews, I felt rather dismissive about his systems with their prissy acronyms such as PARA or CODE.

Now that I’ve read the book in full, I’ve realised that he’s talking much less about technology and much more about using habits and mindset for self-discovery and cultural/social enrichment (of both self and others).

In short, I’m a convert!

More seriously, it’s actually a valuable meditation on what taking notes and gathering information is really about; while technology (as a way of de-stressing the “biological brain”) is a big part of it, I’d say it’s actually secondary to the real meaning of the work, which is that managing notetaking in a structured, thoughtful way can help you grow as a person in ways you would not necessarily (be able to) identify otherwise.

Okay, okay, so that makes it sound like a standard U.S. self-help work (do this and you will become a Better Person)! But quite apart from the various strategies and habits he discusses, it’s his sensible, down-to-earth analysis that makes this book genuinely valuable.

I’m certainly inspired!

Cheers,
Bill