Books/courses/etc. on concentration and focus

[Guest]

I got a call from the local paper yesterday asking about courses, books, and so on that are meant to improve concentration and focus. (They were referred to me by the local Learning Annex-type group, for whom I sometimes teach memory technique courses.)

I couldn't give an adequate response. But I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has any recommendations for existing material along those lines.

--Josh

[Guest]

Sorry, would you mind repeating that?

- entity

[Guest]

Would a book like "The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas" do the trick ...?

That's the only one I can think of right now ...

[Guest]

JC,

Nah...in talking to the reporter, what I determined is that he was looking for information on courses or manuals that help people stay focused when their minds wander. It's not a "memory" issue so much as an inability to focus on a task.

Although I couldn't help him, since my training is in memory (not concentration), the upside was that he's decided to do a separate feature article on memory work.

--Josh

[Guest]

Hi Josh,

I have the 1960's 12 vol (paperback pamphlets) course in slipcase titled Memory Furst - A Complete Home Study Course in Memory and Concentration by Dr Bruno Furst. Any specific question Josh? Ill try and help you out if I can.

Regards, Mark Damon

http://www.youcanremember.com/biography.html

Dr Bruno Furst. The man who discovered the secret of a perfect memory

Dr Bruno Furst was recognised as one of the world's greatest memory experts. "Probably the best all round mental athlete of the century," was how the New Yorker magazine described him.

A scientist, university professor, public speaker and (more as a hobby than anything else) a lawyer, Furst was the first person in the world to study how memory works from a practical standpoint. Unlike his near contemporaries such as Freud, Jung and Adler - Furst was not concerned with memory as a route to understanding personality and behaviour, but memory as a route to improving quality of life. This stemmed from his own experiences as a student where he underperformed due to his own poor memory.

Determined to achieve his own full potential, and convinced that memory was like a muscle which could be developed if exercised in the right way, Furst launched an extensive research programme. The results were used to create a complete, foolproof system of memory training. The brilliance of this system was that it was quick, easy to learn and could be mastered by anyone. Like Albert Einstein and many other great scientists, Furst made all his great memory discoveries whilst he was still a relatively young man. Afterwards, his research took him into other areas but in middle age he came back to memory and started teaching on the subject. He worked for the government of his adopted country, the USA, and lectured extensively.

Realising that his system could be mastered by anyone who could read, he wrote the Course in Memory and Concentration in 1939 - giving it the subtitle 'You Can Remember'. The course has never been out of print and over three million copies have been sold. The course is only available from Bowden Hall College, which has always held the publishing rights. There have been many imitators over the years but no one has ever managed to produce a more successful or easier way to improve memory than Dr Furst.

To prove what was possible using his simple to learn memory system, Dr Furst memorized 200 of the world's best books. He could recite them word for word - starting and stopping at any point.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Josh Mandel:
JC,

Nah...in talking to the reporter, what I determined is that he was looking for information on courses or manuals that help people stay focused when their minds wander. It's not a "memory" issue so much as an inability to focus on a task.

Although I couldn't help him, since my training is in memory (not concentration), the upside was that he's decided to do a separate feature article on memory work.

--Josh

He, he... when I was a kid teachers accomplished this in one of two ways; slapping you on the cheek or rapping your hands with a ruler... :whack:

Hey... it worked! :D

[Guest]

Look for books about meditation and relaxation techniques. They will be most pertinent to your request.

[Rafael Benatar]

The Inner Game of Tennis - even if you don't play tennis
The Inner Game of Golf - even if you don't play golf and have read the Inner Game of Tennis
Both by Tim Galwey (there is a whole "Inner Game" Series but those 2 are my favorite).

[Guest]

As Mr Benatar has already hinted at, this is a big area of interest in sports psychology. There are many techniques for "getting into the zone" etc ie being completely focused on a particular task. While these are developed primarily for sport they are useable in any area of life.

While I don't have any specific title recommendations it might be a good area to look into.

[Guest]

Josh:

You might be interested in "A Question of Memory" by David Berglas (yes, the very one and the same).

It's at Amazon.UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Question-Memory ... 55-8503653

As far as concentration and focus, you might want to look into the books regarding "mind power" or "using both sides of your brain." There are plenty of books on the left brain/right brain dichotomy, and how to improve communication between them, to enhance concentration.

[Guest]

There is also The North American Attention Defecit and Hyperactivity Disorder Association Handbook of Con... Hey! Look at the birdie!