Book description
Josh Waitzkin knows what it means to be at the top of his game. A
public figure since winning his first National Chess Championship at the
age of nine, Waitzkin was catapulted into a media whirlwind as a
teenager when his father's book
Searching for Bobby Fischer
was made into a major motion picture. After dominating the scholastic
chess world for ten years, Waitzkin expanded his horizons, taking on the
martial art Tai Chi Chuan and ultimately earning the title of World
Champion. How was he able to reach the pinnacle of two disciplines that
on the surface seem so different? "I've come to realize that what I
am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess," he says.
"What I am best at is the art of learning."
In his riveting new book, The Art of Learning, Waitzkin tells
his remarkable story of personal achievement and shares the principles
of learning and performance that have propelled him to the top --
twice.
With a narrative that combines heart-stopping martial arts wars and
tense chess face-offs with life lessons that speak to all of us,
The Art of Learning takes readers through Waitzkin's unique
journey to excellence. He explains in clear detail how a
well-thought-out, principled approach to learning is what separates
success from failure. Waitzkin believes that achievement, even at the
championship level, is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a
creative, resilient growth process. Rather than focusing on climactic
wins, Waitzkin reveals the inner workings of his everyday method, from
systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs, to honing
techniques into states of remarkable potency, to mastering the art of
performance psychology.
Through his own example, Waitzkin explains how to embrace defeat and
make mistakes work for you. Does your opponent make you angry?
Waitzkin describes how to channel emotions into creative fuel. As he
explains it, obstacles are not obstacles but challenges to overcome,
to spur the growth process by turning weaknesses into strengths. He
illustrates the exact routines that he has used in all of his
competitions, whether mental or physical, so that you too can achieve
your peak performance zone in any competitive or professional
circumstance.
In stories ranging from his early years taking on chess hustlers as
a seven year old in New York City's Washington Square Park, to dealing
with the pressures of having a film made about his life, to
International Chess Championships in India, Hungary, and Brazil, to
gripping battles against powerhouse fighters in Taiwan in the Push
Hands World Championships, The Art of Learning encapsulates an
extraordinary competitor's life lessons in a page-turning narrative.
"The Art of Learning succeeds on every
level, combining a truly compelling auto-biography with profound
philosophical and psychological insights all wrapped in a practical
how-to framework. This is a must-read for anyone wishing to achieve
that rare combination of success and fulfillment." -- Paul
Blease, SVP, Director, Team Development & Consulting, Citigroup
Smith Barney
Josh Waitzkin, an eight-time National Chess
Champion in his youth, was the subject of the book and movie
Searching for Bobby Fischer. At eighteen, he published his
first book, Josh Waitzkin's Attacking Chess. Since the age of
twenty, he has developed and been spokesperson for Chessmaster, the
largest computer chess program in the world. Now a martial arts
champion, he holds a combined twenty-one National Championship titles
in addition to several World Championship titles. When not traveling
the country giving seminars and keynote presentations, he lives and
trains in New York City. He can be reached at www. joshwaitzkin. com. For
more information about Chessmaster visit www. ubi. com.
