The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin

No matter where I hang my hat at the end of a day's work, London or otherwise, I'll always be a Colorado boy.

I grew up in the mountains. During the winters, I remember losing myself on the slopes snowboarding. The best days, following massive snowfall, had cobalt blue skies and air so crisp that you felt a fire in your lungs with each breath.

There is this feeling when you really get into a run. You're not thinking about your slightly bent knees, shifting balance, quickening pulse or perspiring brow. The techniques occur subconsciously, leaving you in this …flow.

"The mind moves with the speed of an electrical current, complex problems are breezed through with an intuitive clarity, you get deeper and deeper into the soul of the chess position, time falls away, the concept of "I" is gone, all that exists is blissful engagement, pure presence, absolute flow."

Josh Waitzkin was recognized as a prodigy at an early age. The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer was based on him. However, being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age had a cost, and his chess game began to break down. He shifted focus to Taiji Push Hands, a martial form of Tai Chi, ultimately becoming a world champion. He then wrote this book about his journey.

The book reads more like a memoir than a self-development book. In one section, you find recommendations to bring into your own life. Then flip the page, and discover poignant reflections of someone growing up in the most atypical circumstances.

Beautiful and worth reading.