Book SummaryUltralearning, by Scott Young

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Ultralearning

In Ultralearning, Scott Young teaches that you can stay relevant in your field, advance your career, and master any skill with the principles of “ultralearning”—a strategic, intensive, and self-directed approach to learning. Young writes that ultralearning is a viable alternative to formal education, giving you a competitive edge at a fraction of the time and cost necessary for traditional schooling. (Shortform note: While the name “ultralearning” is unique to Young, other authors have also tackled this topic. Jim Kwik has a similar method called “metalearning,” which he covers in Limitless, while Peter C. Brown, Henry Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel discuss effective learning strategies using cognitive psychology in Make It Stick. We compare and contrast these methods with Young’s within this guide.)

Scott Young is a computer programmer, blogger, and podcast host who wrote Ultralearning as a way to share his insights into how to enhance your brain's abilities. His methods are based on research and his experiences of taking on ambitious personal projects, such as becoming fluent in four languages in a year and learning MIT’s four-year computer science curriculum within 12 months.

(Shortform note: Young asserts that mastering new skills can help you get ahead without a formal education, but doesn’t mention how to get employers to notice your skills without a formal educational background. To do this, experts recommend establishing a strong social media presence: Create a professional-looking profile, share certifications, and demonstrate your knowledge by reposting industry articles with your own insightful commentary. You should also connect with potential employers, but keep in mind that you might have better luck engaging with heads of smaller companies.)

Young organized his book into nine principles, but a few of them overlap in theme and we’ve thus distilled them into seven overall principles.

The Principles of Ultralearning

According to Young, there are several principles critical to successful ultralearning. We’ll explore each of them in detail.

Principle 1: Learn How to Learn

The first principle of ultralearning is to figure out how to learn a subject or skill, or what Young calls “metalearning.” To determine this, you can ask yourself three questions:

1. What is my learning goal, and why have I chosen this? Young explains that your motivation will generally be either external (characterized by the desire to achieve an extrinsic result), or internal (characterized by the desire to learn something for personal enjoyment). For example, wanting to learn user experience design to give you a competitive edge in marketing is an external motivation, while wanting to learn how to play the cello purely for enjoyment is internal motivation.

2. What do I need to learn to achieve this learning goal? Break your topic down into information (what you simply need to memorize), ideas (what you need to understand at a deeper level than facts), and processes (what you need to practice to understand), and list everything relevant to learn in each category. Use this information to identify critical areas of focus for your learning.

3. What strategies have other people used to learn this? Now that you know the information, ideas, and processes relevant to your chosen skill, you can come up with a plan for how to learn them. Young advises that you find people who’ve already mastered the skill and pattern your strategies after the methods that worked for them.

Metalearning and the Limitless Learning Model

Jim Kwik has a similar definition of “metalearning”—learning how to learn—and details his own model in Limitless. While Kwik and Young share some similarities in their approach, they also have some differences:

• While Young writes that you should determine whether your motivation is internal or external, Kwik takes it a step further by explaining why this is important: Learning new skills is challenging, and your motivation can keep you going, especially when you don’t feel like doing the work.

• Both authors write that it’s important to know what your goal is and how to achieve it. The key difference is that Young recognizes that different skills require different learning strategies, so he recommends not only determining the information you should learn but also the learning strategies that have proven effective for other people. On the other hand, Kwik’s version of metalearning offers general strategies that can be applied to any skill you want to learn: Learn how to study, take good notes, and train your memory.

• Young doesn’t mention anything about your mindset, but Kwik writes that it’s a key component of limitless learning—you must have a growth mindset, rid yourself of self-limiting beliefs and assumptions, and truly believe that you can learn.

Principle 2: Develop Concentration Skills

The second principle of ultralearning is to develop concentration skills and create successful learning habits. Young writes that deep learning requires deep focus, so you should confront the three main obstacles to focus:

1. Procrastination: Procrastination is knowing you need to do something, but avoiding it or doing something else instead. Young says that you can overcome procrastination by using deliberate methods for resisting the impulse, like setting a timer, pushing yourself to work until that point, then steadily increasing the time. (Shortform note: This urge to procrastinate may stem from a lack of willpower. In _[The Willpower...

Ultralearning Summary Chapters 1-3: The Benefits of Ultralearning

Going to college to get a bachelor’s degree used to be sufficient to find a good job, but now it’s not enough. Many modern careers demand a skill set that you can’t pick up as you go, and most organizations increasingly ask for greater knowledge from their employees than is supported by access to formal education. In Ultralearning, Scott Young teaches you how to stay relevant in your field, advance your career, and master any skill you desire with the principles of “Ultralearning.”

Ultralearning is a strategic approach to learning that is intensive and self-directed. What does all of this mean?

• Intensive learning is learning as deeply as possible at an accelerated pace (in contrast to leisure learning, done at a relaxed pace).
• A strategy is an approach to solving a problem or achieving a goal.
• A self-directed learning strategy is a method for achieving a learning goal that works best for you.

There are many variations of ultralearning, but ultralearners share several characteristics:

• They work independently (but not necessarily alone).
• They’re obsessive about improving their learning process.
• They’re motivated primarily by a love...

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 4: Principle 1—Metalearning

The only risk of self-directed learning is selecting a poor method of learning. Metalearning (learning how to learn) lessens this risk. This chapter teaches you how to build a learning roadmap so you can start your learning project off on a solid foundation. A map shows you how a topic is constructed, what types of skills or knowledge will support growth, and which strategies will support you to achieve efficient proficiency.

For example, let’s say you’re learning freestyle dance. You might research popular freestyle dancers who have achieved your desired skill level and determine how they each reached it.

How Do You conduct Metalearning Research?

Metalearning research is the first step of any ultralearning project. When you have an advanced understanding of what you need to learn and how best to learn it, you accelerate what would normally be a longer process in a formal education setting. In this case, you personalize the learning process, bypassing the challenges of the poor teacher-to-student ratio typically found in a class setting. As you complete more learning projects, metalearning skills naturally improve, as does your awareness of your capacity for...

Shortform Exercise: Learn How to Learn

This exercise is an opportunity to think about a potential learning project and explore the questions “why,” “what,” and “how?”

What is a skill or topic you would like to learn?

Shortform Exercise: Practice the 10% Rule

Explore the optimal balance between planning and learning. Have a learning topic or skill in mind as you work through the questions.

How long do expect the learning process to take overall? What might that look like in a daily or weekly schedule?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 5: Principle 2—Focus

Once you’ve determined how you’re going to conduct your learning project, it’s time to actually start. This requires focus. This chapter identifies key obstacles to focus and explores methods for optimizing focus so you can learn effectively.

Ultralearners generally need to confront three main obstacles to concentration.

Obstacle #1: Procrastination

Often the hardest part of focus is starting the process. Instead of getting to work, we find something else to do, or simply refuse to do anything at all. This can manifest in acute procrastination (avoiding specific tasks) or chronic procrastination (general avoidance).

Why do so many of us procrastinate?

On a conscious level, the desire to do another task feels rational. The rest of your impulse to procrastinate is unconscious. In truth, you either prefer to do something else, or you’re simply avoiding the original task.

Solution: Crutches

After you become aware of the pattern, use mental strategies (called crutches) to fight the impulse to procrastinate. For example, notice when you want to avoid your tasks, set a timer for five minutes, and push yourself to work at least until it goes off. It’s...

Shortform Exercise: Overcome Learning Obstacles

Consider a skill or learning topic (either the same you’ve used for previous exercises or a new one) and explore potential obstacles in the learning process, as well as determine the characteristics of an optimal study environment.

What strategies can you use to overcome procrastination?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 6: Principle 3—Directness

Another critical component of self-directed learning is the ability to learn directly. Directness is the idea that you best learn a skill when you practice it in the environment you plan to use it in. For example, if you want to be a great public speaker, rather than buying a book on public speaking, find opportunities to practice public speaking.

We avoid being direct in our learning because we either don’t want to step outside of our comfort zones, we’re uninspired, or it’s time-consuming. For example, we download an app or buy a book because, although this method doesn’t produce long-lasting results, reading about a skill provides a sense of satisfaction without the need to practice it. But if you want to truly master a skill or topic, always immerse yourself in opportunities for direct practice.

Is Learning Transferable?

Transfer occurs when you can use a skill you’ve mastered in contexts beyond the original context. This is the ideal outcome for learning of any kind. Without transfer, we would have little ability to function in our lives, as we would have to learn everything as an isolated skill right down to the minutia.

There used to be a widely accepted...

Shortform Exercise: Practice Direct Learning

Reflect again on the task or topic you’re learning (you may select a new one if you’d like). Use this exercise to explore direct learning methods that best suit your needs as a learner and support your learning goals.

Of the four tactics listed (learning projects, immersion, simulation, or overachievement), which might best apply to your learning goals? Why?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 7: Principle 4—Drill

Sometimes when we begin to learn a new skill, we have difficulty with isolated aspects of it. Drilling is isolating weaknesses in your learning process or skill level and concentrating intensively on them. Drills work because according to research, when you have difficulty with certain isolated components of a skill, struggling with those components slows down the process of achieving integrated proficiency for the whole skill.

Similarly, using drills to improve one aspect of a skill has a positive chain effect on the quality of the overall skill. For example, when learning a language, vocabulary is one cognitive component, pronunciation is another, and grammar is yet another. All three components are used in the overall skill, but each serves its own cognitive function.

The Benefits of Mindful Drilling

Some people think drilling is the wrong approach because they are used to the formal-education monotony of cramming before a test, or assignments based entirely on memorization. These types of tasks are exhausting because there is no deeper understanding of the purpose behind them or what role they play in the integrated learning process. When you drill with a specific...

Shortform Exercise: Create a Drill

Consider your learning goals and review the drilling methods available to you (segmentation, replication, concentration, and chaining) to determine solutions for any areas of your process that need work.

Which aspects of what you’re learning are most challenging? Which are most important to the overall skill or topic?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 8: Principle 5—Retrieval

Long-term proficiency is only possible if you are able to retrieve the information you learn. Retrieval is the process of recalling information we’ve stored in our memory. Typically we use the traditional study method (reviewing existing material) to retrieve learned information. However, research shows that testing yourself from memory alone (also known as self-testing) is the study method that best serves retention (the long-term storing of information). The purpose of self-testing is to efficiently maximize the amount of information you’re able to retrieve.

Why Do So Many Prefer Traditional Studying?

Though self-testing is the most effective way to study, many still choose the traditional reviewing of material instead. Research indicates this is because we develop a perception of our learning progress by getting feedback from the study process. If the process feels easy, we think we’re doing well. If it’s not easy, we feel the opposite. Students often choose passive review because they aren’t confident in their ability to recall on their own. When you review information passively, it’s easy to recall it right afterward, giving you the impression you’ve learned it....

Shortform Exercise: Test Yourself

Reflect on your chosen topic or skill (or something you’re interested in learning) and contemplate which aspects are most important to retain long-term.

What information do you think is most valuable to retrieve? Why?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 9: Principle 6—Feedback

Effective feedback is a crucial component of ultralearning. The difference between ultralearners and traditional learners is that ultralearners seek an intense level of feedback. For example, if you’re trying to master public speaking, practice speaking in front of the most challenging audiences immediately (like middle schoolers, who tend to be brutally honest). People often avoid feedback because of how uncomfortable it is to receive it. However, the anticipation of negative feedback usually feels worse than actually receiving it. So, it’s fear that stagnates the learning progress, not the negative feedback itself. Throwing yourself into the deep end of feedback may seem harsh initially, but it trains you to work with fear, which teaches you confidence, resilience, and commitment to your learning process.

What Is the Most Valuable Type of Feedback?

Feedback is valuable unless you process it with a bias or it lacks genuinely constructive information. There are two challenges to be prepared for when receiving feedback:

• Overreaction—Take all feedback with a grain of salt. Sometimes you’ll receive feedback that is not useful to your learning process. Be careful...

Shortform Exercise: Get Feedback

Reflect on the 3 core types of feedback (outcome, informational, and corrective).

Considering your topic or skill, what is one way you can get outcome feedback (detail-less feedback based entirely on results)?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 10: Principle 7—Retention

To truly become proficient in a skill, you need to retain what you learn long term. Skill and comprehension are also important, but neither of these things is valuable without proper retention. Whether or not you retain something is dependent on your recall strategies.

Why Do We Have Difficulty Recalling Information?

Researchers know that forgetting information after learning is a common issue for anyone in an environment that requires retrieving complex information. For example, the farther a doctor gets away from his medical education, the more likely he or she is to forget what was learned, even when working long practical hours in the same field of study. This is because of the forgetting curve, which suggests that the rate of retention initially increases after information has been learned, then plateaus and tapers off.

There are three primary theories for why we have difficulty recalling information.

Theory #1: Decay

This theory suggests memory inevitably weakens over time (though, there is evidence to indicate this isn’t the case across the board, considering how many people have memories from when they were young children). Additionally, there is ample...

Shortform Exercise: Improve Retention

Reflect on the 4 core retention strategies (overlearning, spacing, proceduralization, and mnemonics). Consider your learning goals and contemplate the strategies that may serve them best.

Choose one of the strategies that resonate with you. What is one way you can practice this strategy with your learning goals in mind?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 11: Principle 8—Deeper Knowledge and Intuition

Beginners often fixate on surface-level aspects of a problem or learning goal. In contrast, experts delve into deeper layers and principles. This approach is more successful because it leads to a more complete understanding of the problem and its solution.

Deeper understanding improves intuition. We often think of intuition as mysterious and unexplainable, but actually, intuition is the result of deep, detailed understanding. When you have a lot of experience and knowledge related to a problem, you are better equipped to think of novel ways to solve it.

It’s not enough to overlearn something—that won’t deepen your understanding. There are four critical rules to developing deeper knowledge.

Rule #1: Let Yourself Struggle

Force yourself to struggle when you encounter a difficult problem or obstacle to your learning goal. Encourage this by setting a timer for 10-15 minutes and pushing yourself to work on the problem at least until the timer goes off. Either you will solve the problem during that time, or you better support yourself to solve the problem later because as stated in Chapter 6, you boost retrieval when you allow yourself to struggle to come up with answers...

Shortform Exercise: Practice the Feynman Technique

Reflect on your topic or skill and identify an aspect you have some confidence in your understanding of.

How well do you feel you understand this aspect? Write about your understanding of it in as much detail as possible.

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 12: Principle 9—Experimentation

If you wish to go beyond proficiency and achieve mastery of a skill or topic, experimentation is the best way to accomplish that. There is ample evidence that experimentation unlocks mastery. Van Gogh was one of the most eccentric painters in history. Notable in his learning approach is a diverse set of self-directed, experimental methods, perspectives, and materials. Using so much variety, he was able to explore until he found his own unique style. Of further note was his intensive strategy for learning, obsessively producing countless paintings in spite of being criticized by others for lack of skill. This intensity supported him to overcome impediments in his environment and proficiency level, which allowed him to create the classic works he is so well known for today.

Van Gogh chose to address any skill or element he struggled with by intensively practicing it from as many angles as possible, resulting in hundreds of creations. Once he finished with one element, he’d start with a new one, understanding that he needed to catch up with the skills of other painters. This process not only made van Gogh into a skilled painter, but it also turned him into one of the most unique...

Shortform Exercise: Experiment With Replication

Reflect on the 1st avenue of experimentation, “Replicate.”

Think about your chosen topic or skill. What’s one method from others who have mastered your topic or skill?

Shortform Exercise: Explore Extremes

Reflect on the 5th avenue of experimentation, “Explore the Extremes.”

Consider your topic or skill, and identify the most common ways of approaching or practicing it. What are some “outside the box” ways you can alter that approach?

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 13: Create Your First Learning Project

Now that you’ve explored the nine principles of ultralearning in depth, you’re ready to create your first ultralearning project. We’ll cover the five steps to successfully create and complete a self-directed project.

Step #1: Research

For every ultralearning project, your first step will always be to conduct metalearning research. This will save you time and boost efficiency by allowing you to create the learning structure most appropriate for your learning goals. By the time you finish this step, you should have clarity on five components.

Component #1: Learning Goals

First, determine what you want to learn. Is your motivation instrumental? Perhaps you wish to start a business, or develop skills to boost your advantage for a promotion at work. Or is your motivation intrinsic? Perhaps you want to learn a new language or how to play the guitar.

Select a simple learning goal for your first project. You can always expand upon it, but be realistic initially.

Component #2: Resource List

Next, create a list of core materials to support your learning. This can include podcasts, books, video content, YouTube “how-to” videos, friends, colleagues, coaches, and so...

Ultralearning Summary Chapter 14: Ultralearning at Home and at Work

This final chapter explores methods for raising a child to become a proficient ultralearner (whether it be in one or multiple disciplines), using chess prodigy Judit Polgar sisters as a case study. The chapter then pivots to how to apply ultralearning strategies in your work and home environments.

The Polgar Family Strategy

One of the most famous examples of a child ultralearner is Judit Polgar, the best female chess player in history. Trained with her sisters from a very young age by their father, Laszlo Polgar, Judit eventually became a grandmaster, and the 8th-best chess player in the world, shattering long-held gender barriers and becoming the only woman ever to compete in the World Chess Championship.

Judit and her two sisters were all raised from early childhood to become chess masters. Their father believed genius was a result of education rather than genetic factors. He began his daughters’ chess education by teaching them the basics, then taking them with him to play practice games in local chess clubs. While her siblings developed incredible chess skills, Judit was the most obsessive and ambitious of the three. She became skilled enough to develop a rivalry...