No Faster way to Learn than from books "For Dummies" !

When was the last time you needed to learn something new? Whether it be for work or a hobby or something for your children or anything for which you may have wondered ... just how do you do that?

Over the years I have had to the desire to learn how to do a great many things. However, one of the most difficult questions many of us face in this situation is where do I start? If you are anything like me you want the information now, you want it to be thorough, organized and you want it to get you where you are going quickly.

What makes the quest even more confusing in the digital age is that there are so many resources at your fingertips from which you can get everything you need to know on virtually any topic. Therein lies the problem. Because information is so ubiquitous with the ever expanding reach of the internet at times it can be overwhelming. Many times even distracting.

Have you ever googled a topic and the list of links presented goes on for pages? You begin to scroll through them and see one you think is perfectly relevant to your quest. However, just before you click you see another one or two just a few choices down. Now you're asking  yourself which one should I look at first? As you are deciding yet another catches your eye, and then another. Soon you find yourself in a maelstrom of resources any or all of which might be fantastic. Again, if you are anything like me you will select one and begin to read through it but in the back of your mind you're wondering if any of the others are more to the point, better organized and more succinct. Not being the most patient fellow in the world I ramble through each of the links, not giving any of them their just time to prove their true worth.

UGH !!!

So how do I solve this problem when it occurs? And believe me it occurs quite often. I head right to the local bookstore or to iBooks to see if there is a "For Dummies" book available on the subject for which I am interested. After all these years I can say with absolute certainty that there hasn't been a single topic for which I couldn't find the "For Dummies" book I was looking for.

What makes the "For Dummies" books so fascinating?

First and foremost the layout and nomenclature remains consistent regardless of the topic. Every "For Dummies " book organizes its information in the same way. Each book follows a franchise styled framework right down to the covers, tables of contents, side bar tips, appendices and indexes. Also, every book is set up as a reference so that you don't have to read the book in order or cover to cover to get what you need. (Although I always do because I'm yet to read the " How to stop suffering from OCD For Dummies book.") The books begin with the premise that you know little or nothing about the topic. The instruction is written in plain English and is often humorous and the authors self deprecating. You never get the feeling they are trying to impress you with how much they know and how far you have to go before you're as knowledgeable as them. They poke fun at themselves in attempt to demystify the experience and put you immediately at ease that you've chosen the right place to start learning.

Throughout the years I have studied about Wine, Cooking Basics, Bass Fishing, Singing Exercises, Blues Harmonica, Trumpet, Guitar, Bass Guitar,  Home Recording Studios, Digital Photography, Social Media Marketing, Writing Fiction, Meditation, Music Theory and a laundry list of other topics including...you guessed it...blogging. Each time my journey began with the respective "For Dummies" books on these particular subjects. The experience has been so successful that I keep going back for more whenever a new interest wants some space in my head.

The next time you want to learn something new give one of these books a try. I hope your experience is as rewarding as mine has been.

Please stay tuned for more Musings From Studio 618, and if you like them please tell a friend.

All my very best,
Anthony Caraffa