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how to use this book

We think of a “Head First” reader as a learner.

So what does it take to learn something? First, you have to get it, then make sure
you don’t forget it. It’s not about pushing facts into your head. Based on the latest
research in cognitive science, neurobiology, and educational psychology, learning
takes a lot more than text on a page. We know what turns your brain on.

Some of the Head First learning principles:

Make it visual. Images are far more memorable than words alone, and make learning much
more effective (up to 89% improvement in recall and transfer studies). It also makes things more
understandable. Put the words within or near the graphics they relate to, rather than on
the bottom or on another page, and learners will be up to twice as likely to solve problems related to the

content.
Use a conversational and personalized style. In recent studies, students performed up
to 40% better on post-learning tests if the content spoke directly to the reader, using a first-person,
conversational style rather than taking a formal tone. Tell stories instead of lecturing. Use casual language.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Which would you pay more attention to: a stimulating dinner party

companion, or a lecture?
Get the learner to think more deeply. In other words, unless you actively flex your neurons,
nothing much happens in your head. A reader has to be motivated, engaged, curious, and inspired to
solve problems, draw conclusions, and generate new knowledge. And for that, you need challenges,
exercises, and thought-provoking questions, and activities that involve both sides of the brain and

multiple senses.
Get—and keep—the reader’s attention. We’ve all had the “I really want to learn this but I can’t
stay awake past page one” experience. Your brain pays attention to things that are out of the ordinary,
interesting, strange, eye-catching, unexpected. Learning a new, tough, technical topic doesn’t have to be

boring. Your brain will learn much more quickly if it’s not.
Touch their emotions. We now know that your ability to remember something is largely dependent
on its emotional content. You remember what you care about. You remember when you feel something.
No, we’re not talking heart-wrenching stories about a boy and his dog. We’re talking emotions like
surprise, curiosity, fun, “what the...?” , and the feeling of “I Rule!” that comes when you solve a puzzle, learn
something everybody else thinks is hard, or realize you know something that “I’m more technical than

thou” Bob from engineering doesn’t.

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