Is there a subject that you have to learn that is quite dull? There are many ways to fill the information gap if you get creative enough. Take me for instance, I do not like history and it has never been one of my favourite subjects, but more and more, I am feeling the information gap and the need to fill it. See Part Two and Part Three of How to Fill the Information Gap series.
There are many people who I wanted to learn more about, many were historical figures and well known, and others were not so well known. The well known figures, I knew their claim to fame but not much else. No one wants others to know, that they are ignorant about anything, myself included. No one wants to ask the “dumb” questions. I decided to educate myself by creating mini biographies which took on a life of its own. I started off researching people who I was interested in learning more about.
In addition, I learned about people to profile who are mentioned in some of the books that I read. For instance, while reading books from the Rogue Angel series, Alex Archer (pen name) always scatters interesting tidbits about people like Boudica, Joan of Arc, and Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (sculpted the Statue of Liberty). When I researched these people, history unfolded before my eyes. As I read Faye Kellerman’s Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel, I learned about Russian musician Sergei Rachmaninoff who fled from Russia and lost everything during the Bolshevik Revolution. Rachmaninoff was a great pianist and composer who I didn’t know about until I read that novel.
When I researched Ralph Waldo Emerson, I learned that he was against the Fugitive Slave Act and refused to obey it because he felt all people were equal. I also learned about biographer and historian Thomas Carlyle who was a friend of Emerson. What makes learning history this way interesting, is that I am seeing it through the eyes of people I am interested in so I’m likely to remember what I read.
Think of ways to bring a dry subject to life. Is there someone who you respect, who has written about that subject? Are there children’s books on the subject? How about videos or films? What about comics and graphic novels on the subject? For me, I found a starting point, and then I delved into the subject. Tomorrow we’ll review A Short History of the World by J. Milnor Dorey.
How can you use this information? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Author Bio: Avil Beckford, an expert interviewer, entrepreneur and published author is passionate about books and professional development, and that's why she founded The Invisible Mentor and the Virtual Literary World Tour to give you your ideal mentors virtually in the palm of your hands.
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The Precursor to How to Master a Subject
How to Master a Subject
How to Fill the Information Gap Part Two
How to Fill the Information Gap (when you don’t know there is a gap) Part Three
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