The Psychology of Study, 1932

Cecil Alec Mace (revised and published by Penguin/ Pelican in 1963)

There may be newer or even better books on learning, setting goals and studying, but they surely do not have a cover like this Pelican pocketbook – cover design by Barry Trengove.
Called a ‘minor classic’ by the Times Literary Supplement, this book explains the mental processes by which we read, mark, learn and digest information of all kinds. It deals with perception, memorization, original thinking, motivation as well as simple preparations for exams.

In the arts there is not one way to learn, find out, discover: there are as many methods as there are artists. As artists we discover through making unlikely combinations, by thinking unethical thoughts, by doing ridiculous experiments, and so we sometimes discover what we did not know before, what we weren’t even looking for. Is it practical? No. Is it necessary? Yes.