Think about it...

Follow the link for a handy article describing '69 Awesome Brain Hacks That Give you Mind Blowing Powers' - it's a long list, but must of the suggestions are easy to do.

'69 Brain Hacks..' via Cracked:

www.cracked.com/article_21349_69-awesome-brain-hacks-that-give-you-mind-blowing-powers.html

To go...

'Chineasy' is a fast and easy method to learn chinese written characters. Using colorful illustrations, associations, and a little fun - you'll be reading in no time.

Read more via the Chineasy Org:

chineasy.org

A year's supply...

Here's an excellent index of 25 internet sites of free books. Classics, multiple languages, history, philosophy... in multiple downloadable formats.

25 Book Download sites via eBookfirendly:

ebookfriendly.com/free-public-domain-books-sources

Back to school...

The 'How and Why to become a lifelong Learner' is a great article from the chaps at 'The Art of Manliness'... very much worth the read.

The 'How and Why to Become a Lifelong Learner' via The Art of Manliness:

www.artofmanliness.com/2013/03/18/how-and-why-to-become-a-lifelong-learner

Enjoy, with caution...

Arguably, one of the most dangerous (and interesting) sites on the internet is 'Information Unlimited'. Never mind the ho-hum interface, here you'll find an astounding collection of mad scientist kits and prototypes ranging from the mundane to the somewhat wicked.

The home site of 'Information Unlimited':

www.amazing1.com

Quick snacks...

Mad man Tim Ferriss is at it again - this time he's written a cook book of sorts, 'The Four Hour Chef'. In short order, you'll learn to cook like a pro - but really, the book is about how to learn anything quickly. Cost: about 21 USD

Tons of info via the Microsite:

fourhourchef.com

It's in the cards...

Follow the link below for a lesson on how to quickly memorize a deck of cards - as presented by The Art of Manliness.

How to Memorize a Deck of Cards with Superhuman Speed - via The Art of Manliness:

artofmanliness.com/2012/06/01/how-to-memorize-a-deck-of-cards

Essential phrases...

Follow the link for the 9 essential phrases you should know while traveling. (According to the folks at The Daily Meal) The phrases are repeated in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, and Turkish. As you might guess, they revolve around food.




The 9 Phrases via The Daily Meal:
www.thedailymeal.com

Just remember...

Here's a quick primer on how to memorize anything by using mental mapping. With a little practice, amazing results can be had.






'Mental Mapping' via the chaps at 'The Art of Manliness':
artofmanliness.com

Looks like a cover up...

Many people use the term 'Burqa' incorrectly. Just a couple of minutes familiarizing yourself with the illustration after the link, and you'll be a pro at identifying headwear.






'What's a Burqa?' via ImGur:
imgur.com/Xsqtv

Food for thought...

Scientists say it is possible to make yourself a bit smarter using 'N Back training' - a type of exercise designed to increase fluid thinking. In 20 minutes a day for 20 days, it is possible to have an effect lasting months. (and yes, there's an App for that...)




Read more about it via Medicalxpress:
medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-brain_1.html

A few words...

If you're considering learning a foreign language, you might want to take a few minutes to read the linked article from 'Zen Habits'. One of the very sensible keys pointed out - 'increase your need to use the language you are wanting to study'. Plus a lot of common sense ideas. Reading time: about 12 minutes.






Simple guide to speaking foreign languages via ZenHabits:
zenhabits.net/fluent

User's manual...

If you have questions about how you're put together - you might like to check out the new 'Body Browser' from Google. An interactive tutorial that allows you to see the many layers of the human body. Kind of a 'google maps' for humans. Available now as a beta. Cost: free





Info via Google's blogspot:
googlesystem.blogspot.com/2010/12/google-body-browser.html


Download beta via Google:
bodybrowser.googlelabs.com

Khan man...

If you have a couple of minutes and an internet connection, you might like to hang out at 'Khan Academy'. A huge selection of free lectures on selected topics - math, finance, physics, biology, banking... over 1800 lectures and counting. It's like a tuneup for your brain.






Full list and search via the 'Khan Academy':
khanacademy.org

What were you thinking?

Here's a short but excellent tutorial on how one's brain comes to a decision. Since we don't get a 'user's guide' - this makes for pretty good reading.






Cognitive Bias - a Visual Study Guide:
www.scribd.com

Tip: it's a little slow to load - but well worth the wait.

Read any good books lately?

These days, it's easy to keep a couple of hundred good books in your pocket. eBooks are available for a large variety of PDA's and cell phones. The site Manybooks.net has over 23,000 titles for free, in a wide variety of languages.







The homepage of Manybooks.net:
manybooks.net

Speed reading...

Being able to read the cyrillic alphabet is a very handy thing. Here's a quick primer that promises you'll be reading Russian street signs in 5 minutes.






How to read cyrillic in 5 minutes via Gadling:
www.gadling.com

Smooth talker...

Sometimes communicating and getting along with others can be a little tricky. Skills like 'ending a conversation' without using words, detecting lies, and talking a cranky person back to 'normal' are very handy. Here are 10 Conversation Hacks from LifeHacker to help you get through an average day.




10 Conversation Hacks from LifeHacker (tip: follow the embedded links for extra info)
www.lifehacker.com

The Manliest Books...

What is a Manly Book? The gents at 'The Art of Manliness' have a few suggestions. 100 Suggestions to be exact. Click on the link below for the 100 Must Read Books for Men.







The 100 must read books for the essential man's library via 'The Art of Manliness':
artofmanliness.com

Classic downloading...

Reading classic literature is a great way to keep your mind active. However, You are a very busy person - and don't always have time to pick up a good book. As a public service - here's a link to 48 classic books that are available for downloading. Problem solved - now go catch your flight.


Some good advice and 48 downloadable books via Lifeoptimizer:
www.lifeoptimizer.org