About Bill Powell (short version)
Here’s my quick bio:
Bill Powell has memorized thousands of lines of poetry, over a
thousand verses of the Bible, and thousands of facts from books he has
read. Through extensive research, he has found a unique combination of
memory techniques that actually work in real life. He specializes in
figuring out how to memorize big, complex material when the usual
“memory book” tricks aren’t enough. If you want to keep what you
learn, get in touch with Bill Powell.
Follow his blog at http://keepwhatyoulearn.com. Watch for his upcoming
books, Keep What You Learn and Memorize Mark: How to Learn a Whole
Gospel by Heart. Best of all, invite him to speak. Quit
forgetting. Learn how to keep what you learn.
Impressive? Sure, but keep reading.
About Keep What You Learn
Most memory books and sites that I’ve seen have two major failings:
1) They only give you some memory techniques, not enough to make
real memorizing work.
2) They are too stand-offish, impersonal, and condescending. You get a
vague sense that the genius and/or corporation behind the site can
remember every single word he/they have ever read, while the rest of us
struggle to calculate a tip.
On Keep What You Learn, we do things differently:
1) I want to show you the array of memory techniques you’ll need to
keep what you learn: visual mnemonics, verbal mnemonics, loci, spaced
repetition, the works. Each memory project is different. You need the
right tool(s) for the job.
2) I want to share my journey of both memory research and the
memorizing habit. Trying to keep what you learn is a major project. It
can be amazing, and it can be horribly difficult. I want to tell you
about my struggles, not pretend I’m a minor deity. I’m still learning,
still trying new techniques, still getting behind on my cards. When
you’re trying to kickstart a life-altering habit, hearing about actual
real-life successes and failures can be the crucial ingredient.
I post at least one new article a week. Make this site a habit, and
it could be just the regular push you need to start keeping what you learn.
Keep What You Learn is divided into two major areas. You can see
them both on the home page.
The main area features Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced
articles on memory techniques. Here, I usually focus on general
principles and techniques of memorizing, rather than my own
experiences. (If you’re familiar with software, think of this as
the “stable” branch.) Depending on your level of memory experience, you
may be able to hop right in to Intermediate or Advanced articles.
The blog focuses on my personal experiences and research.
Read about my actual memory projects, or techniques I’m
experimenting with, or other memory resources I’m checking out.
(This is like the “development” branch of software: it might not be
stable yet, but it’s got the exciting new stuff.)
Some articles are in both areas. For instance, if one of my memory
projects has points that would help with general memorizing, I’ll
also tag it with Basic, Advanced, or Intermediate.
I also tag new articles by subject, so that’s another way to browse.
Soon, I’ll go beyond articles to share other memory resources, such as
my custom flashcard decks, scripts for breaking long material into
flashcards, and so on.
Altogether, you’ll find both the memory basics and also techniques and
experiences you won’t find anywhere else. Plus, at least one new
article every week. You can keep what you learn, and I want to help
your memory journey to be as easy as possible.
If you’re new to memory
training, start here. Welcome aboard!
