
you are here 4 xix
the intro
Great. Only
330 more dull,
dry, boring pages.
We know what you’re thinking.
And we know what your
brain
is thinking.
“How can this be a serious geometry book?”
“What’s with all the graphics?”
“Can I actually learn it this way?”
Your brain craves novelty. It’s always searching, scanning, waiting for
something unusual. It was built that way, and it helps you stay alive.
So what does your brain do with all the routine, ordinary, normal things
you encounter? Everything it can to stop them from interfering with
the brain’s real job—recording things that matter. It doesn’t bother
saving the boring things; they never make it past the “this is obviously
not important” filter.
How does your brain know what’s important? Suppose you’re out for
a day hike and a tiger jumps in front of you, what happens inside your
head and body?
Neurons fire. Emotions crank up. Chemicals surge.
And that’s how your brain knows.
…
This must be important! Don’t forget it!
But imagine you’re at home, or in a library. It’s a safe, warm,
tiger-free zone. You’re studying. Getting ready for an exam. Or
trying to learn some tough math thing that your teacher is going to
test you on tomorrow.
Just one problem. Your brain’s trying to do you a big favor. It’s trying
to make sure that this obviously non-important content doesn’t clutter
up scarce resources. Resources that are better spent storing the ...