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highlights. Or go to your
public library, seek out an encyclopedia summary and duplicate it. Then when you've got
the big picture, build up the details. You'll know where they fit. Remember that jigsaw
puzzle.
6. Ask!
It's the best three-letter word in the learner's
dictionary. Never be afraid to ask. And never be afraid to ask the best experts you can
find - even if you've never met them before.
We hope it won't be long before each of us has a home
computer/video/Internet terminal linked with international databanks. But even then you'll
have to ask for what you want. So begin now.
Start with your public library. It's not merely a book
center. It's a learning resource. Librarians are trained to help you. Call them before you
visit; tell them specifically what you want to do; and ask them for the best beginner's
guide. Use that for your overview; then build on it. But be specific. If you're a business
executive planning a visit to Japan, ask them for simple guides to the country, its
business, its culture, and the industry you're involved in.
If you learn easily by reading, that overview will
probably be a book, a booklet or an article. If you learn best visually, seek out a
videotape, or at least a book with plenty of colored pictures and graphics. If you learn
best by listening, get some audio tapes and play them in your car.
But don't stop at the library. Find someone from the
university who's studying the field you're interested in. Ask the name of the best
professor - the one who's the best simplifier. And phone him.
Or phone the university library, the nearest research
institute, the best firm in the business. And don't be afraid to go to the top. At the
very least, ask for the Human resources Manager or the person in charge of staff training
and development. And ask for the company's most helpful simplifier.
If you want to learn about another country, call its
embassy or consulate. Or its trade or tourist office. Or one of its major companies.
To learn about radio, phone a radio station and ask if
you can sit in on a recording session. If you're a student and think you'd like a career
in a specific field, ring the best company and ask if you can come in and work free of
charge for a week during the holidays.
In fact, make asking a habit. It's probably the
simplest thing you can
Contents Page Preface
Introduction
