Books and mind maps

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Analyzing literature[edit]

Visual Mind Maps are effective tools for analyzing the great literary works of the ages. Students around the world study these texts in order to break down key themes, issues and character traits. This analysis throws them into a world of critical thought and personal interpretation.

William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets in particular provoke deep thought and reflection. They introduce students to the all encompassing moral dilemmas of life, and teach them about the power of effective decision making and how this relates to real world circumstances.

Absorbing the content of textbooks[edit]

File:Hamlet-Synopsis.jpg
Hamlet Synopsis

For the novice mind, Shakespearean literature can be somewhat difficult to grasp at first. And whatever we cannot fully understand, we likewise fail to memorize and comprehend at a deep level of thought.

For generations we have studied great works of literature with the help of linear note-taking methods. This process at first seems a natural and effective means of learning and absorbing the content of a textbook. But for some it can be cumbersome, mundane and ineffectiveb because for them, it fails to stimulate and thereby lay down long-term memory. In this context, mind mapping is an alternative to linear note-taking.

Many believe that our brains think in pictures and colors, while making associations and connections with existing pieces of knowledge and information. Mind mapping enables the learner to grasp information in “learning chunks”, which effectively improves recall and long-term memory.

Mind paps have been put into practice summarizing the great works of William Shakespeare and found most effective. Well made mind maps can take the learner on a journey through the text along a visual voyage of interconnected pieces, images, words, symbols and other data that stimulate the critical and creative faculties of the mind.

The image to the right shows a mind map presenting William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This visual synopsis is an effective tool for the learner as it presents a clear outline of the play’s storyline at a glance. Many students find this helpful in building long-term memory and recall.

More mind map examples of Shakespeare’s plays can be found at IQ Matrix Visual Mind Map Gallery

Building reference notes from text books[edit]

Gathering ideas for a book[edit]

Undertaking research to write a book[edit]

Organizing reference material to write a book[edit]

Mind maps as a publishing format[edit]

Some thinkers publish their work in mind map form with additional explanatory material. Paul Foreman and Adam Sicinski fall into this category.

Others use mind maps as an overview of the material in sections of their books or ebooks. Janette Toral is an example.

The most obvious example, of course is Tony Buzan himself, but his books are specifically about mind mapping, so would be expected to use this approach.

Books dealing with mind maps or using them[edit]

See the extensive list in the Books about mind maps article.

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