Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Make It Stick challenges common beliefs about learning by presenting research-based techniques that make learning more effective. Drawing from cognitive psychology and related fields, the authors offer practical strategies to help learners become more productive and retain knowledge longer.

Memory plays a crucial role in complex thinking—applying knowledge to new problems and making connections between known facts. Recent discoveries about how memory is formed, stored, and retrieved shed light on better learning methods. Overcoming common obstacles leads to deeper mastery and more lasting retention.

Many typical study habits—like highlighting, rereading, cramming, and repetitive practice—create a false sense of mastery but result in quick forgetting. More effective learning comes from self-testing, embracing challenges in practice, spacing study sessions to allow some forgetting, and mixing different skills or topics during practice.

Make It Stick speaks directly to students, teachers, trainers, and athletes, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in lifelong learning and self-improvement.