Tony Buzan: A Short Biography

The ability to think about how the brain can become a more effective learning machine is a field of its own.

Scientists have done their best over the past few decades to come up with effective learning methodologies that utilise the brain’s unique structure to process information better.

Supporting scientists in this endeavour, there have been a lot of educational consultants and acclaimed authors who added valuable information accrued through their experiences in various fields.

One such author is Tony Buzan, a pioneer of what’s now known as the mind-mapping technique. Buzan was ahead of his time when he laid the foundation for this new style of thinking, drawing upon his experiences as an educational consultant to see this through.

We’ll take a look at Tony Buzan’s life, education, and authorship accomplishments and gain a better appreciation of just how effective his methodology was and continues to be.

Early Life & Education:

Born in 1942 on the 2nd of June in Britain, Anthony Peter “Tony” Buzan was born into a family where education was highly valued.

Buzan’s appetite for knowledge saw him studying psychology, English, and mathematics during his time at the University of British Columbia.

Buzan became a charter student at another university called Simon Fraser University. His time there was notable because he spent time working as an editor for the International Journal of Mensa.

It’s clear that Buzan’s time in academia contributed a lot to his innovative approach to learning and acquiring information.

Contributions & Authorship:

Tony Buzan gained tremendous popularity and renown for coming up with several techniques that learners continue to apply today in their studies.

All of them were based on sound scientific reasoning, and they were proven to work in controlled studies where participants applied Buzan’s ideas to a tee.

In general, Buzan was the innovator behind many techniques we take for granted now. His writings revolved around ideas such as the GQ (Genius Quotient), spiritual intelligence, memory, creativity, and much more.

These techniques have all been discussed in his various books, such as Speed Reading (1971), Master Your Memory (1988), and Mind Mapping (1997).

Overall, Tony Buzan authored and co-authored over 80 books, many of which went on to become best sellers. The five BBC books he wrote had all sold over 3 million copies by the time 2003 rolled around.

- Mind Mapping:

Mind mapping involves calling on random thoughts and ideas, focusing on a single topic, and not following a certain order or structure when organising them.
The premise behind that is that it becomes easier to recall said information and analyse it in depth.

It looks like a circle where the main topic sits at the center and all the relevant information surrounds it. Think of it as a diagram of sorts, where confusing information is presented in a more coherent form.

Mind mapping works this way because it stimulates the two hemispheres of the brain, the parts that are responsible for governing our logical and creative faculties.

A mind map incorporates elements from both, using both logic and creativity to allow you to understand information more holistically. Your cortical skills plus your memory receive a big push in terms of efficiency. Again, this has to do with working your brain in a novel way while processing information.

- Speed Reading:

Buzan was a strong believer in speed reading. He called it the equivalent of exercising the brain aerobically. If a person dedicates enough time, they might be able to double, triple, and even quadruple their reading speed, reaching a level where it’s possible to read 3,580 words in a minute.

Buzan, however, was not talking about reading the way we recognize it. He was talking about thinking speed as it relates to reading. As proven through his experiences, the mind can process information MUCH faster than we can imagine.

Humans are meant to read with their brains, not their eyes. That said, the first step to becoming faster at reading is to determine your average reading speed.

Once that’s done, it’s time to begin tracking reading speed with each passing session. Train yourself to read with your brain, not with your eyes.

This can happen when you’re in a quiet place with no distractions around you. It also helps if you’re interested in the topic, but if done well, you can read fast at all times.

A very overlooked component when trying to read faster is getting distracted by all the margins, lines, and space breaks between paragraphs. Buzan teaches readers to train their peripheral vision, as it has a direct impact on reading speed.

When hand-to-eye coordination is taken care of, along with peripheral vision training and daily speed reading, it’s possible for your new reading speed to become the new default.

- Mnemonics:

As a big believer in the power of memory, Buzan focused a significant part of his efforts on better understanding how memory works and ways to improve it.
He popularised the use of mnemonics, powerful systems used to move information from short-term memory to long-term memory in a faster amount of time and with less effort.

Mnemonics techniques are many. Some of the most popular are:

• Spelling Mnemonics.
• Rhyming Mnemonics.
• Visual Mnemonics.

For example, students struggling to remember some organic chemistry compounds and the relations between them can use something like:

- Monkeys (Methane) Eat (Ethane) Peanut (Propane).

These mnemonics make it easy to connect pieces of information together, which in turn allows the information to be stored in long-term memory faster.

All of these techniques are discussed in much greater detail and with more real-world applications in Buzan’s books.

There’s no doubt that Buzan’s techniques can help keep the mind sharp, accelerate learning, and stave off mental degeneration diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Death & Legacy:

Tony Buzan passed away at the age of 76 on April 13, 2019. He died of a heart attack while being treated at John Radcliffe Hospital. Buzan left behind a respectable legacy.

Buzan’s teachings, brilliant ideas, and influence would live on after his death. Many people are grateful for stumbling upon his works and changing the way they learned. He is the unsung hero of learning how to learn.

In fact, some people have taken it upon themselves to spread Buzan’s teachings through what’s called the “Buzan Methodologies,” concentrated learning workshops designed to teach the global population about Buzan and his learning methods.

Scientists continue to study and refine Buzan’s methods through experimentation and advanced technology, which provides better insight into how to use each one and in what situation.

In Conclusion:

Whatever your learning ability is, you can benefit a lot from reading Tony Buzan’s writings. He is an expert psychologist, educational consultant, and a great author.

Buzan changed the way we learn for the better, and his advanced brain techniques continue to help students overcome mental barriers in all fields of knowledge.

This article provided a quick introduction to the man’s life, writings, methodology, and lasting impact. If you’re interested in learning more, take the time to understand his teachings better and apply them to your daily learning routine.