Book of Adventure: Unlearning in the AI Era - Taizo Son -

Attracted by the title that evokes the future and a cover overflowing with the brilliance and freshness of youth, I picked up this book without checking its contents.

The points that left a particular impression on me in this book are as follows.

• My preconception that it was a "book for children" was overturned
• My perspective on the words "ability" and "talent" changed
• It made me think about how to live from now on

I will explain these in order.

1. My preconception that it was a "book for children" was overturned

My first impression upon opening the book was that the target age might be low.
It began with a writing style like a letter to a child, and the question "Why must we go to school?" overlapped with the doubts I held when I was in elementary and junior high school.

I immediately thought of the answer, "To increase options for earning money," but looking back now, this is a common answer that has not been unlearned.

This book reconsiders the question of why school and education took their current form, based on historical background, and presents the author's own answer. Also, because it proceeds in a narrative format, it is attractive that readers can deepen their knowledge while enjoying the experience of time-traveling with the author.

2. My perspective on the words "ability" and "talent" changed

I have seen and used the words "ability" and "talent" many times before.
I have blamed myself or others for a lack of effort, saying "I don't get results because I lack ability," and I have narrowed my options for reasons like "I can't do this because I don't have the talent."

However, I think that was because I was trapped by the preconception that "it's because it doesn't make money."
The book's message that it is okay to pursue what you want to do without being bound by the illusions of "ability" and "talent" was a great relief to me.

3. It made me think about how to live from now on

It is said that in the past, working, playing, and learning were one and the same.
For me, who continues to feel a sense of discomfort with the way of working in modern times, this idea is both a ray of light and an infinite darkness.

While I am strongly attracted to a way of life where work, play, and learning are reintegrated and consistent with the interests of modern society, such as the preservation of the global environment, I still cannot see what that looks like concretely.

・In conclusion
I never imagined that picking up this book on a whim would lead me on such an intellectual adventure.
I feel that through this book, the author has shown me how to unlearn.
While struggling with how to live from now on, I would like to proceed with my own unlearning.