[bzalasky]

Here's the gist of it as I read it... the current list is a topic you want to learn, and as you're working on it, everything that you don't understand is added to the current list. As you check off the subtopics (and their subtopics), you'll have the requisite knowledge to understand the topic you wanted to learn in the first place. The pending list is stuff that will become the first item at the top of your next current list.