Book
Beginners : the joy and transformative power of lifelong learning / Tom Vanderbilt.
Why do so many of us stop learning new skills as adults? Are we afraid to fail? Have we forgotten the sheer pleasure of being a beginner? Or is it simply a fact that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Inspired by his young daughter's insatiable need to know how to do almost everything, and stymied by his own rut of mid-career competence, Tom Vanderbilt begins a year of learning purely for the sake of learning. He tackles five main skills (and picks up a few more along the way), choosing them for their difficulty to master and their distinct lack of career marketability--chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling. Ultimately, his refreshed sense of curiosity opened him up to a profound happiness and a deeper connection to the people around him. In the end, Beginners is about how small acts of reinvention, at any age, can make life seem magical.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781524732165 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 1524732168 (hardcover)
- ISBN: 9780525432975
- ISBN: 0525432973
- Physical Description: x, 299 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2021.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "This is a Borzoi book" -- Title page verso. |
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 264-299). |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue: The opening gambit -- A beginner's guide to being a beginner -- Learning how to learn: What infants can teach us about being good beginners -- Unlearning to sing -- I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it anyway: the virtues of learning on the fly with a group -- Surfing the U-shaped wave: the agony and the ecstasy of the advanced beginner -- How we learn to do things -- Mediation with benefits: How drawing changed the way I saw the world, and myself -- The apprentice or, what I learned. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Self-actualization (Psychology) Self-managed learning. Learning. Learning, Psychology of. Life skills. |
Available copies
- 3 of 3 copies available at Lehigh Valley Library System. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Easton Area Public Library System.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 3 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easton Main Library | 646.7 V229b (Text) | 31901004477677 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
