Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

Illustrates the author's philosophy of personal responsibility through her sometimes, always stimulating moral dialogues with callers about everyday ethical dilemmas. Here is a work that can make a genuine difference in the quality of our own lives & the lives of those we love. She takes on the moral dilemmas of our time & demonstrates that personal values are never someone else's responsibility, but our own, & why choosing not to honor them actually compounds unhappiness. She explains that by disciplining self-indulgence & rising above temptation we can discover the true happiness of the moral high ground.

At one time or another we have all been betrayed by someone we trusted, all felt the sting of deceit and subsequent shattering of self-confidence. And when the people we count on betray our trust, the wound is deep and long-lasting. In How Could You Do This to Me?, Dr. Jane Greer teaches readers:the types of people who are more at risk of betrayal the warning signs of someone who is untrustworthy a process that helps decide whether a relationship is worth saving or whether it should be abandoned.Part One discusses the roots of trust, blind trust, and the reasons betrayers betray. Part Two reveals our betrayers' many faces: admirers, users, or rivals. Part Three focuses on the fallout from betrayal: confrontation, revenge, and betrayal, and talks about how you can learn to trust your judgment and others again.

Do your parents ever stop making you cringe?Chelsea’s father sells soup from a van, which is bad enough, but he doesn’t have to park it on street corners for all her friends to see! Jemma is determined to be an actress – so why can’t her parents be a bit more supportive? Sumitha delights her parents by turning into a total swot – if only they knew the reason behind it . . . Jon is sure he’s never going to impress Sumitha when his ghastly, keep-fit fanatic of a father keeps calling her the wrong name, and his born-again student mother spends all her time at demos! Laura’s mother, pregnant and seemingly set on destroying the planet, forbids her to go on demos with the buff Daniel. Even worse, her father, now living with the Bestial Betsy, seems to be getting a little too keen on whisky . . .

“Like the YouTube channel, this is a touching yet informative guide for those seeking fatherly advice, or even a few good dad jokes.” — Library Journal

As Bethany struggles to find the reasons why her sister committed suicide, her parents try to repress the incident.