Beginners

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The best-selling author of *Traffic* and *You May Also Like* embarks on a playful exploration of the joys that come with starting something new, regardless of age. Many adults stop learning new skills, often due to fear of failure or forgetting the pleasure of beginning anew. Inspired by his daughter's curiosity and his own mid-career stagnation, Tom Vanderbilt dedicates a year to learning for its own sake. He chooses five challenging skills—chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling—each lacking career relevance. Unexpectedly, the experiences he encounters while learning prove more rewarding than the skills themselves. He finds joy in singing Spice Girls songs in an amateur choir, losing chess games to children, and navigating surf camp challenges in Costa Rica. Along the way, he interviews experts to uncover the psychology and science behind the benefits of adult beginners. Through his year of learning, Vanderbilt illustrates how anyone can improve at starting over and why it's essential to take those initial, often awkward steps. Ultimately, he reveals how rekindling curiosity can lead to profound happiness and deeper connections with others, demonstrating that small acts of reinvention can make life feel magical.