Author: Rosamund Lupton
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241374529
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
'If you read only one thriller this year; make it this one' Daily Mail 'Gob-smackingly, heart-stoppingly, breath-holdingly brilliant' Ruth Jones ------------ THREE HOURS TO SAVE THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE In rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. Pupils and teachers barricade themselves into classrooms, the library, the theatre. The headmaster lies wounded in the library, unable to help his trapped students and staff. Outside, a police psychiatrist must identify the gunmen, while parents gather desperate for news. In three intense hours, all must find the courage to stand up to evil and save the people they love. A TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE YEAR A BEST BOOK OF 2020 IN THE SUNDAY TIMES, TIMES, GUARDIAN, MAIL, MIRROR, LITERARY REVIEW, STYLIST, RED AND GOOD HOUSEKEEPING A TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH ------------ 'Brilliant' Lee Child, Better off Dead 'A brave, timely and intricately crafted work' Emma Stonex, The Lamplighters 'Superb' Kate Mosse, The City of Tears 'It's beautifully, elegantly written, SO gripping, intelligent, timely, affecting and moving' Marian Keyes, Again, Rachel 'A brilliant literary thriller... moving, masterly' Sunday Times 'Kept us on the edge of our seats from start to finish' Independent 'A novel that you live rather than merely read' Daily Telegraph 'Amazing' Davina McCall, Menopausing 'An electrifying, pulse-racing novel' Red 'Wow! This is a stunner of a book, staggeringly good' Jane Fallon, Just Got Real 'An emotionally devastating and beautifully observed literary thriller' Observer 'Astonishing, powerful, terrifying, heartbreaking' Emma Flint, Little Deaths 'Intersperses scenes of breath-sucking tension with stirring meditations on human nature' Guardian
Three Hours
Three Hours in Paris
Author: Cara Black
Publisher: Soho Press
ISBN: 164129258X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
In June of 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis, Hitler spent a total of three hours in the City of Light—abruptly leaving, never to return. To this day, no one knows why. Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life—all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up. New York Times bestselling author Cara Black is at her best as she brings Occupation-era France to vivid life in this masterful, pulse-pounding story about one young woman with the temerity—and drive—to take on Hitler himself. *Features an illustrated map of 1940s Paris as full color endpapers.
Publisher: Soho Press
ISBN: 164129258X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
In June of 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis, Hitler spent a total of three hours in the City of Light—abruptly leaving, never to return. To this day, no one knows why. Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life—all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up. New York Times bestselling author Cara Black is at her best as she brings Occupation-era France to vivid life in this masterful, pulse-pounding story about one young woman with the temerity—and drive—to take on Hitler himself. *Features an illustrated map of 1940s Paris as full color endpapers.
Three Hours
Author: Anders Roslund
Publisher: riverrun
ISBN: 1784295388
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
The explosive third novel in the Ewert Grens--Piet Hoffmann trilogy, which began with Three Seconds. Stockholm, Sweden. Seventy-three refugees have been found dead, suffocated in a container at Varta harbour. Niamey, Niger. Ewert Grens arrives in a city he's never heard of, in search of a man he never thought he would see again. Piet Hoffmann has again got himself in too deep, infiltrating a West African trafficking ring. He thinks he has two weeks to extricate himself, but will learn that his life, and that of countless defenceless people, now hangs on his actions during three desperate hours.
Publisher: riverrun
ISBN: 1784295388
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
The explosive third novel in the Ewert Grens--Piet Hoffmann trilogy, which began with Three Seconds. Stockholm, Sweden. Seventy-three refugees have been found dead, suffocated in a container at Varta harbour. Niamey, Niger. Ewert Grens arrives in a city he's never heard of, in search of a man he never thought he would see again. Piet Hoffmann has again got himself in too deep, infiltrating a West African trafficking ring. He thinks he has two weeks to extricate himself, but will learn that his life, and that of countless defenceless people, now hangs on his actions during three desperate hours.
Three Hours Late
Author: Nicole Trope
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (US & CA)
ISBN: 1495639983
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 185
Book Description
A gripping novel about the terrible secrets of a marriage, the love that can turn to desperation, the refuge and heartbreak of being a parent, and the fragile threads that cradle a family Once, so very long ago, she had watched him like this when he came to pick her up for a date. . . Her stomach fluttered and burned with infatuation and desire. She would watch him walk up the path and think, "This must be love." But that was so very long ago. Now Liz is wary and afraid. She has made a terrible mistake and it cannot be undone. Alex believes that today will be the day she comes back to him. Today will be the day his wife and young son finally come home. Today they will be a family again. But Liz knows that some things can never be mended. Some marriages are too broken. Some people are too damaged. Now the most important thing in her life is her son, Luke, and she will do anything in her power to protect him. So when Alex is a few minutes late bringing Luke back Liz begins to worry, and when he is an hour late her concern grows, and when he is later still she can feel her whole life changing, because what if Alex is not just late?
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (US & CA)
ISBN: 1495639983
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 185
Book Description
A gripping novel about the terrible secrets of a marriage, the love that can turn to desperation, the refuge and heartbreak of being a parent, and the fragile threads that cradle a family Once, so very long ago, she had watched him like this when he came to pick her up for a date. . . Her stomach fluttered and burned with infatuation and desire. She would watch him walk up the path and think, "This must be love." But that was so very long ago. Now Liz is wary and afraid. She has made a terrible mistake and it cannot be undone. Alex believes that today will be the day she comes back to him. Today will be the day his wife and young son finally come home. Today they will be a family again. But Liz knows that some things can never be mended. Some marriages are too broken. Some people are too damaged. Now the most important thing in her life is her son, Luke, and she will do anything in her power to protect him. So when Alex is a few minutes late bringing Luke back Liz begins to worry, and when he is an hour late her concern grows, and when he is later still she can feel her whole life changing, because what if Alex is not just late?
Three Hours (Seven Series #5)
Author: Dannika Dark
Publisher: Dannika Dark
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
"THERE IS ONLY YOU AND ME, AND I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE YOU." Naya James is a confident woman who also happens to be an exotic dancer. She doesn’t care if people judge her, just so long as they don’t disrespect her. Life has been good, but when two dancers from her club are kidnapped, Naya risks everything to uncover the truth. Wheeler is the black sheep of the family, evident from his extensive tattoo collection to his dark personality. Nothing like his twin brother, Ben, who can do no wrong. Wheeler’s pack loyalty is put to the test when Austin orders him to act as a bodyguard for a woman he’s despised for years—one who presses his buttons every chance she gets. A dark secret unravels, uniting two enemies and threatening to fracture the brotherhood of the pack. A tortured soul, a violent past, a fiery romance, and a shocking twist that will leave you breathless. “Maybe fire and kerosene don't go together for a reason.” In Three Hours, a reluctant hero is assigned to guard a woman who has been his enemy for years. Not only is she a different animal type, but she's his complete opposite. This romance features twin rivalry, a bad boy with an attitude, a curvy diva with wicked banter, and two people who go together like fire and kerosene. SEVEN SERIES READING ORDER: Book 1 - Seven Years (Seven Series #1) Book 2 - Six Months (Seven Series #2) Book 3 - Five Weeks (Seven Series #3) Book 4 - Four Days (Seven Series #4) Book 5 - Three Hours (Seven Series #5) Book 6 - Two Minutes (Seven Series #6) USA TODAY BESTSELLER Book 7 - One Second (Seven Series #7) USA TODAY BESTSELLER Book 8 - Winter Moon (Bonus Novella) SEVEN WORLD Charming THE CROSSBREED SERIES Book 1: Keystone Book 2: Ravenheart Book 3: Deathtrap Book 4: Gaslight Book 5: Blackout Book 6: Nevermore Book 7: Moonstruck Book 8: Spellbound Book 9: Heartless Book 10: Afterlife Book 11: Quicksilver Book 12: Evildoer Book 13: Forevermore Crossbreed Series Insider's Guide Keywords: werewolf, wolves, shifter, shapeshifter, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, biker, rock star, bbw, interracial, happily ever after, hea, vampire, mage, romantic comedy, wolf, love story, steamy, heroine, bad boy, captive, prisoner, sensual, stripper, sexy, southern, texas, bestseller, mageri, hot, handsome, no cliffhanger, hero, brothers, pack, fantasy, demons, angels, panther, jaguar, feline, mortal enemies, forbidden, found family, booktok, opposites attract, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, hate to love, grumpy sunshine
Publisher: Dannika Dark
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
"THERE IS ONLY YOU AND ME, AND I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE YOU." Naya James is a confident woman who also happens to be an exotic dancer. She doesn’t care if people judge her, just so long as they don’t disrespect her. Life has been good, but when two dancers from her club are kidnapped, Naya risks everything to uncover the truth. Wheeler is the black sheep of the family, evident from his extensive tattoo collection to his dark personality. Nothing like his twin brother, Ben, who can do no wrong. Wheeler’s pack loyalty is put to the test when Austin orders him to act as a bodyguard for a woman he’s despised for years—one who presses his buttons every chance she gets. A dark secret unravels, uniting two enemies and threatening to fracture the brotherhood of the pack. A tortured soul, a violent past, a fiery romance, and a shocking twist that will leave you breathless. “Maybe fire and kerosene don't go together for a reason.” In Three Hours, a reluctant hero is assigned to guard a woman who has been his enemy for years. Not only is she a different animal type, but she's his complete opposite. This romance features twin rivalry, a bad boy with an attitude, a curvy diva with wicked banter, and two people who go together like fire and kerosene. SEVEN SERIES READING ORDER: Book 1 - Seven Years (Seven Series #1) Book 2 - Six Months (Seven Series #2) Book 3 - Five Weeks (Seven Series #3) Book 4 - Four Days (Seven Series #4) Book 5 - Three Hours (Seven Series #5) Book 6 - Two Minutes (Seven Series #6) USA TODAY BESTSELLER Book 7 - One Second (Seven Series #7) USA TODAY BESTSELLER Book 8 - Winter Moon (Bonus Novella) SEVEN WORLD Charming THE CROSSBREED SERIES Book 1: Keystone Book 2: Ravenheart Book 3: Deathtrap Book 4: Gaslight Book 5: Blackout Book 6: Nevermore Book 7: Moonstruck Book 8: Spellbound Book 9: Heartless Book 10: Afterlife Book 11: Quicksilver Book 12: Evildoer Book 13: Forevermore Crossbreed Series Insider's Guide Keywords: werewolf, wolves, shifter, shapeshifter, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, biker, rock star, bbw, interracial, happily ever after, hea, vampire, mage, romantic comedy, wolf, love story, steamy, heroine, bad boy, captive, prisoner, sensual, stripper, sexy, southern, texas, bestseller, mageri, hot, handsome, no cliffhanger, hero, brothers, pack, fantasy, demons, angels, panther, jaguar, feline, mortal enemies, forbidden, found family, booktok, opposites attract, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, hate to love, grumpy sunshine
The Quality of Silence
Author: Rosamund Lupton
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1101903686
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
The gripping, moving story of a mother and daughter's quest to uncover a dark secret in the Alaskan wilderness, from the New York Times bestselling author of Sister and Afterwards. Thrillingly suspenseful and atmospheric, The Quality of Silence is the story of Yasmin, a beautiful astrophysicist, and her precocious deaf daughter, Ruby, who arrive in a remote part of Alaska to be told that Ruby's father, Matt, has been the victim of a catastrophic accident. Unable to accept his death as truth, Yasmin and Ruby set out into the hostile winter of the Alaskan tundra in search of answers. But as a storm closes in, Yasmin realizes that a very human danger may be keeping pace with them. And with no one else on the road to help, they must keep moving, alone and terrified, through an endless Alaskan night.
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1101903686
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
The gripping, moving story of a mother and daughter's quest to uncover a dark secret in the Alaskan wilderness, from the New York Times bestselling author of Sister and Afterwards. Thrillingly suspenseful and atmospheric, The Quality of Silence is the story of Yasmin, a beautiful astrophysicist, and her precocious deaf daughter, Ruby, who arrive in a remote part of Alaska to be told that Ruby's father, Matt, has been the victim of a catastrophic accident. Unable to accept his death as truth, Yasmin and Ruby set out into the hostile winter of the Alaskan tundra in search of answers. But as a storm closes in, Yasmin realizes that a very human danger may be keeping pace with them. And with no one else on the road to help, they must keep moving, alone and terrified, through an endless Alaskan night.
At Your Best
Author: Carey Nieuwhof
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0735291365
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
“A perceptive and practical book about why our calendars so rarely reflect our priorities and what we can do to regain control.”—ADAM GRANT “Carey’s book will help you reorganize your life. And then you can share a copy with someone you care about.”—SETH GODIN You deserve to stop living at an unsustainable pace. An influential podcaster and thought leader shows you how. Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt to be successful. Does this sound familiar: ● Slammed is normal. ● Distractions are everywhere. ● Life gets reduced to going through the motions. Tired of living that way? At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you. At Your Best will help you ● replace chronic exhaustion with deep productivity ● break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough ● clarify what matters most by restructuring your day ● master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence ● discover why vacations and sabbaticals don’t really solve your problems ● develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos Start thriving at work and at home as you discover how to be at your best.
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0735291365
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
“A perceptive and practical book about why our calendars so rarely reflect our priorities and what we can do to regain control.”—ADAM GRANT “Carey’s book will help you reorganize your life. And then you can share a copy with someone you care about.”—SETH GODIN You deserve to stop living at an unsustainable pace. An influential podcaster and thought leader shows you how. Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt to be successful. Does this sound familiar: ● Slammed is normal. ● Distractions are everywhere. ● Life gets reduced to going through the motions. Tired of living that way? At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you. At Your Best will help you ● replace chronic exhaustion with deep productivity ● break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough ● clarify what matters most by restructuring your day ● master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence ● discover why vacations and sabbaticals don’t really solve your problems ● develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos Start thriving at work and at home as you discover how to be at your best.
Four Thousand Weeks
Author: Oliver Burkeman
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374715246
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 140
Book Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." —Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks. Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we could do things differently.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374715246
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 140
Book Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." —Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks. Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we could do things differently.
Furious Hours
Author: Casey Cep
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 110194787X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
This “superbly written true-crime story” (Michael Lewis, The New York Times Book Review) masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story. Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative assassinated him at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell’s murderer was acquitted—thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the reverend himself. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more trying to finish the book she called The Reverend. Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 110194787X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
This “superbly written true-crime story” (Michael Lewis, The New York Times Book Review) masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story. Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative assassinated him at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell’s murderer was acquitted—thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the reverend himself. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more trying to finish the book she called The Reverend. Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.
The First 20 Hours
Author: Josh Kaufman
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
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.