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.

Financial fraud in the United States costs nearly $400 billion annually. The executives responsible for this corporate duplicity usually earn excellent salaries. So why do they become criminals? Harvard Business School professor Eugene Soltes shares his findings after years of extensive research. His numerous case histories make for fascinating reading. He speaks almost exclusively about men so don't look for gender-neutral pronouns. As Soltes explains, "Women are conspicuously absent from the ranks of prominent white-collar criminals." getAbstract recommends his compelling study to business students and professors, executives, business pundits, financial law enforcement officials and anyone who handles the money.

"THEY" Cripple Society Volume 1 is an expose consisting of true to life stories of discrimination in society against fine, smart, well cultured people. The qualities of these people, and of their assailants, are uniquely explored by the author, exposing a serious cultural problem. This expose of true to life stories is further explored in "THEY" Cripple Society Volume 2. About the Author The author, Cleon E. Spencer, has had a varied experience in commerce, industry, and as a minister of the church. During his career he has come to know many people of similar experiences as his own. It is on these unique experiences in the marketplace of society and in the church, that the writings of this book are based. The hope of the author is that the book will promote a type of personal character that will rise above the harmful maladies of culture written of herein. The author and his wife Ada recently celebrated their fifty-eighth year of happy marriage.

The totally satisfying answers to more than 100 questions that drive normal people - not to mention infomaniacs and trivia buffs - crazy. - Questions about matters great and small, from ancient times to yesterday. - Illustrated with illuminating technical drawings and unusual vintage photographs. How did they spend $40 million making Heaven's Gate? How did they decide the length of a mile? How did Beethoven compose when he was deaf? How did they discover the Hope diamond? How did they know the size of the Earth over 1,700 years before anyone sailed around it? How did they set the price of the Louisiana Purchase? How did the FBI devise the "Ten Most Wanted" list? How did they decide which horses were Thoroughbreds? How did they pick the Four Hundred? How did they start the Guiness Book of World Records? How did the Indians decide that cows were sacred? How did they discover penicillin? How did they build the Great Pyramid at Giza? How did they decide how tall to make the Empire State Building? How did they know there was an El Dorado? How did they start the Chicago fire of 1871? How did Hannibal cross the Alps?