Why do so many of us stop learning new skills as adults? Are we afraid to be bad at something? Have we forgotten the sheer pleasure of beginning from the ground up?
In Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning, Tom Vanderbilt sets out to learn new skills for the fun of it. Inspired by his daughter's insatiable curiosity, he learns to sing, surf, draw, juggle, and play chess, among other skills, which he chose for their difficulty and lack of marketability.
In this 45-minute conversation, Mr. Vanderbilt discusses his year of learning for the fun of it with Harry L. Davis, Roger L. and Rachel M. Goetz Distinguished Service Professor of Creative Management.