Showing results by author "Tom Vanderbilt" in All Categories

The abridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Tom Vanderbilt's informative work, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What it Says About Us), read by David Slavin. Why does the other lane always seem to be moving faster? What does the way you drive say about you? Is the road a microcosm of...

For many of us, the last time we learned a new skill was during childhood. We live in an age which reveres expertise but looks down on the beginner. Upon entering adulthood and middle age, we begin to shy away from trying new things, instead preferring to stay nestled firmly in our comfort zones. Beginners asks the question: why are children the only ones allowed to experience the inherent fun of facing daily challenges? And could we benefit from embracing new skills, even if we're initially hopeless? 

Would you be surprised that road rage can be good for society? That most crashes happen on sunny, dry days? Or that you can gauge a nation’s driving behavior by its levels of corruption? These are only a few of the remarkable dynamics that Tom Vanderbilt explores in this fascinating tour...

An insightful, joyful tour of the transformative powers of starting something new, no matter your age—from the bestselling author of Traffic and You May Also Like “Vanderbilt elegantly and persuasively tackles one of the most pernicious of the lies we tells ourselves—that the pleasures of...

Tom Vanderbilt, jurnalist de profesie, pornește și el într-o astfel de călătorie, inspirat de procesul de învățare al fiicei lui de vârstă preșcolară. De-a lungul unui an, învață să joace șah, să cânte într-un cor, să facă surfing, să deseneze și să jongleze, întotdeauna cu entuziasmul unui veșnic începător. Relatarea experiențelor lui, de multe ori comice, e însoțită de explicații științifice, care ne dezvăluie schimbările la nivel psihic și progresele cognitive înregistrate de creier când formează noi rețele neuronale: adică ce se întâmplă când dobândim noi aptitudini.