This small book looks like one of those small books received as a graduation present. If a person did receive it, s/he might smile politely, and express gratitude while secretly wishing they had received cash instead. It would be a shame if the recipient never read it, because this book contains nuggets of wisdom beneficial to anyone looking to succeed in the workplace, improve on the sports field, or become a better musician.

This book can be easily skimmed (which is what I did), stopping on the tips that speak most to the reader. The author outlines 52 different tips, with a short explanation of each. Examples include:

- Don't fall for the prodigy myth
- Practicing a bit each day is better than practicing for an hour once a week
- Give a new skill a minimum of 8 weeks
- Stop before you're exhausted
- Pay attention immediately after you've made a mistake

Overall a good, short primer for those who enjoy productivity/self-improvement reads

3.5 stars ( )

52 tips. One for each week of a the year if you so choose.

If this method appeals to you, this book may be for you. I find reading a couple pages for each tip to not be my style. I would read a tip, put down the book and try to let the trip marinate in my head. Instead, I would get distracted and would forget the lesson.



( )

I won this book through the first-reads program.

I'm a fan of self-help books, generally because I enjoy improving myself. A good number of self-help books, though, tend to focus upon immediate improvement and immediate gratification. Well, immediate results tend to be rare, and don't last. Luckily, this book not only acknowledges that fact, but celebrates it.

This book is divided into 52 different short tips that you can execute fairly easily. Everything from napping (Einstein did it) to slowing down your practice is discussed, and in such short snippets that it never feels pedantic.

I, for one, know that I'll be taking these tips to heart... one at a time, and probably for 8 weeks at time waiting for it all to sink in. I think this is a helpful guide for just about anyone, though. Who doesn't enjoy improving their skill sets? :) ( )

Best for: People looking for a quick read and a couple of helpful tips.

In a nutshell: Mr. Coyle provides 52 tips to help you get better at something. Anything.

Line that sticks with me: “But in the talent hotbeds I visited, practice was the big game, the center of their world, the main focus of their daily lives.” (p 39)

Why I chose it: As part of that whole summer reading BINGO thing our public library is doing, one square is ‘recommended by an independent bookseller.’ Also, I like to learn things.

Review: Hmm. There are 52 tips, which I suppose is meant to correlate to weeks in the year, but the book isn’t laid out like that. Instead, each tip ranges from a paragraph to a few pages, grouped by getting started, getting better, and keeping it up.

Some of the tips were helpful and familiar. The one I mention above, about practice, reminds me of the book by Commander Hayden (astronaut). Since they might never go to space, they have to treat preparation as the real thing. That’s what matters.

Other tips run contrary to ones I’ve learned before, especially about writing. One is to “never mistake activity for accomplishment.” Which, yikes. Like, the fact that I write every single day — haven’t missed a day since March (that includes when I had food poisoning), when I started that — is a fucking accomplishment. That activity is making me a better writer.

The tips are meant to be universal but, as mentioned above, I don’t think they are always applicable. And while the title is certainly true — this is a little book — I think it could have been a series of blog posts, or perhaps included in some sort of habit app. Not sure it warranted this fancy binding and shiny cover. ( )

This is an afterthought of The Talent Code by Coyle. A very quick read, but very interesting and informative. Recommend to everyone, especically educators, as it emphasizes that talent is developed through effort and not just inate. ( )