Originally published: London : Penguin Life, 2017

MICROMASTERY -- What is micromastery? -- Inside a micromastery -- Dynamic learning -- Locate hidden micromasteries (they are everywhere) -- Help yourself -- Multiple micromastery and synergy -- Polymathic paradise -- Creativity explosion -- MICROMASTERY CENTRAL -- 1. Do a line sketch that looks credible -- 2. Do an eskimo roll -- 3. Find the depth of a well or a deep hole -- 4. Chop through a log (or even a tree) -- 5. Learn how to climb a rope -- 6. Surf standing up -- 7. Talk for fifteen minutes about any subject -- 8. Lay a brick wall -- 9. Write dialogue -- 10. Make a clay skull -- 11. Bake excellent artisan bread -- 12. Make a sword hum through the air -- 13. Make string from nettles -- 14. Sing solo, even if you are tone deaf -- 15. Master the bench press -- 16. Learn "La Marseillaise" -- 17. Do a soccer elastico -- 18. Build a superstack of wood -- 19. Develop film using coffee and salt -- 20. Do a high-speed getaway j-turn -- 21. Make sushi...that actually looks and tastes like sushi -- 22. Tell a story that will enthrall any child -- 23. Immobilize someone with an aikido hold -- 24. Juggle four balls -- 25. Master the three-card trick -- 26. Grow a bonsai tree -- 27. Make a perfect soufflé every time -- 28. Make a perfect cube of wood -- 29. Mix a delightful daiquiri -- 30. Walk the tango walk -- 31. Make fire by rubbing two sticks together -- 32. Make your handwriting beautiful -- 33. Micromaster bargaining -- 34. Hone a kitchen knife so that it is razor sharp -- 35. Lead a small group in the wilderness -- 36. Learn to read Japanese in three hours -- 37. Become a street photographer -- 38. Brew delicious craft beer -- 39. Make your own shirt -- MICROMASTER YOUR LIFE -- Permission to be interested -- Your many selves -- Pink micromastery -- Micromastery vs global pessimism -- The big, bigger, biggest picture

"Want to be a lifelong learner? Think small. Forget spending 10,000 hours in the pursuit of perfecting just one thing. The true path to success and achievement lies in the pursuit of perfecting lots and lots of small things--for a big payoff. Combining positive psychology, neuroscience, self-help and more, this delightfully illuminating book encourages us to circumvent all the reasons we "can't" learn and grow (we're too busy, it's too complicated, we're not experts, we didn't start when we were young) -- by tackling small, satisfying skills. Wish you were a seasoned chef? Learn to make a perfect omelette. Dream of being a racecar driver? Perfect a handbrake turn. Wish you could draw? Make Zen circles your first challenge. These small, doable tasks offer a big payoff -- and motivate us to keep learning and growing, with payoffs that include a boost in optimism, confidence, memory, cognitive skills, and more. Filled with surprising insights and even a compendium of micromastery skills to try yourself, this engaging and inspiring guide reminds us of the simple joy of learning -- and opens the door to limitless, lifelong achievement, one small step at a time. Micromasteries presented in the book (with illustrations) include: Learn How to Climb a Rope, Surf Standing Up, Talk for Fifteen Minutes about Any Subject, Bake Artisan Bread, Juggle Four Balls, Learn to Read Japanese in Three Hours, and more"--