He entertainingly recounts his struggles and triumphs in various pursuits-chess, singing, surfing, drawing, juggling, and making jewelry-in which he achieved no grand successes, but merely the satisfaction of "modest competency." Noting that dilettante originally meant "one who exhibits delight," Vanderbilt encourages readers to put aside the fear of making mistakes and looking like an amateur. While encouraging his daughter to explore new interests, Vanderbilt writes, he was inspired to pursue his own journey of skill acquisition-not for professionalization or utility, but merely for the joy of it. Journalist Vanderbilt (Traffic) chronicles his attempts to gain new skills in this charming celebration of lifelong learning.
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