The Rapid Learner: Master Any New Skill in Weeks, Not Years

Janice Powell Jenkins is a learning and development consultant who has spent more than twenty years helping working adults master new skills quickly—languages, data analytics, public speaking, and hands-on trades alike. She began her career in corporate learning, leading training programs for two Fortune 500 companies, before founding her own practice, where she designs evidence-based learning paths for individuals and organizations. Her work is grounded in the cognitive science of learning: spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and deliberate practice, translated into practical systems for people with real jobs and limited free time.

She holds a master's degree in adult education from Columbia University's Teachers College and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Virginia. Her articles on workplace learning and skill development have appeared in *Training Industry* and *TD Magazine*, and she is a frequent speaker at talent development conferences.

*The Rapid Learner* grew out of the question her clients kept asking her: "Why can't I learn like I used to?" The answer she gives them—that adults are not slow learners, just unpracticed ones—became the foundation of this book. Jenkins is herself a practicing rapid learner: she learned Spanish in her forties during a two-year assignment in Madrid and took up piano at fifty, experiences that appear throughout these pages. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and a piano she still practices every morning.