Quit Book Summary - Quit Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Quit summary

Annie Duke

The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away

4.5 (239 ratings)
16 mins
Table of Contents

    Quit
    summarized in 6 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 6

    Quitting can be a virtue.

    There’s something that epitomizes the value of quitting – and it’s called poker. Knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em, as Kenny Rogers famously sang, is the essence of the game. 

    Do poker pros rely on grit, persevering through tough times, to win hands? Hardly. In fact, pros fold more than half the time – far more often than amateurs. Poker rookies, in contrast, typically play out their hands. They’re driven by the need to see if they can pull out a miraculous straight – and fearful of losing the money they’ve already bet. How are they rewarded? By losing their shirts. 

    In the narrative we spin about success, we have a bias toward “winners.” We fixate on the inspiration of success stories – like that magical, last-minute straight flush. What we don’t highlight are the people who stopped short of their goal – the thing we might call “failure” – and benefited from it. 

    But quitting is a wise reaction to changing circumstances, and this makes it a vital skill. 

    Take mountain climbing, for example. Each year, many people try to make the ultimate climb to the summit of Mount Everest. A number of them make it. And quite a few die, falling victim to the mountain’s famously hostile environment. People in both categories persevered; some reached their dream, and others succumbed to their fate.

    Other climbers, though, make it almost all the way to the top of the world’s tallest mountain – only to turn around and give up because conditions become unsafe or they run out of time. These people make a choice that often saves their lives. 

    If there’s one thing to learn from these sensible climbers and poker pros, it’s this: quitting can be a virtue. And it’s definitely not something to be ashamed of. In the next sections, we’ll look deeper into the benefits of quitting – and when and how to bow out.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Quit?

    Key ideas in Quit

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Quit about?

    Quit (2022) makes the case for an undervalued and important skill that can lead to success: knowing when to bow out. It lends nuance to the old-school advice that grit and perseverance are necessary to achieve goals – and offers a manual on how to quit, even when it’s difficult. 

    Who should read Quit?

    • People facing a big decision or planning ahead for a major life change 
    • Highly motivated people who find the prospect of quitting appalling
    • Those stuck in a career or project that feels like a dead end

    About the Author

    Annie Duke has made a career out of making decisions. She honed her skills as a longtime professional poker player, winning more than $4 million as well as a World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. She now works as a consultant and writer. Her other books include How to Decide and the best-selling Thinking in Bets

    Categories with Quit

    Books like Quit

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    26 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial