Ebury Edge signs cognitive psychologist and author Duke’s guide to quitting

Ebury Edge has signed Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke, cognitive psychologist, former professional poker player and author of Thinking in Bets and How to Decide (Portfolio). 

Jamie Joseph, editorial director and head of W H Allen, bought UK and Commonwealth rights directly from Penguin in the US, with publication planned for October. 

According to the publisher, Quit makes the underappreciated case for quitting and shows why learning how to quit well is often crucial to success. The synopsis explains: “We’re often told that the road to the top requires working harder, gritting our teeth tighter and doing more and more—but what if the really crucial skill is learning how to quit the things that weigh you down and focusing on what really matters? What if sometimes the answer isn’t grit, but quit?”

Joseph said: “I love this book because it gives readers permission to do something many of us secretly want to do already. Quit is packed with great stories of successful quitting from athletes to comedians to business leaders, and is loaded with useful tools to help all of us make better quitting decisions. 

“After a pandemic that’s made many of us reassess our lives, Quit is the book for anyone thinking of moving, leaving a relationship, changing jobs, or who just wants to focus more on what matters. It’s the perfect book for how many people are feeling now”.

Duke added: “While grit is seen as a virtue, quitting is seen as a vice, a failure of character and will. But any great poker player will tell you that knowing when to fold is a key ingredient to success. While quitting is a necessary decision skill to develop, the science shows that we usually walk away too late. It’s time to rehabilitate quitting into something we can take pride in doing well.”