Lightroom has a built-in way for you to easily show or hide the the panels surrounding the main image in the middle.
If you want to hide only the left and right panels, press the Tab key. To hide both the side panels and the top and bottom ones (i.e all panels) press Shift + Tab.
These shortcuts are toggle switches so when you want to get the panels back, use the Tab or Shift + Tab shortcut again.
Most podcasts about the Creative Suite are about the tools in the apps. We put out a weekly podcast that mixes the tools with real-life techniques that help you learn to use the Creative Suite, creatively.