Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
2019 • 352 pages
Ratings58
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings58
Average rating4.3
What's the most effective path to success in any domain? It's not what you think.
Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you'll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world's top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.
David Epstein examined the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields--especially those that are complex and unpredictable--generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They're also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can't see.
Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, *Range* makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.
Reviews with the most likes.
I worry about how much Epstein's writing appeals to me since it often feels like confirming biases and suspicions I already harbour. But if you've ever spent any time invested deeply in long-term development (sports, kids, yourself), so many of the topics covered in Range are likely real issues you've encountered. Do I specialize early, am I missing out by not committing down one path, should I even bother with some interest that isn't directly applicable to my work or field of study? There's a lot of pop psych about head-start approaches to development but not much which validates what you come to realize with age is still a valid and useful path to success: breadth and experimentation.
The next time some coach or trainer tells you how imperative early specialization is, this is the book that will help you feel more comfortable at dealing with a culture hellbent on being first rather than growing into skill and talent.
Really interesting readings: in a world of hyper specialisation, the author claims that problems can be solved easily when the solver has heterogenous experiences, using strong scientific evidence.
That happens because a part from some sports and disciplines, the world do not provide any direct and immediate feedback to our actions.
It made me reflect on the fact that society always pushes for single domain expertise, while young people should experiment as much as possibile, without the urge of “finishing their passion”
Highly suggested!
An absolutely amazing book - focuses on how learning and acquiring skills is more important than early specialization. Promotes sampling and experimentation. Not that it actively negates specialization, but says there are deep merits of gaining wide experience before you dive deep into something. I am convinced that early starts aren't well thought out. One of my favourite lines that resonate with me:
The question i set out to explore was how to capture and cultivate the power of breadth, diverse experience and interdisciplinary exploration within systems that increasingly demand hyperspecialization and would have you decide what you should be before first figuring out who you are.
Compare yourself to yourself yesterday, not to younger people who aren't you. Everyone progresses at a different rate, everyone started from a different place, everyone has struggles or obstacles that the world doesn't know about so don't let anyone make you feel behind. You probably don't even know exactly where you're going, so feeling behind doesn't help. Instead, as Herminia Ibarra suggested for the proactive pursuit of match quality, start planning experiments. Your personal version of Friday night or Saturday morning experiments.
I ended up putting this one down about 30% of the way through. The author makes a great case for being a generalist, and presents various case studies to back up his point. What was missing for me was any connection to a call to action, or suggestions on how to include a generalist mindset/approach in daily life. In short - I think I got the point, and if the remainder of the book contains more case studies and nothing else, it won't add much to the experience for me.
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