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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.
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.
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84 booksBooks have the ability to educate, inform and inspire us to be better. What are some of the books that changed your life in some way? This could be books that gave you a new point of view, taught y...