“Range is an urgent and important book, an essential read for bosses, parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about improving performance.” —Daniel H. Pink
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.
##这本书从一月读到四月,一开始觉得很棒,给我了新的启发,range maybe better than hyperspecialization and do not feel lag behind 但是一整本书翻来覆去的将案例就有点说教了 but still, it inspired me and mitigated my anxiety.
评分##Point taken but 一篇文章可以搞定的事 写一本书完全没必要
评分##剖析了很多大家习以为常的理论,提供了不同的见解。
评分##读完整本书的收获和读完书名的收获差不多。书的内容基本就是用各种角落里挖出的符合自己论点的真实故事,浇上无限的琐碎细节,生生填满的。
评分##大概三章就能讲明白的道理,车轱辘话不停地说,反复地说……
评分##full of stories that are bit too verbose to explain simple concepts.. finished 5 chapters (1) sampling before settling (2) analogical thinking (3) narrow-minded/biases due to narrow field
评分##不必看,很失望。
评分近1年商业/社科最佳。给了非常多案例讨论了:10000h什么时候是不必要的(late-specialization),是否应该转专业/转行(match quality+个人成长),什么时候data-driven的文化是有害的,不同问题/领域(类比思维+问题结构分析)如何移植经验,都很有启发. 最重要的是给了希望转变、没有很早确定目标的人信心 —— don't feel behind. 遗憾的是没有给specialization更多的讨论,e.g. 在什么时候specialize是必要的,什么时候generalize是好的,这样整个话题会更全面、客观
评分##Finished 10/12 chapters. A great challenge to 10k hour rule and don't be afraid of falling behind. When match quality isn’t good, quitting is a better way out to seek other options you feel passionate about where grit and perseverance are in the way of ‘quitting’. Van Gogh and self-discovery of rare genetic disease example