Angela Duckworth

There are several books that try to unravel the science behind success. This book ties the findings of all the other research and coins a simple, easily understandable term "Grit." The notion that success is not necessarily a product of innate Talent has been already popularized by Geoff Colvin and Malcolm Gladwell in their excellent books. Effort and "deliberate practice" were the key findings in earlier research.

The author says success is a result of "interest" (read passion), "practice" (read deliberate practice), "purpose" (read connection-with-people or larger-than-life-goal), and "hope" (read growth mindset). A review of the key ingredients should confirm that this is an all encompassing book that brings all the aspects of the research on "success" to build a unified theory. The book has plenty of examples that illustrate each of the points. At several points, she also refers to earlier research done, consequently giving you an all rounded reading experience.… (plus d'informations)

I really enjoyed Grit! Yes, some of the theories are rehashed from other popular books, research studies and TED Talks, but the information here is sound. I've been immersing myself in content dealing with the myth of talent precisely because I grew up in a household where natural talent was EVERYTHING, and you either had it in a particular field, or you didn't. Having found myself two decades later attempting to make a living at something I was deemed entirely untalented in, I'm eager to learn as much as I can about overcoming this deficit to become successful.

Duckworth's research is sound, as are her conclusions. I would have liked more practical tips and suggestions for growing grit, but the advice that exists in the book is solid and relevant. The stories got a bit tedious toward the end, and it seemed as though Duckworth kept trying to convince us of the value of grit despite the fact that readers who got to that point would very likely already be on board with the central premise.

Overall, I got a lot out of this book and I particularly enjoyed the chapter on parenting. Although I have to admit, I wish I'd read this book when I was in college! I feel like I seriously missed the boat by not implementing Duckworth's suggestions as an adolescent or young adult. However, she does maintain that it's never too late to grow your grit, which is what I'm attempting to do now.

The themes explored in Grit also sparked some interesting date night discussions with my husband, which is always the mark of a powerful read!… (plus d'informations)