Range with David Epstein: Is it Better to be a Generalist or a Specialist?

Today's guest is a fascinating best selling author: David Epstein.  He is the author of two best selling books: The Sports Gene and his more recent book: Range, Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.  He is currently an investigative report at Pro Publica and was formerly a staff writer at Sports Illustrated.  David's new book, Range makes a strong case that it is better to be a generalist rather than a specialist in both sports and life.  I'm sure you've heard of the "cult of the head start" or Malcolm Gladwell's "10,000 hour" rule but David Epstein argues that you don't need it to be successful. We often assume that the greats in sports, music, and art started at a very young age and were singularly focused their entire lives.  But in David's book, he shows us that the opposite is true and that being a generalist gives one a better chance to succeed than early specialization.  In this thought-provoking episode, you'll learn why.  And as a special treat today, my friend and previous podcast guest, Brad Stulberg is joining as my co-host. If you forgot, Brad is the co-author of Peak Performance and the Passion Paradox.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

debating Malcolm Gladwell Tiger Woods vs. Roger Federer Wicked vs Kind Learning Is there an age to specialize in sports? importance of quitting / when to quit Match Quality conceptual vs procedural learning Listen Now

 

Resources David Epstein's debate with Malcolm Gladwell David's TED Talk Get the book: Range Get the book: The Sports Gene Connect with my co-host: Brad Stulberg

 

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