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Fritz Agency
Christian Dittus
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English

RANGE

David Epstein

Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

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 if you take a closer look at the world's top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, you'll find that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.

David Epstein, author of the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene, studied 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 spy from deep in their hyperfocused trenches. 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.

Our obsession with getting a head start is understandable; early specialization feels efficient. But Epstein marshals an enormous body of scientific research to argue that we should all actively cultivate 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. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range explains how to maintain the benefits of breadth, diverse experience, interdisciplinary thinking, and delayed concentration in a world that increasingly incentivizes, even demands, hyperspecialization.

David Epstein is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene. He has a master's degree in environmental science and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He lives in Washington, DC.

ES LEBE DER GENERALIST!
Warum gerade sie in einer spezialisierten Welt erfolgreicher sind
Deutsch von Almuth Braun
[ HC Redline 03/2020]
Available products
Book

Published 2019-05-01 by Riverhead

Comments

“A fresh, brisk look at creativity, learning, and the meaning of achievement.”

RANGE reached #6 on the overall Amazon hardcover list

“Range is a convincing, engaging survey of research and anecdotes that confirm a thoughtful, collaborative world is also a better and more innovative one.” Read more...

“All readers eager to look into the next trench over for innovative ideas to solve their problems will welcome this remarkable, densely packed work.”

The narrative follows Mr. Epstein's search for the roots of elite sport performance as he encounters characters and stories so engrossing that readers may not realize they're receiving an advanced course in genetics, physiology, and sports medicine.

Epstein beautifully crafts an argument lush with graphs, data, and most of all, real people. (...) Epstein shines as a storyteller. Read more...

Range will force you to rethink the nature of learning, thinking, and being, and reconsider what you thought you knew about optimal education and career paths—and how and why the most successful people in the world do what they do. It's one of the most thought-provoking and enlightening books I've read. (Maria Konnikova)

David Epstein's TED talk which has over 7 million views Read more...

For reasons I cannot explain, David Epstein manages to make me thoroughly enjoy the experience of being told that everything I thought about something was wrong. I loved Range. (Malcolm Gladwell)

For too long, we've believed in a single path to excellence. Start early, specialize soon, narrow your focus, aim for efficiency. But in this groundbreaking book, David Epstein shows that in most domains, the way to excel is something altogether different. Sample widely, gain a breadth of experiences, take detours, and experiment relentlessly. Range is an urgent and important book, an essential read for bosses, parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about improving performance. (Daniel H. Pink)

“Equally entertaining and enlightening, this will appeal to readers with an eye on the future.”

UK: Pan Macmillan; Spain: Urano; China: Ginkgo; Korea: Open Books; Sweden: Volante; Taiwan: Acme; Brazil; Globo; Indonesia: PT Gramedia;

"Extraordinary." Read more...

Range elevates Epstein to one of the very best science writers at work today. The scope of the book—and the implications—are breathtaking. I find myself applying what I've learned to almost every aspect of my life. (Sebastian Junger)

"The storytelling is so dramatic, the wielding of data so deft and the lessons so strikingly framed that it's never less than a pleasure to read." Read more...