Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2016-04-28
Books mentioned on 244. How to Become Great at Just About Anything
What if the thing we call "talent" is grotesquely overrated? And what if deliberate practice is the secret to excellence?
Stephen Dubner discussed Peak by Anders Ericsson and others and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Peak
Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool is a comprehensive study of expertise and deliberate practice that explores how individuals achieve peak performance through specialized training rather than innate talent alone.
Discussed“In the book Peak, Erickson writes of a more recent example. Here, let me read you a particularly interesting paragraph.”
Where to get it
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Outliers
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is an examination of the external factors, cultural legacies, and massive amounts of practice that contribute to extraordinary success.
Discussed“Most people who have heard of the 10,000-hour rule heard of it via the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers looked at how extraordinarily accomplished people accomplished what they did.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Peak
“The research psychologist Anders Ericsson has just published, along with co-author Robert Poole, a book called Peak, Secrets from the New Science of Expertise.”
Passing Outliers
“You may have heard of the 10,000-hour rule, the idea that you need to practice for 10,000 hours to become great at something. That idea originates from the research of Anders Ericsson and his colleagues.”