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kasshall's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
I loved this book and related very much to it. I’m someone who has been accused of being unable to commit to a career, yet when I look at my path I see clear links. Really readable book!
allison_bartels's review
3.0
Wasn’t what I expected. Mostly just many, many examples of how a breadth of knowledge is often more beneficial than depth. I agree with a lot of what he shares and found the stories mostly interesting, but didn’t get as much from the book as expected!
javachipfrap's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.75
Way too long for the actual amount of content it covered. Didn't really get along with the describe-someone's-life-story-and-link-it-to-generalism start to not chapters. Disagreed with some of the points and felt like author was just trying to claim any and all success under the credit of range. But, there was some useful insights like to actual experiment and not just think about doing something.
keith_button's review
5.0
This is one of the most inspiring books I have read in recent memory. The basic thesis, that well-roundedness is often times more advantageous than being a tunnel-visioned expert, can be applied to almost any discipline. This immediately made me think of one of my favorite hockey personalities, Jeff Marek, who encourages his sons to play lacrosse at a young age in addition to hockey. The idea being that lacrosse encourages beginner athletes to keep their focus on the playing field instead of on the ground. Beginner hockey players, however, all have a tendency to look down at the puck due to the inherent challenge of stick-handling. By devoting energy to a different sport, lacrosse/hockey players can actually develop better hockey habits better than the hockey "specialists".
I found the chapter "learning to drop your familiar tools" especially motivating. The concept of constantly questioning our standards can enable us to see flaws and areas of potential improvement that might otherwise be blindspots. I also love the concept of researching ideas from a contrarian perspective--avoid the trap of confirmation bias by seeking out sources that contradict your current viewpoint. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I found the chapter "learning to drop your familiar tools" especially motivating. The concept of constantly questioning our standards can enable us to see flaws and areas of potential improvement that might otherwise be blindspots. I also love the concept of researching ideas from a contrarian perspective--avoid the trap of confirmation bias by seeking out sources that contradict your current viewpoint. I would recommend this book to anyone.
benjibott's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A great showcase of different case studies to prove his point that specialising, although it may seem like the best idea, is in-fact not in most cases and can cloud your mind with creating something truly great. Fantastic read, very insightful.
orangeberry52's review
5.0
Honestly a really interesting book. They tell you growing up to specialize, specialize, specialize, and if you aren't a prodigy by 18 you feel like a piece of crap. This book tells you the exact opposite, that it is okay to be a "renaissance man" and try many different things, and they can be far more useful than you would think. All of science faces the danger of overspecialization and "parallel trenches." That's great news for me, since I have always had so many interests it felt wrong to try to do them all! Now I feel better about branching out.