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rsr143's review
4.0
Let me sum the book up for you......talent can be built like any other skill. It's the result of deliberate practice...which is repetition and trained coaching to help you improve. The mechanism for this happening is by myelin sheaths getting wrapped around nerves helping us to hone and lock in on repetitive behaviors. The book was very entertaining but seemed to rely a bit on the role of myelin as being the holy grail for exceptional performance. Think of this book as similar to Gladwell's "Outliers", but not as clever or fun to read :) ...however, there is a lot of science backing the assertions in the book, which I like.
veronicascottnova's review
3.0
Fascinating, though I'm not sure it's as well-balanced as it could be.
kimball_hansen's review
4.0
This book reminded me a lot of [b:Outliers: The Story of Success|3228917|Outliers The Story of Success|Malcolm Gladwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344266315s/3228917.jpg|3364437] and [b:Mindset: The New Psychology of Success|40745|Mindset The New Psychology of Success|Carol S. Dweck|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436227012s/40745.jpg|40330] and a touch of [b:The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It|10865206|The Willpower Instinct How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It|Kelly McGonigal|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436737104s/10865206.jpg|17553514] and [b:The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business|12609433|The Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business|Charles Duhigg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366758683s/12609433.jpg|17624817]. It seemed at one point the author was against optimism/positive thinking and the power of belief, as if the Talent Code trumps everything. I think when you incorporate both aspects then the Talent Code can be enhanced and the notorious Myelins that the author loves will be wraped even more tightly around the axon.
I only wish the book would have talked more in detail about to inspire/ignite the passion in others. Seems like self-help books are always lacking in that department.
I wonder how/if I would have turned out different had I attended the KIPP school.
I only wish the book would have talked more in detail about to inspire/ignite the passion in others. Seems like self-help books are always lacking in that department.
I wonder how/if I would have turned out different had I attended the KIPP school.
toniclark's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. It wasn't big news to me. I have long believed that the ideas of talent and genius are myths. Success in any field requires a lot of hard work — FOCUSED hard work. The book contains lots of interesting stories. It's good on audio, with a good narrator (I'm picky). I didn't realize until well into the book that it was published in 2009. I'd love to read some more up-to-date info/research on deep practice and accelerated learning.
mnstucki's review
4.0
A great look at how skills of all types are built. The beginning seemed to repeat itself and drag a bit, but I think that was mostly because I was already somewhat familiar with the process and purposes of myelination. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the second half of the book and how much there was that I really had to mentally digest. I decided to listen to it because I'm going through a sort of quarter-life-crisis right now because the last year of work has not been kind to me and I'm wondering if I should have chosen a different field, or what other talents I might have and how I could turn them into a career. The information about being a master coach was really interesting and I reflected on its relevance to my job as a teacher and why I chose the field in the first place.
Some of the stories used as examples are a bit outdated now--my husband listened to the last hour and a half of the book with me and pointed out that the story about Jamarcus Russell is not completely relevant/helpful to the point the author is trying to make because of how things ended up turning out with his NFL career.
The book definitely gets better as it goes and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the mechanics of skill/talent.
Some of the stories used as examples are a bit outdated now--my husband listened to the last hour and a half of the book with me and pointed out that the story about Jamarcus Russell is not completely relevant/helpful to the point the author is trying to make because of how things ended up turning out with his NFL career.
The book definitely gets better as it goes and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the mechanics of skill/talent.