Angela Duckworth

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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...as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.

WHAT'S GRIT ABOUT?
I'm afraid I'd get lost in minuate or that I'd overcorrect and not give an adequate idea if I tried to give a thumbnail, so let me borrow from Duckworth's website:

pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding show more achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”
Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research, Angela explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success.

Angela has found that grit—a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal—is the hallmark of high achievers in every domain. She’s also found scientific evidence that grit can grow.

Angela gives a first-person account of her research with teachers working in some of the toughest schools, cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

It's a fascinating mix of psychological research, case studies and personal anecdotes. Duckworth structured this in such a way that not only it was informative and educational, it was enjoyable and motivational.

HOW ABOUT THE NARRATION?
I thought Duckworth herself was a great choice for narrators—she gives an energetic reading, that feels all the more authentic because it's based on her research and experiences*. She talks at one point about the work she put in to make her TED Talk more successful and probably carried over that work to this. In the end, it was one of the more compelling non-fiction narrations I can remember.

* Not that another narrator would've felt inauthentic...

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT GRIT?
I loved this—I was entertained, educated, and a little inspired. The subject was interesting, the approach challenging and didn't always give the answers you expected. Duckworth made it clear that with the right mindset and time, it was possible to increase your own grit and find a measure of success. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, nor is it a promise of instant success. Just a reassurance that smart work can pay off.

I couldn't stop thinking of different friends/family members that I wanted to share insights from this with—I think one son, in particular, should be very happy that he was busy with school while I was listening to this so I didn't force him to listen along (it probably would have done him some good, but he probably wouldn't have appreciated it in the moment).

The associated PDF was a nice supplement to the audiobook (so I can see charts/graphs and whatnot). Still, I think I'm going to have to get a hold of the hard copy for easy reference (it's just easier to flip through to find something, or to use the index, than skipping through an audio file) and probably give out a copy or three. show less

I think I would have enjoyed watching Angela Duckworth give a TED talk rather than read the book itself. The subject matter is very interesting and Angela is clearly passionate, but many of the examples didn't exactly inspire me. I also have a hard time telling why I didn't love this book - maybe the "secret" is obvious? Maybe she name drops celebrities way too often? She's clearly intelligent and the idea of perseverance, practice and dedication is really appealing to somebody like me, as I show more don't consider myself very talented in a lot of activities I enjoy (writing, reading, soccer, cricket, theatre). Can't give higher than 2.5 stars, but if you're remotely interested in the psychology side of it, or how to be better at anything, would recommend as it's well written to boot. show less

Hmm, what to say about author Angela Duckworth's book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance"...I think I can sum it up for myself at best as a three-lettered word: meh.
Who has grit and why, how do we get grit in our lives, and how can we raise/coach kids to have grit. These are the names of the chapters that make up the three parts to the book.
each section breaks down the exact same way: a statement of her hypothesis (which may take about a page or two), and then tens of pages of show more anecdote that supports her thoughts. Rinse and repeat.
Duckworth covers what grittiness is, is it just a stick-to-it attitude or is there more to it. Interest in your subject, deliberate practice, hope and belief, and more! Duckworth finishes with parenting for grit, if socio-economic status changes grit, and the Seattle Seahawks culture of grit (she seems to be a bit of a stan for Pete Carroll).
IN MY OPINION, nothing in here is very revelatory. She doesn't break any real new news...gritty people stick to it...gritty people have an interest in what they are doing...gritty people out last those without grit...gritty people put in more work...
what I did find interesting was her admission that the work is biased as she stated that "...I'm overlooking a whole population of grit paragons whose goals are purely selfish or, worse, directed at harming others." (p. 148) Well this throws her whole results right out the window as she admits that she only includes in her results the results of people that are pleasant to her. Not very scientific then is it and discolors everything she says that involves her research.
So if your research is iffy at best, and the rest of the book is anecdote to support your flawed research then I give this a big MEH for my thoughts on it. 2.5 stars and that is due to her ability to write well written, concise prose, which is not easy for everyone to do considering it is a work of non-fiction. show less

There were moments when this book made me despair but I was engrossed by the research and ended the book feeling grittier.