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    Grit
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    Grit
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    Grit
    Ebook433 pages7 hours

    Grit

    By Angela Duckworth

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people-both seasoned and new-that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called "grit."

    Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur “genius” Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments.Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Duckworth created her own “character lab” and set out to test her theory.

    Here, she takes readers into the field to visit 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 CEO Jamie Dimon to the cartoon editor of The New Yorker to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

    Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that-not talent or luck-makes all the difference.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 3, 2016
    ISBN9781443442336
    Unavailable
    Grit
    Author

    Angela Duckworth

    Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has advised the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. She is also the founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance scientific insights that help kids thrive. She completed her BA in neurobiology at Harvard, her MSc in neuroscience at Oxford, and her PhD in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is her first book and an instant New York Times bestseller.

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    Reviews for Grit

    4/5

    349 ratings19 reviews

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    • 3/5
      There's good stuff in here, but I was done with anecdotes by a third of the way through.
    • 3/5
      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 - 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 don't consider myself very talented in a lot of activities I enjoy (writing, reading, soccer, cricket, theatre). Can't give higher than 3 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.
    • 4/5
      Most people prefer the ability of somebody to work hard despite fighting the odds over innate intelligence or talent. It is great if you have both, but it is not necessary. This book was so motivating; especially as I generally listened while at work. I found that I was jotting down notes on whatever paper was next to me (many of which I have since misplaced, if I’m being honest) of things I just wanted to sit down and think about later. This book spoke to me a lot based on where I am in life now and where I have been.

      As far as recommendations, I’m going to be perfectly honest here. My husband loved Outliers and I hated it. I loved Grit and my husband will hate it (I’m not speculating either, we actually talked about this). What I’m trying to say is, as much as I wish this was a book for everybody, it definitely is not. I found that this book was easy to listen to and still maintained a high level of scientific backing. Duckworth talks about personal interviews as well as her work to support and demonstrate her claims. I really enjoyed the way that she told the story, but I could easily see how someone would be skeptical and unlikely to pick up on what she is preaching.
    • 5/5
      I found this to be a terrific book, Duckworth describes a lot of the research she and others have done in the idea of "grit" and how to develop it. I thought there was stuff I could apply to myself as well as my classroom. Includes the Grit Scale so you can find out how gritty you are.
    • 4/5
      This was an absorbing read about how passion and perseverance combine to give someone "grit" -- the ability to stick with a challenging task. Are we born with grit? Can it be learned? This was an interesting book, and I found myself stopping frequently to consider how the author's theories apply to my own experience. A must-read for parents, teachers, coaches, and anyone in a leadership position.
    • 2/5
      Grit is a book on concept my Angela Duckworth that aimed to show what sets people apart in achievement. She coined the term Grit to describe in a nutshell trying really hard with passion to achieve something by never giving up. There you pretty much have it. One of these designer concept books that formulates a central idea, labels it with a snappy name, and spends the next 300 pages spinning the yarn.The concept itself, the conclusions, and examples all seemed quite obvious and construed to me to support this central idea. Not a very enlightening or entertaining read in my opinion. But it got the job done with enough folks to hit the best-seller list. And it will no doubt spawn a follow up book that is even grittier.
    • 4/5
      If you're looking for an insightful examination of what makes people successful, this is the book for you. Angela Duckworth builds a case for grit - the ability to work hard, learn, and see a larger purpose to work - rather than talent (or innate ability) as the hallmark of successful people. She discusses examples from across professions from athletes to rocket scientists to trash collectors. She also presents a theory for how to improve one's grit and how to get better at what one does right now. Overall, an inspiring and insightful look at success.
    • 4/5
      I found Grit truly inspiring. As a middle-aged person still pursuing my "top-level/life-organizing goal," as the author would say, I found it tremendously motivating to read that people who are the best in their field require not only early purpose but a sustaining mindset. I remember thinking at 40, well, I've learned this journalism skill pretty well - now I want to do more with it. Angela Duckworth offers inspiration to keep going, even if her advice doesn't apply exclusively to mid-life readers. I thought the first seven chapters were a revelation. After that, the book became a little repetitive until the conclusion. As a mother of two teenage daughters, I intuited Duckworth's grit lessons from the earlier chapters before she got to the direct advice to parents. Still, this book was a lovely read, especially for a work that delivered so much science and research. Duckworth's personal stories are relatable ... although she is far too humble given what she's accomplished in life.
    • 3/5
      Quite interesting but a bit repetitive at times. There is a lot of interest in the idea of resilience at the moment and this feeds into that. The author tries to suggest ways to build "grit" into people but am not sure her ideas are anything other than a vague - perhaps this will work. Learned helplessness is a hard thing to overcome.
    • 4/5
      Angela Duckworth reviews her research into the quality she calls grit. Very interesting study, which clearly shows the tenacity and perseverance is a key to achieving goals. Talent alone doesn't guarantee success.
    • 3/5
      I caught the drift of the book very early. In order to be successful, you need more than smarts and being talented. You also need grit which is a combination of perseverance and passion. I did not find that assertion very novel or surprising. I would have agreed with that long before I read the book. A much younger me would have read the book from cover to cover seeking inspiration. However the "older" me needs no prompting to agree with the main thesis of the book.
    • 3/5
      I had bought this book when it first came out but I had put off reading it since I was learning what was in the book form the mass media since this topic and Ms. Duckworth’s book was a ubiquitous subject amongst the education and coaching wonks. Grit and resilience had become the Growth mindset for the last few years. After a while, I finally decided to sit down and read it. All of that is to say that my impressions of the book are affected by the widespread popularity of the subject and my lack of enthusiasm is not so much that I disliked what Ms. Duckworth wrote, it is that my impressions of the book suffered from being exposed to the subject due to her success in getting her ideas through to the reading public.As with most books which appeals to the business crowd, Ms. Duckworth follows the tried and true business book formula: define the problem, lay out the solution to the problem, and give a lot of anecdotal case studies backed with qualitative summaries of quantitative studies in order to get past the general public’s impatience with numbers and lack of aptitude with statistics. In this regard, Ms. Duckworth did a masterful job. Every chapter is backed up with numerous anecdotes; she patiently attacks our preconceived notion of intelligence being the determining factor for successful people with wave upon waves of examples that makes her point for her. In fact, when she does goes to the solution phase of her book: Growing Grit from the Inside out and Growing Grit from the Outside In, she still couldn’t quite let go of her initial pedantic mode. Even as the reader has become more than convinced of her thesis, she persists in attempting to persuade the reader to accept her premise that Grit is important and desirable in our lives. It was all this reader could do to NOT scream: I get it, it is important, it is a great character trait to have and develop, get to explain the HOW and not the WHY.While I am a firm believer in letting each person develop their own methodology in teaching, it was somewhat maddening to be reading more anecdotes which illustrate her key ideas in how to train grit. In the end however, I did glean lessons on a process, I will have to apply this process experimentally and apply the scientific method to ascertain whether my guessing was correct. In the end it will probably be better for me to go through this process rather than being spoon fed a process, it doesn’t lessen the frustration. Indeed, this book was indeed a landmark achievement, I just wish that the author did not choose to follow the business book clichés and be more direct with her conjectures on the What-If’s and How’s of attaining Grit.
    • 3/5
      Overall an interesting look into a topic that has become more and more popular in public education. The idea that grit and perseverance can be one of the most important character traits to have and develop for all people, but especially young people, is fascinating and makes a great deal of sense. This book really breaks down that idea and combines simple explanations of the research with examples and interviews with famous people from all walks of life. I think this book was stretched from what could have been 100 pages into a book of almost 300 pages, but I enjoyed the many anecdotes. Good to read for parents and teachers.
    • 4/5
      I found the sections on grit plasticity and natural talent bias the most interesting.
    • 5/5
      Reading this, it quickly becomes apparent why it is a current hit among the best sellers. Duckworth has identified a critical component of success, and then elaborated on it to make it meaningful and make it stick. Ten thousand hours conveyed only part of the formula. The other part is applying the developed skills. Her work is applicable across personal success, leadership of teams, and parenting. I also valued her approach, which uses what is for me an optimal mix of concepts, research, and examples.
    • 5/5
      The book obviously talks about what Grit is - a combination of passion and perseverance. The distinction between talent and grit is illustrated rather excellently - kind of in a mathematical way. I found it easy to remember what talent, effort, skill and achievement are and how they are connected.Focusing on the assets that 'gritters' possess - interest, practice, purpose and hope seems to help people break their mediocre lives and achieve beyond their abilities. Transferring energy from their enthusiasm towards endurance has also proved to be another effective tool for greater potential of individuals.Seeing the relationship between wise parenting and grittier children was delightfully enlightening. As a parent, I'm definitely willing to learn more of what that means.As a few others have mentioned, a few parts of the book do seem repetitive - but I'm guessing the author conducted such extensive research to be sure beyond doubt.
    • 4/5
      On the pschology of success.
    • 4/5
      Generally, I agree with the theory of Grit. I think nature gives one a range and nurture helps determine where one falls in that range. I also think grit is a combination of both nature and nurture.
    • 4/5
      Seemingly, everybody has their own version of secrets of success. Angela Duckworth shares that and more in her psychological theory of achievement; only hers is backed by research study. She terms the common factor in success as “grit.” In this work, she shares a way of quantifying grit (called the Grit Scale) methods to develop it in people.At the outset, she seeks to overthrow the idea that some people are just naturally more talented and therefore succeed more. Instead, she adopts a more nuanced view that passion and perseverance are developed over time by deliberate goal-directed effort. Then she writes about how parents, teachers, and coaches can develop grit in the young. In this theory, she provides an abundant amount of real-world stories of success that illustrate these principles – stories like triumphs and failures in professional football, of excellence in military education, and of everyday people inspired to overcome obstacles.Duckworth even addresses the limitations of grit. She admits that there is more to life than just grit – such as happiness. (However, she still contends that grit and happiness have a positive correlation.) She talks about her own family – her parents and her children – and her desire to develop characteristics of grit in her children. She stops short of being a full-fledged Tiger Mom as she tries to curate independent choice-making skills in her children.Obviously, stories of success are a large part of human culture. On a stroll through almost any bookstore, one can spot numerous books on success. Few, if any, possess the depth of thought and empirical research that Duckworth’s has. For these efforts, she was awarded a recent MacArther “Genius” Grant. Few theories of success have the depth of impact that hers has either. Her interest is benevolently centered around cultivating a better life for the next generation.One could fault her on being too focused on the need to center upon one huge goal. She does not adequately deal with success stories (like Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, or Saint Augustine of Hippo) where someone changes more than one field through broader focus. Her version of grit requires a specialist’s focus. In life, however, there is room for creative generalists.Nonetheless, this treatment provides a compelling narrative of how to treat yourself and those looking up to you. I say “compelling” because it is driven by a careful study of reality and an intricate persuasive argument. Interested teachers, parents, and mentors should all give Grit a read. It’s a pleasure to work through and might just ignite some suppressed dreams into reaching their own realities.