Close

Login

Lost Password     Register

Close

Register

Lost Password     Login

Close

Lost Password

Login     Register

Book Review

Purchase Book at Amazon.com

Publisher's Note:

The #1 New York Times bestseller that has all America talking—with a new afterword on expanding your range—as seen on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, and more. *Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award* Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule. David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves fur…

This review may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, then Compass Book Ratings may earn a small commission.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

by David Epstein

Reviewer: Cindy M
Genre: Non-Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+

Overall Book Review:

Range is a fascinating consolidation of data, studies, real-life examples, and insights into what primes individuals and teams to excel in a complex world. Contrary to current trends and common perceptions, author David Epstein makes a compelling case for the value of the generalist rather than the specialist. This definitely runs counter to the world we live in where specialization is king and every job opening is looking for someone with deep experience rather than wide experience. The examples provided are detailed and complex, so this isn’t fluff reading. At the same time, the examples are relevant and super intriguing so that keeps the book from being dry and helps it go down easy. You may find yourself reading excerpts to people and launching into a discussion on a regular basis.

Ultimately, the book provides not only inspiration for employers and teams on how they can successfully find solutions for problems that seem insurmountable, but it provides hope to those individuals who are late bloomers or took a meandering path in life. That meandering was not wasteful, but provides meaningful experience that just might be the game-changer for the next problem or opportunity. Range is an engaging and useful read for individuals, academia, and business leaders. A highly recommended read!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 2 religious exclamations; 1 religious profanity.

Violence/Gore: References to historical events where deaths occurred (e.g. wildfire fighters, The Challenger explosion).

Sex/Nudity: One reference to sex workers in context of an example.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death (Reference to historical events that had fatalities).

Alcohol/Drug Use:

None

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
2
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
1
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
2
10

Share This Post

About the Reviewer

Cindy M
An accountant and CPA by profession, I found myself a book reviewer for Squeaky Clean Reads by happenstance. When the opportunity came to transform that website into Compass Book Ratings, I was excited to seize it and meld my business background with my love of books. As the mother of three teenage sons, I have read a large number of children and young adult books and I believe that there is great value in a content review service. As much as we would love to read everything our children read, there just isn’t enough time. I also appreciate being able to select books for myself that are really worth my precious and limited reading time. I believe there is a book out there for everyone–they just have to find it!

Share Compass Book Ratings