A Book Review on “Range” by David Epstein
As I was putting together the website for “The Career Guy” I was reading “Range” by David Epstein and I thought to myself that this would be a good book to review as it deals with one particular myth regarding career development. The myth is, for a person to have a successful career they need to develop expertise in one field and that generalists are not sought after.
The author makes a strong argument that generalists are needed and that they do contribute value to businesses, projects, sports, and life in general. In addition, this book does illustrate the benefits of trying different things and the experiences gained from various endeavors can assist a person in making better career choices because they have tried different things and in doing so are more certain with their decision. In addition, this concept can also lead to a more rewarding career as a person can incorporate many of their interests.
David does point out in the book that deliberate practice, putting in as many hours as possible (10,000 hours to acquire a skill), and starting off at an early age will only benefit some. He uses Tiger Woods and Roger Federer in this example. Tiger was playing golf as early as two and Roger did not get into tennis until 15, he played other sports such as soccer. Drastic differences yet they both have won many titles and have been very successful in their sport.
He points out that in some professions where people who bring an array of knowledge from different endeavors will have a fresh perspective on things. They can be more creative; they may be more inclined to challenge that status quo and be more inclined to say the “what if” or “why are we doing it this way”. This is where innovation comes from. In addition, there are examples given that show that when dealing with uncertainty or problems that are not well defined this is where generalists do prosper. They have the ability to see the bigger picture while experts will be narrower in their view.
Students that have gone to work and have come back to upgrade their education or do a career change are not only more mature but also have a better ability to apply their knowledge to practical problems. The book points how people that have experimented and have tried different things have a better grasp of this ability.
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and younger people to hurry up; pick a career path by looking at something that interests you; then ask can you make a living with it? Attend some post-secondary and then go get a job in that field, as if it were that simple now. We do have more choices now than ever before. And there is the happiness issue as well being satisfied with what a person does for a living. There are many benefits to try many things before a person really wants to develop expertise in a chosen field. Taking our time can benefit as it is pointed out with many examples in the book.
With all the interviews I have done so far, the author is accurate in his findings. Trying different things can be the answer to finding a person’s talent. And it takes time to become certain as well, but once you do find something you will know as it does feel right. “Range” does support all this and more. Overall, it is an encouraging read by showing that it is ok to be a generalist, in fact, it should be encouraged. We have been led to believe that a person needs to be an expert in something to succeed. And yes, we do still need those people. But the demand for them has dropped off. I can attest to that with my years of employment at the University. It was becoming more challenging for researchers to get funding as agencies are looking for innovation and that comes from collaboration with others. Thinking outside the box. We should be encouraged to think laterally and broaden our experiences by doing so we may take our skills and talents into areas that have not been touched yet. This is what “Range” shows.