Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth demonstrates to parents, educators, students, and seasoned and novice businesspeople that grit—a concentrated persistence—rather than skill is the key to remarkable performance in this book that should be read by anybody who aspires to succeed.

Why are some individuals successful while others are not? Angela Duckworth reveals fresh perspectives from her seminal study on grit and explains why brilliance is seldom a guarantee of success. Instead, other elements—like discovering our hobbies and keeping our word—may be much more significant.

Duckworth describes her circuitous path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led her to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not genius, but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. She draws on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts. Duckworth, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, established her own character lab and conducted experiments to verify her hypothesis.

Here, she immerses readers in the experiences of soldiers enduring the most trying first days at West Point, instructors working in some of the most difficult schools, and young National Spelling Bee finalists. She also reveals what may be learned from current trials in peak performance and extracts valuable historical lessons. In her last section, she discusses the lessons she's learnt from speaking with several successful people, including Pete Carroll, the coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan, and The New Yorker's cartoon editor.

Grit is a very informative, intimate, and sometimes even life-altering book about what happens to your mind when you fail and how skill or chance are not the only factors that matter.