Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
4.6 | 12,376 ratings
Price: 15.75
Last update: 12-13-2025
Top reviews from the United States
- LFCherry-picked anecdotes and findings. With an agenda.First, I am a generalist. As a generalist, I thrive because specialists exist. Especially my doctor, who I found was a late bloomer. I was shocked to find she was not practicing medicine at the age of 5. But I guess she had a RANGE of experiences and then specialized later in life, maybe even later than Roger Federer(!), who didn't start tennis in earnest until the old age of 14. To make it to the professional levels of her field is PROOF that early specialization is a road to disaster.
I still read this book. For insomnia. It puts me to sleep in under 5 minutes. Every time.
We get it, Epstein - head start is evil and early specialization will ruin us all.
The first 4 chapters of this book (where I've stopped) are full of pseudo science and therefore uses cherry-picked sources and anecdotes, mostly from sports or artist/writer types. You know, those skills urgently needed by most blue collar workers and some white-collar professionals.
The gravest error by this author is blatantly misrepresenting the material cited.
One example of several:
In Chapter 4, he uses analysis by Greg Duncan, Drew Bailey "and colleagues" (I'll come back to that) to conclude "The cult of the head start fails the learners it seeks to serve." This is the opposite of the findings of the analysis, which he does not cite the source (analysis published via WaPo). In the source material, it is true that Duncan, et al. State head start students experience a fade-out effect on what they learn (supports the author's bias, is in the book) but then tge analysis states "benefits that persist well into adulthood: Participants graduate from high school at a higher rate, earn more, have fewer run-ins with the law and lead healthier lives than peers from similar backgrounds" (which goes against the author's agenda and not mentioned but presented as being opposed to the program). These outcomes are a far cry from saying "head start fails the learners." However, any praise of "specialization" goes against "the story."
Adding more irony, he mentions baseball several times but does not address this "national pastime" as a point of evidence. You would think the sport with a robust minor league system would be rife with examples of late bloomers. Zero examples. I guess it is because NIH has analysis that definitively states "Position players who start younger and begin their career in more recent decades all have longer and more stable careers." Hmm. Interesting how that didn't come up in his "research".
Or hockey? Uh, no. The average age NHL players start playing hockey is six or seven years old. Well, then.
Footballers (soccer): ooo! But the 2014 German National Team! If you know anything about European football, it's that 99+% of pros come through a football academy, some starting as young a under-6. It is extremely rare that the best footballers started late (as in mid-teens). Absolutely no walk-ons or sport crossovers at the top-tier senior level. For every 1 Drogba you name, I'll cite an entire team of academy players, now pro.
Well, gymnastics! Simone Biles! ...beat the odds, it seems (yay!). However, most elite gymnasts are "in fairly serious training by the age of 8 or 9 and usually start at the age of 6 or even before." Sand castles crumble.
But, as they saying goes, don't let facts get in the way of a good story.
To say one good thing about the book, the story of figlie del coro was new to me and was honestly fascinating. Rough life. Wouldn't trade for it, no doubt (which makes it curious to use - start late, live in rough conditions with no where else to go, but experience RANGE(tm)). but their story is interesting, nonetheless.
And those "colleagues"? Colleague-singular. Female. Dr. Candace Odgers. How hard is it to include one more name? But this author carefully picked and chose what went into this book... - AwesomeOneIt's a shameI was incredibly bored and stopped reading after 80 pages.
This book provides stories and stories and stories attempting to showcase that by not specializing in a skill and instead becoming much more of a generalist in a area enables people to perform much better than people who specialize.
It's the kind of book that you would buy if all you wanted was a self - fulfilling prophecy. Every story seems to have the same outcome and the same learnings and I just found it to be an incredibly boring read.
I don't feel like I learned anything which is a shame. - Wally BockA great book about learning, choosing a life’s work, and solving difficult problemsRange: Why Generalists Triumph in A Specialized World is an outstanding book. It’s just not about why generalists triumph in a specialized world. Author David Epstein says this in the conclusion to the book.
“The question I set out to explore was how to capture and cultivate the power of breadth, diverse experience, and intra-disciplinary exploration within systems that increasingly demand hyper-specialization and would have you decide what you should be before first figuring out who you are.”
In the introduction, Epstein outlines what he calls the “Tiger Model” and the “Roger Model” of achieving career success.
The “tiger” is Tiger Woods. In the Tiger Model, you specialize early and engage in deliberate practice, honing your skills and expertise.
The Roger Model is named for Roger Federer. In the Roger Model, you delay selecting a specialty until you learn more about yourself and what you do well. You have a “sampling period” where you try many things. Then, you specialize.
The business and self-development press loves the Tiger Model. The Roger Model is out of fashion. But the Roger Model works for more people and in more situations.
I was predisposed to like the Roger Model because of what I saw at my class reunions. On the day we first met, my classmates and I had plans about what we were going to do. As far as I know, only one of us stayed with that original plan and succeeded. Everyone else wound up doing something different than what we thought we would do, way back then. The rest of us switched specialties, tried different things
Range is not about how generalists succeed. It’s about learning, choosing a life’s work, and solving difficult problems. Here’s how the book is laid out.
In the first three chapters, Epstein makes his case for the Roger Model. You’ll learn about how the Tiger Model works great if you’re talking about a “kind” learning environment. In a kind learning environment patterns repeat, feedback is rapid, and there are proven methods of training. You learn to play the violin in a kind environment.
The Roger Model is best for a “wicked” learning environment. There may or may not be rules or guideless. Results are often delayed and not easy to measure. Learning to be a good manager or parent happens in a wicked environment.
Anders Ericsson's deliberate practice is perfect for kind learning environment. In a wicked environment you must change your idea of practice and redefine feedback.
Chapters four and five are about thinking and learning. You’ll pick up a lot here about how to learn effectively. The skills will help whether you’re learning a subject, like history or the best way to structure your day.
Chapters six and seven are about development, or what happens when you move beyond learning to learning as a part of making choices for yourself. In these two chapters, you’re introduced to the concept of “match quality” and how it applies to making life choices. The ideal, in Epstein’s view, is to find something that is a perfect fit for you.
In chapters eight through twelve pull things together. You learn how take what you’ve learned and apply it to problem-solving, product development, and decision-making.
In a Nutshell
You’ll love this book if you think the world is becoming over-specialized. You’ll pick up lots of ammunition for your arguments. You’ll love this book if you want to learn and think more effectively. You’ll love this book if you feel like the advice, to specialize, practice, and never give up doesn’t work for you.
You can check out some of my highlights and notes from this book on GoodReads