Book Review 2024.18: Grit, Why Passion and resilience are the secrets to success, Angela Duckworth, Paperback, 2016 -December 21, 2024
This is a very essential book at the current phase of my life, where in the last two years I have started more projects and given up midway without completing it than in the last four decades of my life combined. The appeal of this book is in its ability to educate the reader in an engaging mode on Grit, while at the same time providing them specific concepts to adopt for practice; the ideal blend for an education cum self-help book, where you have hints for practice of what you have learnt.
Debating various contentious issues for the layman like nature vs nurture, or its more practical implication talent vs hard work, authoritative vs permissive parenting, value of extra-curricular activities in development of a person, the author for me at least settles these issues with convincing rationale based on psychological research carried out in the USA in the last century. A key element in these research narratives is the insight the author provides to the reader for drawing their own conclusion by highlighting the underlying concepts that the reader can validate for themselves with their own experience.
The author deconstructed grit into its four elements of passion, practice, purpose and hope helping us understand this concept at a deeper lever. Further, each one of these elements are analyzed into their components giving a clear view of how grit can be constructed. In particular I found the concept of Deliberate Practice broken down to its four components of a medium-term goal, stretch targets for daily practice focused on an area of weakness, maintaining accurate record of performance and using a mentor/coach for identifying your weakness and working on rectifying it, was useful for immediate practice.
The book is primarily addressed to the “parent”, used in a much broader concept of anyone interested in the welfare of another individual like a mentor, coach or leader of a team or business in how they can create a conducive environment for their “child” to realize their potential. I found the emphasis placed on the need for a role model and a supportive but demanding environment valuable lesson.
I recommend this book at all parents, business leaders, coaches, and mentors as I am sure they will find many concepts in this book ideal for adoption, as the author has used examples from different spheres like business, sports and artists. On reflection, I feel that book will be able to help me “parent” the “child” in me as I seek to become better, improving myself every day.
Happy Reading for all those seeking to improve themselves and people around them.
