The most powerful theme to emerge from that book is that society has a notion that it can recognize talent in individuals. This wholesale practice has distracted us from the idea that "talent" is to a large extent nurtured.


The book analyzes how groups of people are routinely subdivided into individuals with greater or lesser experience. The book highlights the idea that within any pool of candidates the individuals with the most experience are recognized as having the most "talent". The people who are identified for some particluar talent find themselves in yet another pool that is once again subdivided. In each case, the effect of selection and nurturing resonates and amplifies the talent of those with the greatest experience.

The book points out how arbitrary systems and schedules can serve to divide pools of candidates into groupings that become inefficient at nurturing talent.

For example; The annual periods that we observe for many activities creates a very wide range of experience amongst groups defined by age. Some activities place comparisons on constituents whose level of experience may vary by a whole years duration. These systems are so large that they produce more losers than winners.

The author points out and suggests that many of these activities can be scheduled with shorter periods so as to narrow the range of experience amongst user groups.

The simple act of narrowing the range of experience will alter the balance of successful to marginal outcome with an emphasis on success.

The idea is that this knowledge may be used to alter the balance of society at large. The idea is that with encouragement, more people can recognize and celebrate their "talent".

The idea is that a change in infrastructure can encourage more people to work towards the 10,000 hours that makes it all happen.


It's a wonderful book in that it spotlights a problem and offers an incredibly effective solution.


best regards,
mike

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Hmmm? Hard to master anything when you are not moving (or breathing) nice one!

Though he mayb rich of the book he may have been writing for years. Surpassing the 10,000 hour mark before he wrote this book.

I am sure that very very talented people can get to that level in less hours. I wish I had enough time in the day to be practicing 5hours a day.

I tell you what I have done took it from a guy named Klassic (see you tube) Mike Kolombo. He says that when he has producers block, he produces one song per day for a month! This he says gets him through the block. So I decided to practice on the keyboard everyday for a month. At the end of the month I found no improvement. So I did not go back to it for a while. When I did I was like wow improved ten fold.

So now I know how I learn and how my little brain works lots of endeavour rest and progress.

I think I should write a book!

The idea is that a change in infrastructure can encourage more people to work towards the 10,000 hours that makes it all happen.

Interesting hypothesis, but I don't like his nice, even, base-10-influenced number. If we as a species had six fingers on each hand, the magic number would have to be  E0000=20736. 

brundlefly

The idea is that a change in infrastructure can encourage more people to work towards the 10,000 hours that makes it all happen.

Interesting hypothesis, but I don't like his nice, even, base-10-influenced number. If we as a species had six fingers on each hand, the magic number would have to be  E0000=20736. 

I have not checked your math so I'm taking on faith that you are right.

+1 for the book.  One of my favorite books of the last decade or so.

My kids and most of my friends have read it and agree.

(Sorry if this went a little off-topic--I just really think the book was fantastic).

For a curmudgeonly orthogonal point of view: Kurt Vonnegut, the short story "Harrison Bergeron" in "Welcome to the Monkey House".

mike_mccue

It's a wonderful book in that it spotlights a problem and offers an incredibly effective solution.

best regards,
mike

Thank you Mike! Nice review.

jerrypettit


+1 for the book.  One of my favorite books of the last decade or so.

My kids and most of my friends have read it and agree.

(Sorry if this went a little off-topic--I just really think the book was fantastic).

Completely ON TOPIC.
 
You just convinced me to buy the book, thanks!

I think what might be missing here is a clear understanding of what 'practice' really means.   It's a matter of neural acclimation at some point, and I believe that process has some life of its own - I can play/practice hard for weeks, then step away for weeks, and almost always notice a distinct improvement immediately on picking the guitar back up. Something continues to happen in there while I am not actively - or perhaps consciously - engaged.  Maybe it's related to the idea of mental reps, where studies have shown that imagining doing something is almost as good practice as doing it - there was a nice three way experiment with one group that practiced, one group that thought about it, and another that did nothing, and the first two showed similar improvement.  I don't see any reason why this couldn't happen unconsciously...