Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wa nts to develop a skill\, play an instrument\, or lead their field should s tart early\, focus intensely\, and rack up as many hours of deliberate pra ctice as possible. If you dabble or delay\, you&rsquo\;ll never catch up t o the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the wo rld&rsquo\;s top performers\, from professional athletes to Nobel laureate s\, shows that early specialization is the exception\, not the rule.
\nDavid Epstein examined the world&rsquo\;s most successful athletes\, ar tists\, musicians\, inventors\, forecasters\, and scientists. He discovere d that in most fields&mdash\;especially those that are complex and unpredi ctable&mdash\;generalists\, not specialists\, are primed to excel. General ists often find their path late\, juggling many interests rather than focu sing on one. They&rsquo\;re also more creative\, agile\, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can&rsquo\;t see.
\nProvoca tive\, rigorous\, and engrossing\, Range makes a compelling case for activ ely cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Fre quent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of t he skills once reserved for highly focused humans\, people who think broad ly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thri ve.
\nAbout the Author: \;David Epstein is the author of the #1& nbsp\;New York Times \;bestseller \;Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World \;and of the \;New York Times \;bestse ller \;The Sports Gene\, both of which have been translated into more than 20 languages. His writing has been honored by an array of organizatio ns\, from the National Academies of Sciences\, Engineering\, and Medicine\ , to the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Center on Di sability and Journalism\, and has been included in the Best American Scien ce and Nature Writing anthology. His story &ldquo\;Following the Trail of Broken Hearts\,&rdquo\; on sudden cardiac death in athletes\, was chosen a s one of the top 100 stories of the last 100 years by Columbia Journalism alumni. He has master&rsquo\;s degrees in environmental science and journa lism and lives in Washington\, DC.
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