Epstein's Range, Karlgaard's Late Bloomers, and Boaler's Limitless Mind

One of our faculty members is a close, personal friend of David Epstein (The Sports Gene) and this teacher is extremely enthusiastic (as he should be) about Epstein’s latest non-fiction work: RANGE: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Epstein is an engaging writer who begins by contrasting the stories of Tiger and Roger – showing that Woods (the early specialist) and Federer (a generalist) achieved dominance in their sports through different philosophies.  Epstein continues by citing examples and academic studies involving music, mathematics, education, science and medicine – essentially giving his readers some broad and general exposure to his thesis. He describes participants of one study who “were perfectly capable of learning from experience, but failed at learning without experience. And [yet] that is what a rapidly changing, wicked world demands – conceptual reasoning skills that can connect new ideas and work across contexts.” Epstein repeatedly points out that frustration actually means that you are learning. RANGE has been favorably reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian and The Atlantic. I highly recommend that you add it to your reading list. Epstein has made me want to do some more exploring of the concepts (like Fermi thinking) and resources (like University of Washington’s course on Calling Bullshit) that he mentions, particularly in regards to the application for our students’ Junior Theme research. If you are looking for more ideas to stretch your mind, consider also the recent list of summer reads for educators recommended on Edutopia.

“The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement” is the subtitle for LATE BLOOMERS by Rich Karlgaard which one of our administrators has been strongly recommending. There is a great deal to discover in Karlgaard’s writing and beyond; he shares numerous anecdotes and devotes roughly a quarter of the text to notes and sources. He begins by looking at the potential consequences of how we measure and focus on achievement, especially for young people: “when so many people believe they are inferior based on a few narrow measurements made when they were children, society as a whole suffers.” Karlgaard then shifts to a chapter on the strengths of Late Bloomers: curiosity, compassion, resilience, equanimity, insight, and wisdom are all illustrated with numerous inspirational examples. One memorable quote comes from a global consultant named Don Peppers who says, “Not being curious is not only intellectually lazy, but it shows a willful contempt for the facts. If you don’t want to know the truth about something, then how moral can you claim to be?” Karlgaard also mused about the idea that almost everyone seemed to self-identify as a late bloomer and that perhaps some of the current, painful political discourse is a result of people feeling “unacknowledged, unappreciated and disrespected.” He encourages employers to take advantage of that potential, parents to “enjoy your children as they are” and for educators to better meet the needs of late bloomers. This past May, Karlgaard wrote a feature essay (adapted from his book) called “It’s Never Too Late to Start a Brilliant Career” in The Wall Street Journal where he cited many examples including the recently deceased Toni Morrison who “published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, at 39 and won a Pulitzer Prize for Beloved at 56 and the Nobel Prize in Literature five years later.” Reading LATE BLOOMERS may cause you to re-evaluate the path to long-term happiness for yourself and others.  

LIMITLESS MIND by Jo Boaler encourages us to “Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers.” Boaler is the Nomellini-Olivier Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University, and the faculty director of youcubed.  As you can see from that website, much of her work has focused on mathematics and students in the K-8 range. However, the soon to be released LIMITLESS MIND has application across ages. Boaler first debunks damaging assumptions that limit confidence and willingness to try new things. Using a fairly academic tone, she discusses neuroplasticity and then outlines six keys that deal with our growth journey, the value of mistakes, relationships between beliefs and health, multiple ways of learning, importance of creativity and flexibility over speed, and importance of connections. I especially liked this last section where she discusses how “part of the reason students give up on learning is because they find it difficult and think they are alone in their struggle.” Boaler stresses the importance of working together so that student realize that “for everyone learning is a process and that obstacles are common.” Just as I encourage my student researchers to be sure they use a variety of sources (who will they invite to that metaphorical dinner party?), Boaler also notes that “connecting with another person’s idea both requires and develops a higher level of understanding.” Her examples for schools to encourage community involvement are practical, including a profile of Shane Feldman, founder of Count Me In movement. LIMITLESS MIND is filled with inspirational stories and is worth a look as we continue to grow and “think differently.” As Boaler says, “we are all learning all the time.”