by Angela Duckworth ★★★★★
I primarily read fiction, and when I turn to non-fiction, it's usually a memoir or focused on a historical event. I rarely read self-help books or books on business, mostly because they all tend to follow the same formula:
a short, catchy title, followed by a long subtitle;
a hypothesis that seems self-evident...and upon reading, I find that it is;
a bunch of witty stories and anecdotes related to the topic that entertain, but don't typically tend to make one think;
and a premise that could likely be conveyed in, at most a few dozen pages, that is bloated into 250-300 to pass the "weight test" for publishing.
So, knowing that about me, evoke a proper amount of surprise to learn that I found myself simultaneously reading not one but two such books: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, and Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Short, catchy title, followed by a long subtitle? Check (x2)! Witty stories and anecdotes? You better believe it. A hypothesis that seems self-evident? Well, let's get into that...
While I normally wouldn't read two similar books simultaneously, Atomic Habits was for a work discussion and Grit was my book club's selection for the month, so it was unavoidable. It also meant that I couldn't help but find myself comparing the two books.
First, this is the last you'll see of Atomic Habits on Barlin's Books. Author James Clear's hypothesis is, quite frankly, clear: making small incremental changes and sticking with those small changes over time lead to big results. Well, of course -- who would argue with that? Unless, of course, you choose the wrong habit. Then, it's the definition of insanity. So, I'm not fully bought into the premise. But plenty of people struggle with the enormity of making a significant change, which is probably why Atomic Habits is a bestseller. I thought it was fine, mostly because it felt like Clear's message was crystal clear after the first 4-5 chapters.
But I am reviewing Grit...because it was awesome.
I started the read with my usual healthy dose of skepticism for these types of books, as noted above. But where most books like this plod along and seem to belabor the same point, author Angela Duckworth does a tremendous job of laying out her hypothesis, and then explores that concept in a variety of ways.
To put it simply, Duckworth contends that "grittiness" -- or the combination of passion plus perseverance -- is the most essential quality for success. She examines this in sports, education, business, parenting and beyond, and provides commentary and perspective from leaders in those fields ("paragons of grit", as she calls them). She presents information clearly, and she backs it up with evidence from surveys and scientific studies. However, while she's obviously passionate about the subject -- she's made the study of grit and grittiness her life's work -- she also is not such an evangelist that she comes across as one-sided.
Rather than focus solely on examples to prove her point (don't worry, there are plenty), she also challenges the hypothesis, and explores different points of view to help demonstrate the solidity of her position. She also shows how starkly different approaches can lead to success as long as grit is the enabling engine. Duckworth even acknowledges the areas where there is not yet enough scientific research to fully subscribe to a position, which I appreciated. It's rare to see someone who is so fully committed to a subject highlight that there are still areas in which she wished she had more data and a greater level of expertise.
Not everyone is naturally gritty, but grittiness can be cultivated. And if I look at the most successful people I know, almost all of them share the qualities and drive that Duckworth gives words to in Grit. I'm sure my enjoyment of the book was helped by the fact that I fully agreed with most of what I read, and it helps that I have a pretty high "grittiness" score (you can test yourself here). I also suspect the "I agree with that too!" reaction is how other books of this nature develop an evangelical following. Don't label me a full disciple, but I do think it would be worthwhile for many to give this a read and see if it resonates.
Next Best of 2023: #9 - Exiles