Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Psychologist Angela Duckworth coined the concept of “grit” when studying outcomes of the U.S. Military Academy’s orientation. She sought to understand what factor led some to succeed in the highly rigorous environment while others abandoned it. Epstein defines grit as “work ethic and resilience, and […] ‘consistency of interests’” (133). However, he argues that grit can actually prevent someone from succeeding when it causes them to stick to an idea or plan they might be better off modifying or abandoning. 

Hyperspecialization is a shorthand term for sustained, focused practice commonly used in fields like sports, chess, and music to develop highly-trained experts. Epstein acknowledges that this method is suitable in many cases for some fields: “[a]t its core, all hyperspecialization is a well-meaning drive for efficiency” (286). However, he strongly resists arguments that suggest hyperspecialization is the only path to success in all fields, declaring instead that “inefficiency needs cultivating too” (286). 

Two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Gary Klein, collaborated to develop concepts that could describe achievement in more nuanced, contextually aware ways. Their concept of the “kind environment” describes those in which “instinctive pattern recognition” (20) works and in which “[p]atterns repeat over and over, and feedback is extremely accurate and usually very rapid” (20-21). Epstein latches on to this term as a way of describing fields like sports, classical music, and chess, which involve practice of patterns and rapid, easily discernable feedback. He argues that not all contexts fit this model, thus the methods of success used for them may not work in other fields or situations. 

Lateral thinking is a concept developed in research on psychology and creativity. As Epstein defines it, lateral thinking involves “the reimagining of information in new contexts, including the drawing together of seemingly disparate concepts or domains that can give old ideas new uses” (193). Epstein discusses the concept as used by Gunpei Yokoi of Nintendo, who practiced “lateral thinking with withered technology,” thinking creatively about how older technologies could be leveraged in innovative ways (197). For Epstein, the lateral thinking used by Yokoi and others shows how flexibility and creativity can lead to success. 

Epstein defines match quality as “a term economists use to describe the degree of fit between the work someone does and who they are—their abilities and proclivities” (128). He discusses it in Chapter 6, explaining that sometimes what looks like failure or quitting can actually be a sign of a move toward an occupation or goal better suited to an individual. In using this term, Epstein strengthens his argument that quitting or failure can often be a positive experience. 

Throughout Range, Epstein is curious about ways non-experts achieve success in fields and ways experts seek fresh perspectives on areas well known to them. He defines outside-in thinking as “finding solutions in experiences far outside of focused training for the problem itself” (173). For Epstein, the ability to look at problems from a fresh perspective leads to a real advantage and helps avoid the issues that arise when fields and institutions become overly bureaucratic, static, and closed. 

The term “range” is not actually used frequently throughout Epstein’s book. However, he titles his book Range, signaling that the concept is of central importance to it. What Epstein calls “range” at the end of his introduction refers to the capacity for flexibility, appreciation for diversity, accommodation of failure, and the opportunity to explore possibilities, slow growth, and related ideas (14). These capacities are integral to the anecdotes and research Epstein discusses throughout his book. 

Many experts and researchers studying high achievement refer to the ten-thousand-hour rule, which argues that “the number of accumulated hours of highly specialized training is the sole factor in skill development, no matter the domain” (5). The rule describes methods used in fields like classical music, sports, and chess, in which repetition of set patterns over a long period of study is seen as the roadmap for achievement. Epstein’s Range argues consistently against this concept. The book’s chapters marshal numerous examples of and research supporting how flexibility, diversity, exploration, play, and similar ideas are alternative paths to success.