A New York Times bestselling author explores cutting-edge brain science to learn where talent comes from, how it grows—and how we can make ourselves smarter.
How does a penniless Russian tennis club with one indoor court create more top 20 women players than the entire United States? How did a small town in rural Italy produce the dozens of painters and sculptors who ignited the Italian Renaissance? Why are so many great soccer players from Brazil?
Where does talent come from, and how does it grow?
New research has revealed that myelin, once considered an inert form of insulation for brain cells, may be the holy grail of acquiring skill. Journalist Daniel Coyle spent years investigating talent hotbeds, interviewing world-class practitioners (top soccer players, violinists, fighter, pilots, artists, and bank robbers) and neuroscientists. In clear, accessible language, he presents a solid strategy for skill acquisition—in athletics, fine arts, languages, science or math—that can be successfully applied through a person’s entire lifespan.
Talents develop when a specific type of practice gradually changes the habitual paths electrical impulses take through the nerve cells all over our bodies. Practice without consistency or passion doesn't produce the physical changes needed for new skills to become wired in. Effective practice occurs only when we are intensely focused on what we're learning, when the practice is "ignited" by a powerful desire, and when it is guided by a skilled teacher who dispenses advice expertly and has a strong connection with the student. John Farrell is an enthusiastic interpreter of this seminal personal growth book. Without sounding like he's selling or cheerleading, he lays out the technical information and fascinating case histories with unwavering respect for the author's contribution to adult learning theory. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence...
'I only wish I'd never before used the words 'breakthrough' or 'breathtaking' or 'magisterial' or 'stunning achievement' or 'your world will never be the same after you read this book.' Then I could be using them for the first and only time as I describe my reaction to Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code. I am even willing to 'guarantee' that you will not read a more important and useful book in 2009, or pretty much any other year. And if all that's not enough, it's also 'a helluva good read.'
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