Instead, he proposes treating careers more the way we treat dating: try out lots of different possibilities for a while before finding the person (or career) that suits you best (131). It is, in Epstein’s analogy, like marrying your high school sweetheart: it may seem like a great idea at the time, but you have too little experience to make a smart decision (130). Knowing this, it’s possible that the subject you start out specializing in might be a poor fit for you as your disposition and interests change.įurthermore, encouraging people to specialize so early neglects the importance of exploration that’s so crucial for finding what work suits you. To start, there’s the fact that our personalities change most between age 18 and our late 20s (157). And from there, it’s about finding an internship that will help you specialize even further once you graduate and start working.Īs Epstein points out, there are a couple of problems with this drive to specialize early. When you get to college, there’s pressure to pick a major and specialize as soon as possible. By the time you’re in high school, you’re already being told to consider not just the college you want to attend, but also the major you’ll pursue.

It starts with the career assessment tests they give you in middle school. Our current educational system focuses on specializing as early as possible. Below, I present some tips that can help you learn more effectively, choose a fulfilling career, and more. Given that Range runs contrary to so many common pieces of advice about education and career development, I figured it would be useful to share some of the book’s best ideas. Drawing on a broad range of psychological and economic research, the book calls into question popular ideas such as career assessments, learning hacks, early specialization, and even grit. Therefore, I was intrigued to come across Range by David Epstein. I’ve always enjoyed books that challenge prevailing wisdom. Slow, Inefficient Learning Is Often More Effective.

Range by david epstein