Book Review - “Grit”

"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth is a captivating and insightful book that explores the key characteristics of success and the role that grit plays in achieving it.

Duckworth, a renowned psychologist and researcher, defines grit as "perseverance and passion for long-term goals, working strenuously towards challenges, and maintaining effort and interest over years despite failures, adversity, and plateaus." She argues that grit is a better predictor of success than talent or intelligence, and that it is something that can be developed and nurtured over time. She also explores the various factors that contribute to grit, such as mindset, deliberate practice, and resilience. Duckworth provides practical advice on how to create environments that foster grit, and how to inspire and motivate others to develop their own grit.

There’s some chunks of mathematics in this book, which I love, but overall it explores how skills are a product of talent and effort, and that achievement is a product of skills and effort. Note how effort is counted twice? Without effort, your talent is nothing more than your unmet potential.

One of the things that I appreciate most about "Grit" is that it is both evidence-based and practical. Duckworth distills complex research findings into easy-to-understand concepts and actionable advice. She also provides a range of self-assessment tools and exercises that readers can use to reflect on their own levels of grit and develop strategies for improvement.

If mathematics isn’t quite your thing then at least remember this; fall seven, rise eight. That is grit, and this book will help you grow yours.