Book review: Talent is Overrated

Two important books have been published based on some of the same research, both claiming that success is more about practice than talent. Geoff Colvin is the senior editor of Fortune and has gathered the research into an easily readable and valuable book that claims that the 10000 hour rules. Practice 20 hours a week for ten years and voilà you will master the skill you wish. Even Mozart did not write his best work before that period of time. We all know the story of Tiger Woods whose father started him off on golf at the age of 18 months. As the subtitle of the book says, “What really separates world class performers from everybody else” is deliberate practice. This is a message for both individuals and businesses. In the business world think about how seldom employees are encouraged to develop world class skills. So, stop reading and start practicing.

The other related book is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.