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Latest Read: Range

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Wow, I found Range brimming with rich insights to the idea of specialization versus generalists. What an enjoyable read! Actually so good in fact, I read the book twice.

Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

Range examines the popular idea that specialization may actually set back our goals and abilities. Interestingly, the hook for Range is the Introduction: Roger versus Tiger. While the Introduction is easy fodder for TV interviews, radio, and podcast sessions and with the video clips below, book promotions.

However, such a well written book does not need this Roger versus Tiger segment at all. It is easy to understand why, However I wish Epstein would have left out the Introduction. It spoils the better, more powerful stories in the following chapters.

In other words, Range brings forward a lot of data to the idea that a well rounded individual can better understand issues and make critical decision versus a specialist. Generalists as Epstein reveals will benefit an organization, team or family on average, better than a specialist. But there is so much more to consider.

Epstein challenges popular specialization books from Angela Duckworth’s Grit to Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers (the 10,000 hour rule), among others regarding deliberate practice. Range suggests it is better (overall) to look past this and push yourself wider, rather than deeper. Surprisingly, Gladwell actually agrees with him.

Explore the World

Secondly, having a broad education permits students to explore many things, study a wide array of subjects, and most importantly learn to fail. To this end, Chapter 2: How the Wicked World was Made, addresses key research work of noted educator James Flynn. This leads to Epstein’s story about the value of the University of Chicago’s generalization degree:

Chicago has long prided itself on a core curriculum dedicated to interdisciplinary critical thinking. The two-year core, according to the university, “is intended as an introduction to the tools of inquiry used in every discipline—science, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences. The goal is not just to transfer knowledge, but to raise fundamental questions and to become familiar with the powerful ideas that shape our society.
Page 60-61

There is a logical position that students may indeed benefit from this approach to general studies at the bachelor level.

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Latest Read: Surveillance Valley

Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet by Yasha Levine. This book is an amazing and enlightening deep dive into the history of the US military-driven internet. Google and Facebook have become today the major players of a corporate DARPA.

Surveillance Valley

The message of Surveillance Valley is twofold: the US military has held the key, foundational role of today’s internet. After all, ARPANet, the initial ‘internet’ went into production in 1966.

The second message is the evolution of counterinsurgency from signals intelligence to Google Chrome. This will surprise many. This can be a very interesting read for our times.

At first glance this story is about Google and law enforcement surveillance within the City of Oakland. Yet, Yasha takes the reader all the way back to the Vietnam War. For instance, he lays the foundation for today’s internet to Project AGILE, an early clandestine effort to aid the French to recolonize Indochina after World War II. Likewise we did not learn from their failures.

This highly secret project launched under Truman as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), and rebranded Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Those early cyclical electronic counterinsurgency efforts in the mid-1950s failed.

In other words, the opening chapters actually provide a very detailed history lesson regarding Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. Data harvesting, aka “counterinsurgency” was flourishing in the Cold War. The impact of Sputnik and French defeats in Vietnam drove counterinsurgency efforts.

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Latest Read: Start with Why

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek helps identify an idea of a ‘golden circle’ in three consecutive rings. The Why, How, and What provide a foundation to show certain stories are successful. When measuring ‘why’ they succeeded against, in some cases overwhelming odds.

Start with Why

Simon acknowledges that many talented companies make good products. But they are also a short term success story. Simon shows how Tivo fits this example.

But only a few really understand ‘the why’ that makes their efforts timeless. These groups (or individuals) succeed beyond all expectations. Focusing on your purpose and cause you cannot only find success, but also differentiate yourself.

Above all, Simon’s story of the Wright Brothers success is a key example of ‘Why’ matters. Simon provides a vivid example of achieving success based upon the Golden Circle.

Samuel Langley worked to become the first man to fly an airplane. He was very qualified to tackle this challenge. In 1880 he invent the Bolometer. Langley was a professor of mathematics at the Naval Academy. He also worked at Harvard University. By the late 1880s, Langley was a senior officer at the Smithsonian Institution. Then the US War Department funded ($50,000 grant) his airplane project. Langley assembled a team of very talented engineers. Even Alexander Gram Bell followed Langley and photographed early test flights. So by all accounts he was gong to be the first to fly a plane.

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Latest Read: Drive

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. This is another enjoyable read and consider myself a fan of Dan’s writing. I very much enjoyed reading When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Drive’s core message is effective motivation is not by money, the old carrot and stick approach. Rather Dan asserts the true secret to achieving high performance is our own human need to control our lives. Many current business systems built long ago around the carrot-and-stick motivation does more harm than good as it turns out.

Dan shows in other words how science leads the way based upon three essential elements: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. For some reason my acronym for this PAM in reverse….but it works for me.

Above all, Drive outlines that Autonomy is our desire to direct our own lives. Mastery is our urge to be even better at something that matters to us. Purpose is our desire work in the service of something bigger than ourselves.

Motivation 3.0, the upgrade from current 2.0 (as defined by Dan) is necessary for the smooth functioning of twenty-first-century business. success in v.3.0 also requires Type I behavior: “which concerns itself less with the external rewards an activity brings and more with the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself.” He elaborates that for both professional and personal success we need to move ourselves and our co-workers from Type X to Type I.

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Latest Read: Sway The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman. Ori also wrote The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. Both are good reads and worthy of your time.

The opening chapter set the book’s tone for great learning. Why do we fall for irrational behavior? There would be no excuse for experienced, well educated professionals to stumble so badly? Are we really that close to irrational behavior that could actually endanger the lives of others?

When you want to tell a convincing story you start off with a homerun statement. This captures the attention of everyone.

Ori does this for instance, by sharing the story of an educated, deeply experienced professional. Highly regarded by colleagues both internally and from other companies as a voice of reason and industry leader.

In other words, what changes in behavior allows one to commit such an irrational action that results in the deaths of 534 people? Sway examines in chapter one the deadliest aviation disaster in history. It happened on the small island of Tenerife.

Similarly, this was one of the first investigations to conclude “human factors” as a cause. The investigation suggested his reputation, captain’s seniority, and being one of the most respected pilots working for the airline. The apparent hesitation of the flight engineer and the first officer to challenge pilot Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten contributed to the crash.

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