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Grit

the Power of Passion and Perseverance
Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Surrey Libraries.
CarleeMcDot
May 14, 2019CarleeMcDot rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I had seen some of my friends reading this book so I thought I'd grab it from the library. As with most books, the only thing I really knew about the book was the title (and that friends enjoyed it). The premise of the book is that the "secret" behind achievement is not necessarily talent, but a mix of passion and persistence (which she calls "grit"). The author is a researcher so the book is filled with quite a bit of data and research, but I didn't feel as though it was boring or hard to get through. Some of the points she made weren't rocket science (people who like the task that they are doing tend to do it better than people who don't or hard work and perseverance can overcome a lack of talent), but the book did a great job at putting everything together to see how it relates to success. Angela (and her research) believes that someone's "grit score" has the power to predict who will stick with something and see it through till the end. She believes you can grow your grit either from the inside out (by cultivating interests, practicing, finding a deeper purpose and getting back up when you've been knocked down) or from the outside in (with the help of a supportive environment and culture). I felt as though this book was equal parts informative and motivating - although at times I felt like some of the information could have been streamlined or cut shorter and it would have still made its point. If you don't have the time to read the book, I'd suggest watching Angela's six minute TED talk because it touches on most of the research presented in the book. I would give it a 7 out of 10.