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Top positive review
43 people found this helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsYou're not fated to be mediocre
ByMike Earlon July 16, 2014
Coyle brings an empowering, exciting message to us: that we can grow our own greatness. That our skills are not fixed; they're not inherited or inherent inside of our DNA. I can't help but wish my parents had known the concepts of this book when I struggled with my baseball swing in 8th grade. But, I'm thankful to have this message known to me as a 31-year old -- both for my own growth of talent, and for how I will raise my future children.
After writing a draft of this glowing review, I decided to read the most helpful critical review of the book, as penned by Ronald Forbes. In many ways, his review was accurate, and also somewhat persuasive. In light of his review, I have tempered my own review and rating, down from 5 stars to 4 stars. To summarize, Forbes rightly points out that Coyle's book is more "pop journalism" (which I have no problem with...it helps keep this book interesting, and from being bogged down in scientific jargon), and he says the book's claims are nothing new. But if an author can present old ideas in a fresh way that can help us change our behaviors, then he should be commended for it!
This is the kind of book that you cannot help telling your friends and family about. Over the several weeks during which I read this book, I brought aspects of the book up in at least half a dozen conversations. It's a fun book. And you learn a lot.
I'm not skilled in science, so I'm not going to try to summarize what the heck myelin is. Basically, it's stuff in your brain that grows as you develop skill in ANY given area of life. So, Coyle tries to help us explain how to grow more myelin in our brains.
Coyle's three keys to growing talent:
1) Deep Practice - when I go out and play 18 holes, this is about as far from deep practice as you can get. Why? Because deep practice is all about fixing mistakes. You can do that on the driving range or the putting green, but not on the course (well, not easily, anyway). Think about it: how much time does the average golfer spend playing vs. practicing? 5-to-1? 10-to-1? Or any other sport or skill, for that matter.
The concept of deep practice is not about practicing for countless hours each day; instead, most of the talent hotbeds profiled in the book had pupils training less than e hours per day. But the 3 hours of practice at these hotbeds has exponentially greater yield than regular practice.
Deep practice is about struggling to get better. When we have to grapple with a weakness in our game, we can get to a point of breakthrough. "Experts practice differently and more strategically. When they fail, they don't blame it on luck or themselves. They have a strategy they can fix." (p 86).
2) Ignition - at some point in each of our lives, we watch a friend or colleague shoot to the moon (in some specific area of life or work), and we wonder, "how did he do that?" What switch was flipped in his brain? When we see it happen to someone just like us, it gives a sense that we could acquire that particular talent, whether it be a tennis swing, an ability to remodel a home, or learn to play the violin.
Coyle writes, "Ignition is about the set of signals and subconscious forces that create our identity; the moments that lead us to say that is who I want to be." He looks all over the globe to study how talent hotbeds were ignited: South Korean female golfers, Russian tennis players, Brazilian soccer players, Curaçaon baseball players, to a charter school that started in Houston. These are great stories; fun to share with friends.
3) Master Coaching - this doesn't mean you need some expensive, elite, impossible-to-access, famous coach. Nope, you just need a coach that has loads of experience, plenty of passion, and a knack for connecting interpersonally with his students.
"Master coaches aren't like heads of state. Their personality--their core skill circuit--is to be more like farmers: careful, deliberate cultivators of myelin." (165)
My 3 greatest takeaways from the book:
1) Praise your children for their hard work, not for their intelligence or their innate abilities. If they make the connection between hard work and increasing skill, they will be increasingly motivated to work hard, which therefore leads to more talent. An upward cycle, if you will.
2) Savor the struggle. When my slice is really acting up on the golf course, view it as a mountain to be conquered. Zone in and do whatever it takes to correct that circuitry.
3) Don't complain and envy those with more talent than me. Instead, use it as motivation and say, "If he can do it, so can I."
After writing a draft of this glowing review, I decided to read the most helpful critical review of the book, as penned by Ronald Forbes. In many ways, his review was accurate, and also somewhat persuasive. In light of his review, I have tempered my own review and rating, down from 5 stars to 4 stars. To summarize, Forbes rightly points out that Coyle's book is more "pop journalism" (which I have no problem with...it helps keep this book interesting, and from being bogged down in scientific jargon), and he says the book's claims are nothing new. But if an author can present old ideas in a fresh way that can help us change our behaviors, then he should be commended for it!
This is the kind of book that you cannot help telling your friends and family about. Over the several weeks during which I read this book, I brought aspects of the book up in at least half a dozen conversations. It's a fun book. And you learn a lot.
I'm not skilled in science, so I'm not going to try to summarize what the heck myelin is. Basically, it's stuff in your brain that grows as you develop skill in ANY given area of life. So, Coyle tries to help us explain how to grow more myelin in our brains.
Coyle's three keys to growing talent:
1) Deep Practice - when I go out and play 18 holes, this is about as far from deep practice as you can get. Why? Because deep practice is all about fixing mistakes. You can do that on the driving range or the putting green, but not on the course (well, not easily, anyway). Think about it: how much time does the average golfer spend playing vs. practicing? 5-to-1? 10-to-1? Or any other sport or skill, for that matter.
The concept of deep practice is not about practicing for countless hours each day; instead, most of the talent hotbeds profiled in the book had pupils training less than e hours per day. But the 3 hours of practice at these hotbeds has exponentially greater yield than regular practice.
Deep practice is about struggling to get better. When we have to grapple with a weakness in our game, we can get to a point of breakthrough. "Experts practice differently and more strategically. When they fail, they don't blame it on luck or themselves. They have a strategy they can fix." (p 86).
2) Ignition - at some point in each of our lives, we watch a friend or colleague shoot to the moon (in some specific area of life or work), and we wonder, "how did he do that?" What switch was flipped in his brain? When we see it happen to someone just like us, it gives a sense that we could acquire that particular talent, whether it be a tennis swing, an ability to remodel a home, or learn to play the violin.
Coyle writes, "Ignition is about the set of signals and subconscious forces that create our identity; the moments that lead us to say that is who I want to be." He looks all over the globe to study how talent hotbeds were ignited: South Korean female golfers, Russian tennis players, Brazilian soccer players, Curaçaon baseball players, to a charter school that started in Houston. These are great stories; fun to share with friends.
3) Master Coaching - this doesn't mean you need some expensive, elite, impossible-to-access, famous coach. Nope, you just need a coach that has loads of experience, plenty of passion, and a knack for connecting interpersonally with his students.
"Master coaches aren't like heads of state. Their personality--their core skill circuit--is to be more like farmers: careful, deliberate cultivators of myelin." (165)
My 3 greatest takeaways from the book:
1) Praise your children for their hard work, not for their intelligence or their innate abilities. If they make the connection between hard work and increasing skill, they will be increasingly motivated to work hard, which therefore leads to more talent. An upward cycle, if you will.
2) Savor the struggle. When my slice is really acting up on the golf course, view it as a mountain to be conquered. Zone in and do whatever it takes to correct that circuitry.
3) Don't complain and envy those with more talent than me. Instead, use it as motivation and say, "If he can do it, so can I."
Top critical review
One person found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsGood quick read - looking forward to The Culture Code
ByKate Con December 16, 2017
This was a quick read for a lazy weekend. The stories are fascinating but there is a lot of information that I have come across in other books about learning (both student and adult). Coyle presentes in a new way, however, and the review is aleáis helpful. Looking forward to The Culture Code!
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ByHerman Jacksonon August 16, 2009
With 34 reviews already written for this book I can only justify writing another if I think I have something to say that hasn't been said by other reviewers.
I have spent most of my adult life teaching, in universities and in industry. Through it all I have always sought better ways to perform the task of getting a concept or a bit of understanding from my head into that of someone else. And I've also often struggled with getting it into my own head, and many times I have struggled with getting from the novice stage to one of mastery of a concept or skill.
Bear with me as I attempt to set the stage for your understanding what I am trying to say. Being a scientist I'll approach the topic from the viewpoint of a scientist. In science research, or the organization of existing research, is usually done either to (a) support (i.e. to "prove") a hypothesis or (b) to disprove a hypothesis. Coyle's approach in "The Talent Code" is the former - he is assembling evidence in an attempt to prove that myelin is the "key" to developing talent. That's fine, but what I am most interested in is that he has assembled a large amount of data concerning development of talent. We don't have to accept his hypothesis to make use of his data.
The myelin sheath effectively makes some neuronal connections more effective than others; that is undeniable. Thus it is unarguably an important factor in speed of transmission. That, along with details of the chemistry of neurotransmitters, neuronal connections, the function of glial cells, and an infinitude of factors unknown collectively make up the "key" to developing talent.
I'm heading toward a strong recommendation of this book. How can I get there when I've just buried the author's theory, the basis for the book, in a pile of other factors that I consider to be of potentially equal or greater importance? The answer is simple. Coyle has assembled a sequence of steps that he argues does lead to maximization of talent. And he backs up that assemblage of steps with enough examples to leave little doubt about the general "correctness" of his argument. Whether one accepts or rejects Coyle's explanation the steps that he argues leads to talent development clearly work.
Who will benefit from reading this book, and why? If you are a teacher or a learner you can benefit greatly in the direct application of his observations to your daily work. If you want or need to develop a talent in yourself Coyle gives a blueprint for how to do that. If you are interested in the "myelin viewpoint" you'll get a reasonably complete view of that. If you want to know the "answer" to the question of the biology/chemistry of how talent is developed, this isn't the place to find it though you'll see one such hypothesis developed in some detail.
In short, I recommend reading the book with the mindset that if you follow the prescription you'll get the desired results. If he's correct in that myelin is the magic ingredient so be it. If he's wrong, you'll still have the results, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
I have spent most of my adult life teaching, in universities and in industry. Through it all I have always sought better ways to perform the task of getting a concept or a bit of understanding from my head into that of someone else. And I've also often struggled with getting it into my own head, and many times I have struggled with getting from the novice stage to one of mastery of a concept or skill.
Bear with me as I attempt to set the stage for your understanding what I am trying to say. Being a scientist I'll approach the topic from the viewpoint of a scientist. In science research, or the organization of existing research, is usually done either to (a) support (i.e. to "prove") a hypothesis or (b) to disprove a hypothesis. Coyle's approach in "The Talent Code" is the former - he is assembling evidence in an attempt to prove that myelin is the "key" to developing talent. That's fine, but what I am most interested in is that he has assembled a large amount of data concerning development of talent. We don't have to accept his hypothesis to make use of his data.
The myelin sheath effectively makes some neuronal connections more effective than others; that is undeniable. Thus it is unarguably an important factor in speed of transmission. That, along with details of the chemistry of neurotransmitters, neuronal connections, the function of glial cells, and an infinitude of factors unknown collectively make up the "key" to developing talent.
I'm heading toward a strong recommendation of this book. How can I get there when I've just buried the author's theory, the basis for the book, in a pile of other factors that I consider to be of potentially equal or greater importance? The answer is simple. Coyle has assembled a sequence of steps that he argues does lead to maximization of talent. And he backs up that assemblage of steps with enough examples to leave little doubt about the general "correctness" of his argument. Whether one accepts or rejects Coyle's explanation the steps that he argues leads to talent development clearly work.
Who will benefit from reading this book, and why? If you are a teacher or a learner you can benefit greatly in the direct application of his observations to your daily work. If you want or need to develop a talent in yourself Coyle gives a blueprint for how to do that. If you are interested in the "myelin viewpoint" you'll get a reasonably complete view of that. If you want to know the "answer" to the question of the biology/chemistry of how talent is developed, this isn't the place to find it though you'll see one such hypothesis developed in some detail.
In short, I recommend reading the book with the mindset that if you follow the prescription you'll get the desired results. If he's correct in that myelin is the magic ingredient so be it. If he's wrong, you'll still have the results, and that's nothing to sneeze at.
51 people found this helpful
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ByBrad Kearnson July 6, 2009
This was an absolutely fantastic book where Coyle compiled extensive research into a concise, extremely clear and entertaining guidebook that describes powerfully how talent is made. I believe this is a breakthrough book that will help dispel the popular but flawed notions that talent is simply a product of genetics + environment.
Anyone who is a coach or performer will benefit tremendously from this work. Coyle reports that he spent two years traveling and researching the book, and its clear that his efforts benefit the reader with an excellent summary of what could become an overly complex topic. There is a bit of topic crossover with Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, but I believe this book is better. Some of Gladwell's premises seem to be pulled out of thin air and then an argument constructed to support them (eg - similar birthdates of top hockey players giving them an advantage by being older in the youth age divisions is a weak argument in my opinion). Coyle engages in no such shortcuts. He explains the theories methodically and refraining from making editorial conclusions that are not supported with enough research or expert commentary.
I do agree that Coyle has glossed over the importance of some genetic factors, both physical and mental, in favor of highlighting the development of myelin in the nervous system as the end all to becoming talented. There are people that can pick up a golf club or tennis racquet and become competent immediately, owing to remarkable and rare genetic gifts. And there are people who can received detailed instruction, practice deeply as detailed in the book, and hit an performance ceiling lower than they hope.
Similarly, the discussion of "Ignition" - igniting the passion to engage in Deep Practice, focuses on environmental factors like coaches, being surrounded by successful people, being low in the birth order or having traumatic circumstances like death or parent to "drive" one to achieve. I think some of this is reaching just to advance a theory...There are plenty of only children, eldest siblings, and kids with privileged backgrounds who have high "Ignition". Look at Kobe Bryant for one. Nevertheless, the entertainment value of the work is excellent and provocative, even if you may have a counter-opinion.
This book comes on the heels of another Coyle book I greatly enjoyed, "Lance Armstrong's War" from 2005.
Anyone who is a coach or performer will benefit tremendously from this work. Coyle reports that he spent two years traveling and researching the book, and its clear that his efforts benefit the reader with an excellent summary of what could become an overly complex topic. There is a bit of topic crossover with Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, but I believe this book is better. Some of Gladwell's premises seem to be pulled out of thin air and then an argument constructed to support them (eg - similar birthdates of top hockey players giving them an advantage by being older in the youth age divisions is a weak argument in my opinion). Coyle engages in no such shortcuts. He explains the theories methodically and refraining from making editorial conclusions that are not supported with enough research or expert commentary.
I do agree that Coyle has glossed over the importance of some genetic factors, both physical and mental, in favor of highlighting the development of myelin in the nervous system as the end all to becoming talented. There are people that can pick up a golf club or tennis racquet and become competent immediately, owing to remarkable and rare genetic gifts. And there are people who can received detailed instruction, practice deeply as detailed in the book, and hit an performance ceiling lower than they hope.
Similarly, the discussion of "Ignition" - igniting the passion to engage in Deep Practice, focuses on environmental factors like coaches, being surrounded by successful people, being low in the birth order or having traumatic circumstances like death or parent to "drive" one to achieve. I think some of this is reaching just to advance a theory...There are plenty of only children, eldest siblings, and kids with privileged backgrounds who have high "Ignition". Look at Kobe Bryant for one. Nevertheless, the entertainment value of the work is excellent and provocative, even if you may have a counter-opinion.
This book comes on the heels of another Coyle book I greatly enjoyed, "Lance Armstrong's War" from 2005.
ByZernon C. Roberts, JD, LLMon February 8, 2016
Daniel Coyle has created a real gem of a book with "The Talent Code". Don't allow the easy flowing narrative style of the book (based on Daniel's own initial research query) to lull you into missing the profundity of what the author discovered during his personal journey to find the core of what is behind extremely talented individuals. One of the hot current buzzwords regarding the human brain is: "neuroplasticity". You do not however have to study dense textbooks or jargon-filled journals on neuroscience in order to get up to speed on what scientists are now discovering about the plasticity of our brains (and "mind" [a meta-network of intelligence]). Mr. Coyle provides a more direct and potentially life-altering approach. Humans learn from hearing stories, and this book is full of little first-hand account "case histories". The book is not devoid of science, however. The epilogue covers the "myelin world". Myelin is a neural insulator, which is related to how we acquire complex skills. Practicing a skill over, and over (e.g., shooting hoops, or playing the violin), makes your myelin get thicker. If you want to develop your full potential---get this book!!!
ByjCSon April 29, 2015
An excellent book!! It is well-researched and well-written!! It is a must read for anyone who works with "talent"!! I am a retired music educator and felt vindicated with things I had taught-- according to Coyle I was doing it correctly. I bought a copy for my son who coaches Basketball as I knew he would benefit!! The only question left unanswered for me was -- why do some 8 year olds( fill in your favorite age!! ) CHOOSE to spend an inordinate amount of time practicing piano, or basketball ( fill in your favorite "talent" ) instead of watching television, or chasing girls ( fill in your favorite pastime! )-- how is answered superbly, why is not. Read this book!!!
BySergio Sedason November 22, 2013
The talent code is about Mylene - a substance in your brain that is in great part responsible for you learning and succeding in new tasks and a new job or position.
I found it interesting to confirm that the only way to learn and become a master is to push against what you fail. Intentionally face adversity. Whether this adversity is called a video game, a new job, a new challenge or something you are not good at doing. Persistence and Intention will activate Mylene and take you there.
An interesting book backed up by research. Great job to Daniel Coyle.
I found it interesting to confirm that the only way to learn and become a master is to push against what you fail. Intentionally face adversity. Whether this adversity is called a video game, a new job, a new challenge or something you are not good at doing. Persistence and Intention will activate Mylene and take you there.
An interesting book backed up by research. Great job to Daniel Coyle.
ByAlejandro Tornatoon July 7, 2017
An excellent book for anybody who wants to know more what is behind talent. The overall information in the book was indeed very valuable to me because it was backed up with research. Lots of examples makes the reading extremely enjoyable.
ByEd S.on March 21, 2016
My drawing teacher suggested I read this book and I loved it. It is a great book about how people learn skills. Lots of interesting stories and research on the topic of how people learn skills. An invaluable read for teachers, parents, or for anyone that wants to get better at something.
ByRobert Beattieon January 20, 2011
I agree with the Tom Peters quote on the cover of Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code, ". . . you will not read a more important and useful book . . . ."
Coyle's book led me to read Colvin's Talent is Overrated, Dweck's Mindset, Shenk's The Genius in All of Us, Howe's Genius Explained, Gladwell's Outliers, and many other sources on the topic of acquiring talent including K. Anders Ericsson's seminal research. I became so absorbed that I read books and articles on this topic when I was told I should be doing other things.
Whatever I read, I always came back to reading Coyle. He's a wonderful researcher and writer. He wrote a wonderful, inspiring, optimistic book. Highest recommendation.
Robert Beattie
New York Times bestselling author
Coyle's book led me to read Colvin's Talent is Overrated, Dweck's Mindset, Shenk's The Genius in All of Us, Howe's Genius Explained, Gladwell's Outliers, and many other sources on the topic of acquiring talent including K. Anders Ericsson's seminal research. I became so absorbed that I read books and articles on this topic when I was told I should be doing other things.
Whatever I read, I always came back to reading Coyle. He's a wonderful researcher and writer. He wrote a wonderful, inspiring, optimistic book. Highest recommendation.
Robert Beattie
New York Times bestselling author
5.0 out of 5 starsthis is so helpful in providing insight to develop my own skill and to be a better instructor. Easy to read
BySamantha Hayeson August 19, 2018
I’m a musician and piano teacher, this is so helpful in providing insight to develop my own skill and to be a better instructor. Easy to read, engaging, and thoroughly researched. Will probably be reading this like it’s the Bible.
BySean Brownon September 19, 2009
As a pole vault coach and strength and conditioning specialist, I found this book to be very insightful. Daniel Coyle brings clarity to the process of technical mastery through science and research, all the while taking the reader on an adventure around the globe to "talent hotbeds" giving a firsthand look as to why particular groups are excelling in their craft, even despite sub optimal conditions.
Prior to reading The Talent Code, I knew as a coach "for the most part" what things worked and what did not, but there was always a tendency for experimentation just to see if this or that could be even more effective. This search to discover more effective coaching techniques had the best of intentions but was essentially a form of guesswork. After reading the book, I realize how this could not only be ineffective but possibly disruptive to the learning process. On the other hand, the book validated particular coaching techniques I use that are effective and have worked for me in the past, but now I have a greater understanding as to why, so naturally I will continue to put more emphasis on these techniques in the future.
After reading The Talent Code I am now moving forward with a stronger sense of certainty as to what is necessary for achieving technical mastery. I highly recommend this book to any coach, athlete, or artist looking to better themselves through a deeper understanding of how we go about learning and the process of skill acquisition.
Prior to reading The Talent Code, I knew as a coach "for the most part" what things worked and what did not, but there was always a tendency for experimentation just to see if this or that could be even more effective. This search to discover more effective coaching techniques had the best of intentions but was essentially a form of guesswork. After reading the book, I realize how this could not only be ineffective but possibly disruptive to the learning process. On the other hand, the book validated particular coaching techniques I use that are effective and have worked for me in the past, but now I have a greater understanding as to why, so naturally I will continue to put more emphasis on these techniques in the future.
After reading The Talent Code I am now moving forward with a stronger sense of certainty as to what is necessary for achieving technical mastery. I highly recommend this book to any coach, athlete, or artist looking to better themselves through a deeper understanding of how we go about learning and the process of skill acquisition.
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