Mission & Academics Blog
Book Discussion of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
This year I have had the opportunity to sit and discuss several books with both faculty and parents. Sometimes the groups were small and intimate, other times we had a crowd. I was the one to benefit in all cases. Reading and then, socializing what you learned with others is incredibly enjoyable, meaningful, and rewarding. I hope that more and more BA parents consider joining us next year.
One book we discussed this year was Range, by David Epstein. The subtitle reads Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. It definitely challenges our conventional wisdom about how one succeeds in this world. I most appreciate that the author did not examine just one discipline… such as athletics or music or engineering but instead called on a wide spectrum of experts and fields of endeavor. Epstein makes a strong point that individuals who have had a wide range of experiences and have studied different disciplines in their lives, are better prepared to find success in the long run than those who stayed deliberately focused in one narrow area. Of course, there are exceptions to this position - we could all identify examples but the overarching message makes one see the value of a liberal arts education, or of choosing electives that might provide a whole new perspective.
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I think young people might benefit a great deal from reading this if it helps them recognize that they don’t need to know exactly where they are headed in their careers and life when they are leaving high school. Sometimes a more circuitous journey pays off - providing a wider view of how life works, what fills them with joy, what skills they have developed, and all that our wide world can offer. Epstein shares many examples of individuals who found tremendous satisfaction and made huge contributions in this world not despite their winding path but in fact, because of the many fields they had explored and from which they have gained knowledge.
Each chapter was a story - a look into another field or individual story where a broad perspective paid off. Each time we delve into a new area of study or field of interest, we build up our toolbox of skills and knowledge, making us more able to see problems from different perspectives and to bring a fresh, creative view to the situation at hand.
The book was fascinating, and the parents and teachers that joined the discussion brought the book to life even more for me. Hope to see many more of you next year!
