Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Angela Duckworth (Author, Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 19,116 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
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In this must-listen book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and businesspeople - both seasoned and new - that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called "grit".

Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur "genius" Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial, such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments.

Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not genius but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Duckworth created her own "character lab" and set out to test her theory.

Here, she takes listeners into the field to visit teachers working in some of the toughest schools, cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she's learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers - from J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to the cartoon editor of The New Yorker to Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

Winningly personal, insightful, and even life changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down and how that - not talent or luck - makes all the difference.

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  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 22 minutes
  2. Author
    Angela Duckworth
  3. Narrator
    Angela Duckworth
  4. Audible release date
    May 3, 2016
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio
  7. ASIN
    B01D3AC5VU
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 22 minutes
Author Angela Duckworth
Narrator Angela Duckworth
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 03, 2016
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01D3AC5VU
Best Sellers Rank #788 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#3 in Education (Audible Books & Originals)
#4 in Developmental Psychology (Audible Books & Originals)
#6 in Medical Cognitive Psychology

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
19,116 global ratings
Amazing body of work on a topic we *think* we already know...
5 Stars
Amazing body of work on a topic we *think* we already know...
I simply could not put a down. It's like sitting at a TEDTalk turned into a proper academic course. I have worked in schools and am a Veteran and yes, we HAVE for many years, tried to put into educated, proven words that which makes some ppl succeed in the long term while others of similar talent quit and fail. Well, while we didnt have the time to conduct that exhaustive research, this author has dedicated years to the question and has generously provided the completed thesis. Simply amazing.Since we have already asked several of the questions is this book at may levels, it does feel as if we know the answers to some of these topics already; talent, skill, and achievement are not new topics to us, but what is new is what long term research says about these topics and how they work and fit together, over time in real life. Again, simply amazing. The presented results are more than worth the read.Also, I cant overstate how well the author presents this work with a very healthy, feet-on-the-ground realization that not all the questions are answered -yet.
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Top reviews from the United States

Alan L. Chase
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Book That Offers A Description and Prescription for Developing Passion and Perseverance
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
I was carrying a copy of "Grit" with me as I visited recently with a professor in the Behavioral Sciences Department at West Point.. I asked Colonel Ryan if she were familiar with Angela Duckworth's book, and especially the portion that discusses West Point's difficulty in predicting which cadets might drop out of the challenging Beast Barracks at the beginning of their Plebe year. She laughed, and said that her department had just had Dr. Duckworth on campus to discuss that very issue.

"Grit" fits wonderfully with two other powerful books I have recently read: "Mindset" and "The Talent Code." In "Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck posits that one can learn to develop a growth mindset that allows each obstacle and setback in life to be viewed as an opportunity for growth and refinement of existing skills, and the development of new skills. In "The Talent Code," Daniel Coyle lays out a case showing that deep practice triggers growth in the myelin sheath that surrounds neurons, further insulating them and speeding up the rate at which signals are passed along the neural pathways. With an appropriate ignition event to allow a person to have the persistence to engage in deep practice, one can develop extraordinary levels of talent. The final piece of the triple ecosystem that Coyle describes is a world class coach to keep a person fully engaged in the ongoing process of improvement and refinement of talent.

In "Grit," Dr. Duckworth emphasizes the importance of persistence, perseverance, and passion in determining success in life. She shares many examples and case studies, including the experiences of West Point cadets, and NFL players for the Seattle Seahawks under the coaching of Pete Caroll, whose philosophy of leadership is in harmony with Duckworth's premise.

Throughout the book, the author points out that achieving true grit results from a combination of inner drives and external impetuses. The most effective external dynamics include becoming part of a group or tribe in which all of the members are striving for excellence. She quotes sociologist Dan Chambliss in describing how this works in practice: "It seems to me . . .that there's a hard way to get grit and an easy way. The hard way is to do it by yourself. The easy way is to use conformity - the basic human drive to fit in - because if you're around a lot of people who are gritty, you're going to get grittier." (Page 247)

Dr. Duckworth devotes several key pages to the case study of Coach Anson Dorrance, who has led the women's soccer team from UNC Chapel Hill to many national titles. He inspires grit in his players in a number of ways, including having them memorize 12 key literary quotes that together define the culture of the team. I was struck by the quote about whining penned by George Bernard Shaw: "The true joy in life is to be a force of fortune instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." (pages 257-8)

Finally, the author quotes Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, Superintendent of West Point. In describing the culture of West Point that inculcates leadership in the men and women who make it through the grueling four year curriculum, Caslen points to the words of one of his predecessors, General John Schofield: "The discipline which makes soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment."

"Schofield goes on to say - and the cadets must memorize this, too - that the very same commands can be issued in a way that inspires allegiance or seeds resentment. And the difference comes down to one essential thing: respect. Respect of subordinates for their commander? No, Schofield says. The origin of great leadership begins with the respect of the commander for his subordinates." (Page 258)

This book and its insights will be the topic of several gatherings that I will be hosting in the next few weeks. It is a treasure trove of wisdom, encouragement, and challenge.
5 people found this helpful
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A. H. Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars Good news! Grit, not talent, determines success—and if you don’t think you have enough, you can grow more.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
Note: I wrote this as part of a book review series I started at my workplace, thus the (slight) emphasis on work.

So, what is this book about?
According to bestselling author Stephen King, “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” I don’t know about you, but I didn’t always understand this. I used to believe that talent alone determines success—that if you have enough talent, you can be successful in something, and if you don’t have enough talent, you won’t succeed. Psychologist Angela Duckworth sets out to disprove this mistaken notion in her book. When you want to achieve an important goal, talent only gets you started. What keeps you going is a combination of passion and perseverance that Duckworth calls “grit.” For those of you who worry that you don’t have much grit (I’m talking to myself), good news: grit can grow. This book shows you how.

How difficult is the subject matter?
Duckworth is a psychologist, so naturally a lot of the material for Grit draws from her own research in the field as well as from the work of other psychologists and social scientists. However, you need not fear that this book is a bunch of statistics and clinical studies thrown together with some text. For Duckworth, the subject of grit and how it can help people thrive is her personal passion, so she shares much of what she has learned in a very approachable way: through stories. Inspiring stories about people from many different backgrounds, including West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee finalists, the women’s soccer coach at UNC Chapel Hill, a potter in Minnesota, a New York Times journalist in Kenya, the Seattle Seahawks, and students Duckworth herself used to work with when she taught seventh-grade math in New York’s Lower East Side. From these stories of gritty people doing gritty things, you’ll learn how grit is formed, how it grows, and how you can develop more grit in your own life and work.

How can this book help me in my daily work?
The subject of this book is too big to apply only to your daily work, in my opinion. Grit is a mindset encompassing one’s entire outlook on life. So if you are seeking specific practices for improving specific aspects of your work, this book will not be much help. But I believe this book can definitely help you, whatever your goals and responsibilities are, if you want to become a grittier person. And being grittier can certainly help improve your work performance.

What’s the main takeaway?
Duckworth sums it up like this: “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” In other words, talent is overrated; grit, a combination of passion and perseverance, is a better determinant of success.

What are some key nuggets?
Grit is chock-full of great nuggets! Here are a few:
• “In my view, the biggest reason a preoccupation with talent can be harmful is simple: By shining our spotlight on talent, we risk leaving everything else in the shadows. We inadvertently send the message that these other factors—including grit—don’t matter as much as they really do.”
• “From the very beginning to the very end, it is inestimably important to learn to keep going even when things are difficult, even when we have doubts. At various points, in big ways and small, we get knocked down. If we stay down, grit loses. If we get up, grit prevails.”
• “How you see your work is more important than your job title. And this means that you can go from job to career to calling—all without changing your occupation.”
• “When you keep searching for ways to change your situation for the better, you stand a chance of finding them. When you stop searching, assuming they can’t be found, you guarantee they won’t.”
• “The bottom line on culture and grit is: If you want to be grittier, find a gritty culture and join it. If you’re a leader, and you want the people in your organization to be grittier, create a gritty culture.”

Any caveats?
This book is not a best practices guide per se; as I said earlier, it’s about an overarching mindset. Rather than giving specific techniques, what it gives instead are insights into how you can develop a mindset of grittiness. You won’t get instant results. You’ll have to show up every day and rise every time you fall down. You’ll have to face a lot of resistance—mainly your own. But if you put in consistent effort over time and don’t give up, you’ll be a grittier person than you were before, and who knows what you’ll achieve?

Personal note:
It’s been about a month since I first read Grit, and I can report that I have grown a little grittier already. I still struggle a lot with inner resistance and the temptation to give up when things turn out to be harder than I anticipated; I’m sure these struggles will always be present to some extent. However, lately I’ve become more self-aware and often catch myself before I’m about to procrastinate or give up. I tell myself that gritty people keep going, and then I dust myself off and do my best to keep going.
28 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

ALEJANDRA LORENA RODRIGUEZ DELGADO
5.0 out of 5 stars LIBRO
Reviewed in Mexico on August 25, 2023
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EXCELENTE
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Mike McCallum
5.0 out of 5 stars Commitment and persistence
Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023
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Excellent book! Can be somewhat depressing when comparing the life you have to the one you may have had if you'd exhibited some "grit"! The book doesn't leave you high and dry with great examples of how you can manifest and increase "grit" in your life. Highly recommend. Read this and then read "The Power of Regret". Another great read!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Thia book will help you as a professional and as a parent
Reviewed in Brazil on December 31, 2021
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The tone of the book is very informative and not "you must do this". The reading will present you an experiment and comment on it.

At the end you will not have a step by step guide to become grit or more successful. Instead you will have a lot of tools and ways to see how people improved and act on situations.

What you will do with it is up to you.

I strongly recommend the reading for those who will enter in parenthood.
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Paul B
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2023
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Excellent book. Clearly written, easy to follow. Very encouraging and motivating. Recommended for anyone who might be struggling to move forward as I was.
3 people found this helpful
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Anshu Rai
5.0 out of 5 stars You Can't Skip This Book!
Reviewed in India on February 18, 2023
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This book isn't something you should skip, if you get a chance to get your hand on it, don't hesitate and just grab a copy, it's worth the read!

The author Angela Duckworth has done an amazing work in presenting a comprehensive view of grit with great brevity.

This book starts from the basics, as on what is grit, and keeps on moving forward with a series of questions that would arise in any person's mind. I personally liked the way she has written the book, being a psychologist herself, she hasn't filled with this entirely with studies, and data rather it is light read with numerous stories from top athletes, actors, and many people who have worked their way to the top through consistent hardwork or 'grit'. The author has called them profoundly as 'grit paragons'.

It is a book you should read if you feel that talent is innate as this book will challenge your views in a way that you might have a change in outlook. Also, you should read it if you feel that talent can be developed with consistent effort as this book will affirm your opinion with stories, studies, and data.

Also, by including her own story, a story that anyone will be able to connect with due to its simplicity, I felt the book became more personal, and felt like conversation.

So, I would recommend this book to every person whether they are on their path of self discovery and betterment, or whether they are on their path to being adamant, and depressed. It is going to give you perspective towards a fulfilling life, will instill a belief in the power of self, and might spark a flame of grit in you.

A big shoutout to the author for writing this amazing book!
10 people found this helpful
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