Clash of the Titans: David Epstein vs. Malcom Gladwell

Balance or Expertise?

Meet authors Malcom Gladwell and David Epstein.

Each have authored a best selling book about sports psychology and peak performance. Gladwell’s book is called Outliers and Epstein’s book is called Range.  Gladwell’s book Outliers is famous for popularizing the 10,000 hour rule. In essence, if you pour ten thousand hours of focused practice into a skill, you will become an expert. In contrast, Epstein’s book Range sheds light on data that seeks to prove that becoming a well rounded person is the yellow brick road to success.

In all honesty, I’m nuts over Range. I’ve read it like five times! Outliers is also a good read, but not a member of my book shrine.

Best Frenemies.

So these guys are both heavy thinkers with philosophies that are completely polar opposite.  I subscribe to Epstein’s email newsletter, Range Widely. The last edition sent out was titled I Object to "Gladwell's Law".  You can hear them politely bicker with one another on YouTube at 92nd Street Y in the video David Epstein in Conversation with Malcolm Gladwell.  And of course you can find their books on Amazon, they are both great.