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The Power of Passion and Perseverance

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About The Author

Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has advised the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. She is also the founder and CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance scientific insights that help kids thrive. She completed her BA in neurobiology at Harvard, her MSc in neuroscience at Oxford, and her PhD in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.  Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance  is her first book and an instant  New York Times  bestseller.

Product Details

• Publisher: Scribner (August 21, 2018)
• Length: 368 pages
• ISBN13: 9781501111112

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Raves and Reviews

One of "The Hottest Spring Nonfiction Books" —The Wall Street Journal

“ Grit delves into the personal ingredients of great success. It’s worth reading…the gist is that talent and skill are less valuable than effort.” —Andrew Ross Sorkin, The New York Times

"It really isn't talent but practice—along with passion—that makes perfect, explains psychologist Duckworth in this illuminating book. Inspiration for non-geniuses everywhere." —People

“ Grit is a pop-psych smash.” —The New Yorker

“With Grit , Duckworth has now put out the definitive handbook for her theory of success. It parades from one essential topic to another on a float of common sense, tossing out scientific insights.” —Slate

"If you have recently bumped into that word, grit , Duckworth is the reason...In education and parenting circles, her research has provided a much needed antipode to hovering , by which children are systematically deprived of the opportunity to experience setbacks, much less overcome them...What sticks with you [in Grit ] are the testimonials, collected from sources as disparate as Will Smith, William James, and Jeff Bezos's mom, that relentlessly deflate the myth of the natural." —The Atlantic

"A fascinating tour of the psychological research on success...A great service of Ms. Duckworth's book is her down-to-earth definition of passion. To be gritty, an individual doesn't need to have an obsessive infatuation with a goal. Rather, he needs to show 'consistency over time.' The grittiest people have developed long-term goals and are constantly working toward them." —The Wall Street Journal

“Duckworth is the researcher most associated with the study and popularization of grit. And yet what I like about her new book, Grit, is the way she is pulling away from the narrow, joyless intonations of that word, and pointing us beyond the way many schools are now teaching it…Most important, she notes that the quality of our longing matters. Gritty people are resilient and hard working, sure. But they also, she writes, know in a very, very deep way what it is they want.” —David Brooks, New York Times

" Grit is packed with great lessons. The tools and gems I took from this book aided me in being able to handle the adversity of my career coming to an unexpected end and finding my passion in writing." —Chris Bosh, five-time NBA All Star

“[Have] no doubt: Grit is great. It's a lucid, informative, and entertaining review of the research Angela has assiduously conducted over the past decade or so. The book also includes suggestions on how to develop grit, and how we can help support grit in others. There are few people who wouldn't learn something from this book.” — Scientific American (blog)

"An informative and inspiring contribution to the literature of success." —Publishers Weekly

" Grit is a useful guide for parents or teachers looking for confirmation that passion and persistence matter, and for inspiring models of how to cultivate these important qualities." —The Washington Post

"[Blends] anecdote and science, statistic and yarn...Not your grandpa's self-help book, but Duckworth's text is oddly encouraging, exhorting us to do better by trying harder, and a pleasure to read." —Kirkus Reviews

"Engaging...With strong appeal for readers of Daniel H. Pink, Malcolm Gladwell, and Susan Cain, this is a must-have." —Booklist

“Imagine that: a Philadelphia psychology professor setting the education world on fire with a one-syllable noun that just happens to define the city she currently calls home….Her book gives cause for hope and an immediate path to action.” — Philly.com

“Psychologists have spent decades searching for the secret of success, but Angela Duckworth is the one who found it. In this smart and lively book, she not only tells us what it is, but also how to get it.” — Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness

“A robust and engaging read, as Duckworth intersperses her own research with stories from her Chinese-American background, as well as interviews with high achievers in sport, business and the military…[The book includes a] riveting section on raising gritty children. When Duckworth suggests trashing the common parenting line ‘That’s OK, you tried your best’ and replacing it with the demanding yet supportive ‘That didn’t work. Let’s talk about how you approached it and what might work better,’ she made me want to cheer.” —The Toronto Star

“A contemporary classic—a clarifying and deeply-researched book in the tradition of Stephen Covey and Carol Dweck. For anyone hoping to work smarter or live better, Grit is an essential—and perhaps life-changing—read.” —Daniel H. Pink, New York Times- bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

“ Grit is a persuasive and fascinating response to the cult of IQ fundamentalism. Duckworth reminds us that it is character and perseverance that set the successful apart.” — Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers

"Angela Duckworth [is] the psychologist who has made 'grit' the reigning buzzword in education-policy circles...Duckworth's ideas about the cultivation of tenacity have clearly changed some lives for the better...In this book, Duckworth, whose TED talk has been viewed more than eight million times, brings her lessons to the reading public." —Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review

“Impressively fresh and original… Grit scrubs away preconceptions about how far our potential can take us.” — Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

“Fascinating. Angela Duckworth pulls together decades of psychological research, inspiring success stories from business and sports, and her own unique personal experience and distills it all into a set of practical strategies to make yourself and your children more motivated, more passionate, and more persistent at work and at school.” — Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed

“This book will change your life. Fascinating, rigorous, and practical, Grit is destined to be a classic in the literature of success.” — Dan Heath, co-author of Made to Stick , Switch , and Decisive

“Utterly captivating, inspiring and original…Once you pick up Grit , you won't be able to tear yourself away.” — Amy Cuddy, Harvard Business School professor and author of Presence

“Enlightening… Grit teaches that life’s high peaks aren’t necessarily conquered by the naturally nimble but, rather, by those willing to endure, wait out the storm, and try again.” — Ed Viesturs, Seven-Time Climber of Mount Everest and author of No Shortcuts to the Top

“I kept wanting to read this book aloud—to my child, my husband, to everyone I care about. There are no shortcuts to greatness, it's true. But there is a roadmap, and you are holding it.” — Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way

“Readable, compelling and totally persuasive. The ideas in this book have the potential to transform education, management and the way its readers live. Angela Duckworth’s Grit is a national treasure.” — Lawrence H. Summers, Former Secretary of the Treasury and President Emeritus at Harvard University

“Masterful… Grit offers a truly sane perspective: that true success comes when we devote ourselves to endeavors that give us joy and purpose.” — Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive

“I’m convinced there are no more important qualities in striving for excellence than those that create true grit...I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.” — Brad Stevens, Coach of the Boston Celtics

“Empowering…Angela Duckworth compels attention with her idea that regular individuals who exercise self-control and perseverance can reach as high as those who are naturally talented—that your mindset is as important as your mind.” — Soledad O’Brien, Chairman of Starfish MediaGroup and former co-anchor of CNN’s “American Morning”

“Invaluable…In a world where access to knowledge is unprecedented, this book describes the key trait of those who will optimally take advantage of it. Grit will inspire everyone who reads it to stick to something hard that they have a passion for.” — Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy

“A combination of rich science, compelling stories, crisp graceful prose, and appealingly personal examples…Without a doubt, this is the most transformative, eye-opening book I’ve read this year.” — Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor, University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness

“Incredibly important…There is deeply embodied grit, which is born of love, purpose, truth to one's core under ferocious heat, and a relentless passion for what can only be revealed on the razor’s edge; and there is the cool, patient, disciplined cultivation and study of resilience that can teach us all how to get there. Angela Duckworth's masterpiece straddles both worlds, offering a level of nuance that I haven’t read before.” — Josh Waitzkin, International Chess Master, Tai Chi Push Hands World Champion, and author of The Art of Learning

“A thoughtful and engaging exploration of what predicts success. Grit takes on widespread misconceptions and predictors of what makes us strive harder and push further…Duckworth’s own story, wound throughout her research, ends up demonstrating her theory best; passion and perseverance make up grit.” — Tory Burch, Chairman, CEO and Designer of Tory Burch

“I love an idea that challenges our conventional wisdom and 'grit' does just that! Put aside what you think you know about getting ahead and outlasting your competition, even if they are more talented. Getting smarter won't help you—sticking with it, will!” — Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last

“Profoundly important. For eons, we've been trapped inside the myth of innate talent. Angela Duckworth shines a bright light into a truer understanding of how we achieve. We owe her a great debt.” —David Shenk, author of The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ

“An important book...In these pages, the leading scholarly expert on the power of grit (what my mom called 'stick-to-it-iveness') carries her message to a wider audience, using apt anecdotes and aphorisms to illustrate how we can usefully apply her insights to our own lives and those of our kids. ” —Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard and author of Bowling Alone and Our Kids

“This book gets into your head, which is where it belongs…For educators who want our kids to succeed, this is an indispensable read.” — Joel Klein, former Chancellor, New York City public schools

“ Grit delivers! Angela Duckworth shares the stories, the science, and the positivity behind sustained success…A must-read.” — Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity and Love 2.0 and President of the International Positive Psychology Association

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Grit : the power of passion and perseverance

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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Hardcover – Illustrated, 3 May 2016

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.

• Print length 352 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Scribner Book Company
• Publication date 3 May 2016
• Dimensions 15.24 x 3.05 x 22.86 cm
• ISBN-10 1501111108
• ISBN-13 978-1501111105
• See all details

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner Book Company; Illustrated edition (3 May 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501111108
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501111105
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 3.05 x 22.86 cm
• 1,223 in Business Life (Books)
• 1,604 in Personal Finance (Books)

About the author

Angela duckworth.

Dr Angela Duckworth is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in non-IQ competencies, including grit and self-control. A highly sought-after international speaker, her TED talk on grit has been viewed by over 10 million people.

Duckworth’s hypothesis that the real guarantor of success may not be inborn talent but a special blend of resilience and single-mindedness grew out of her upbringing: as a child her scientist father lovingly bemoaned the fact his daughter was ‘no genius’. Duckworth was determined to prove him wrong and spent her youth smashing through every academic barrier. As an adult she became focused on proving her theory and to find out if grit can be learned or cultivated. It was out of this that she created her own Character Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

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May 10, 2016

Review of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Grit is a lucid, informative and entertaining review of the latest research on grit and how it can be developed

By Scott Barry Kaufman

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Angela Duckworth's long-awaited book Grit  has finally arrived! It's getting great reviews (e.g., NY Times ), and it has set off hugely important debates in education  and in scientific circles . 

Make no doubt: Grit is  great . It's   a lucid, informative, and entertaining review of the research Angela has assiduously conducted over the past decade or so. The book also includes suggestions on how to develop grit, and how we can help support grit in others. There are few people who wouldn't learn something from this book.

Angela herself is one of the grittiest individuals I've ever met. Her office is literally two doors down from mine, and there is so much intense energy  coming out of that wing of the Positive Psychology Center  that sometimes I need to close the door to my office just so I can breathe a little! Angela is constantly (and I mean constantly) thinking of better ways of measuring and developing grit and character in children. I consider Angela a valued friend and colleague , and I think she's a tremendous scientist and person.

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Since the release of Grit , I've been reflecting a lot on the research, the book, and its impact on society. Below I will offer my thoughts, in the spirit of advancing the debate and research on this very important topic.

In this standardized testing culture, Grit is a good reminder that an exclusive focus on ability and potential can distract us from the importance of other variables important for success. 

It's rather troubling to me, however, how the media and the publicity machine behind Grit  has framed Angela's research. Grit is often treated as the 'anti-IQ', like there is some sort of competition between grit and talent, a tension between the two. For instance, I've seen quite a few articles that basically say that " grit is the true secret to success ", and " forget talent, success comes from grit ".

Wait, what? That's not what I read in the book. In Grit,  Angela makes clear that talent exists (defining talent as the rate in which a person learns with effort), but argues that "a focus on talent distracts us from something that is at least as important, and that is effort". Also, Angela mentions the importance of cultivating other character strengths (e.g., humility, social intelligence, kindness, etc.) for success in life.

What's more-- and I hate to break it to you-- there is no secret to success! I mean, come on: If the secret is that we have to work really, really hard, day in and day out, year after painstaking year, to get what we want out of life-- well, that doesn't sound like a great secret to me! If there were a secret to success, I'd want it to be a really awesome shortcut, something like Gosh, if I just believe I can do it, then that's all it takes . Now that would be a truly awesome secret!

Another criticism I have of the reception to the book is that people are treating the idea of grit likes it's brand new. As though no one ever in the history of psychology has studied things like passion, perseverance, hope, etc. This is a real shame, because there are so many other researchers who have worked tirelessly to advance our scientific knowledge of the many topics that are covered in Grit .

Just to name a few, Brent Roberts has done a lot of work on "conscientiousness",  Robert Vallerand has down a lot to advance our understanding of passion (both its "harmonious" and "obsessive" forms), Shane Lopez has done great deal of research on hope, and creativity researchers Joseph Renzulli and E. Paul Torrance have long discussed the importance of characteristics such as "task commitment" and "persistence".

To be fair, Angela is very good about citing other researchers in her journal articles . My concern is that by the media presenting Angela's work as though she invented the ideas of perseverance, passion and hope in psychology, the hard work of other researchers, will be left in the shadows. 

What about some of the recent criticisms of grit research that have been leveled by fellow researchers? Here, too, I have some reflections.

One criticism of Angela's research is that the grit construct doesn't add much value in the psychological literature above the personality trait "conscientiousness" which has already been extensively studied. Indeed,  one  large-scale recent study recently found among a group of 4,642 British 16-year olds that grit added little prediction of academic achievement (using standardized test scores) above and beyond the effects of conscientiousness. 

Angela has responded to this study by pointing out that standardized test scores aren't the only indicator of academic achievement. For instance, her work has shown that self-control is a better predictor of GPA than standardized achievement test scores. Also, Angela has argued  that grit is more important for outcomes requiring 'showing up' (e.g., school attendance). (Listen to our podcast chat where she responds to these critiques.)

I think these are good points, but I would not be too quick to dismiss the findings of the British study, for another-- often unmentioned-- reason. The fact of the matter is that the dominant paradigm of testing in the United States (and many places abroad) is standardized testing. For better or worse (mostly worse!), this is how kids are being tested day in and day out. And when it comes to performing well on these tests, we cannot ignore the impact of IQ. In my own research , I've found that whatever is in common among IQ tests is nearly identical to what's in common among tests of standardized achievement. These results suggest that our most dominant paradigm of testing in the country privileges a particular kind of mind, and doesn't give people with other kinds of minds and ways of achieving success (e.g., grit!) as much of a chance to succeed. Viewed in this way, Angela and I are totally on the same page. But it also acknowledges the importance of IQ-type skills on being able to display your intelligence in this standards-based, on-the-spot testing culture.

Now, what about the criticism that grit has little predictive value on academic success above and beyond conscientiousness? Well, I'd like to emphasize that there are many different ways of defining academic success! We are such an achievement-focused culture. Even Carol Dweck's seminal growth mindset theory often focuses on learning that you can grow on tests . As I've argued recently, it might be time for a personal growth mindset theory , in which there is a shift away from accomplishing set goals to helping each individual grow as a whole person. I could see grit playing less of a role under this model of education.

What about beyond school? I hope we can all agree that there is more to life than school! What happens when we look at a bigger picture? After all, I think this is really Angela's point: that grit has the greatest predictive validity when you look at people over the long run of life. What does the research say about that ?

As  Brent Roberts  has pointed out, grit is closely tied to "industriousness", an aspect of the well-studied personality trait "conscientiousness".  Tests of industriousness  include items such as "I carry out my plans" and "I finish what I start". My colleagues and I looked at the cognitive and personality predictors of lifelong creative achievement and found no correlation between industriousness and creative achievement. Instead, we found that openness to experience -- which includes characteristics such as curiosity, imagination, and intellectual and artistic interests-- was the best predictor of life-long creative achievement.

So does this mean that grit doesn't predict life-long achievement? Not so fast. All our study suggests is that industriousness doesn't predict creative achievement. Maybe there is something more to grit than industriousness. Looking at the  grit scale , you can certainly see some items that look very similar to industriousness, such as "I finish whatever I begin" and "My interests don't change from year to year". Angela classifies these sort of items as measuring "passion" in her book, and in her research papers she calls it "consistency of interests". 

But there's another dimension on the grit scale: perseverance . When you look at these items, you start to see clearer divergence from the standard industriousness items. For instance, perseverance is measured with items items as "I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge", and "setbacks don't discourage me". These kind of items have a different flavor to them. They are not just about consistency, but they have much more of a resiliency flavor to them. 

What happens when we look at the relationship between perseverance and life-long achievement? Here we see something different. Consider a recent study by Abedrahman Abuhassan and Timothy Bates conducted on a sample of 494 participants with a wide age range. They found that the consistency of interests items from the grit scale fit really well under the conscientiousness framework. However, there was indeed something special about perseverance (or "elbow greese", as the researchers referred to it). Critically, the researchers found that perseverance was the most important factor in predicting long-term achievement , even though it wasn't important for predicting high school GPA. In contrast, consistency of interests was more important in predicting GPA. 

These findings support the notion that there is indeed something unique about the grit construct above and beyond the already well-studied personality domain of conscientiousness. Additionally, I think these findings, combined with my own study, point out something interesting about real-life creativity: creativity requires both perseverance and openness to experience. Consistency of interests may be really important for doing well in school, but real-life creators are characterized by their constant trial-and-error and versatility. There is a plethora of research in the creativity literature suggesting that creativity involves a combination of broad interests and lots and lots of persistence. 

Tellingly, in a recent pilot study I conducted with Angela and Evan Nesterak , we looked at a group of 300 participants (with a wide age range) and found that both curiosity and perseverance were strongly positively correlated with creative achievement across the arts and sciences, whereas consistency of interests was negatively correlated with creative achievement. 

To my mind, it seems like there is a distinction between consistency of interests and having a passion for a particular area of interest. I think one can score low in a general tendency to remain consistent in all of one's interests, but nevertheless remain highly consistent in one particular, purposeful activity. Indeed, I've discussed this with Angela and she agrees that future iterations of the grit scale might benefit from better distinguishing between consistency of more superficial interests and more purposeful and meaningful "north star" passions.

Along similar lines, in another study I conducted with Magda Grohman  and colleagues, we found that scores on the grit scale did not predict creativity among a sample of young adults. However, we found that teacher ratings of passion and perseverance did predict various indicators of creativity. We argue that the way teachers and everyday people intuitively conceptualize passion may be different than how passion is measured on the grit scale. This might be a promising line of future research on grit.

Finally, I've been reflecting a lot lately on the narratives we tell ourselves, and the multiply determined sources of human achievement. In Grit , Angela rightfully argues that by focusing on talent, we ignore the importance of other factors important for success, such as grit. But this has me thinking: couldn't one make the opposite argument--  that by focusing on grit, we ignore the importance of talent?

Let me illustrate with a deeply personal story . To make a long story short, I had so many ear infections as a child, I developed a learning disability called central auditory processing disorder . It made it very hard for me to process information in real time. People thought I was stupid. I was bullied a lot. I was forced to repeat third grade and join special education. I remained in special education until 9th grade, when a teacher encouraged me to take more challenging classes and see what I truly capable of achieving.

This moment changed my life. I experimented with so many different things, including the cello. I fell in love with the cello so much that I practiced (under the mentoring of my grandfather, who was a cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra) as much as 8 hours a day over the summer. By senior year I ended up second cellist in the high school orchestra, and won the all-music department award. I also caught up academically, and became college bound. This required massive catching up, taking summer classes and studying like crazy. Thinking this would all pay off, I applied to Carnegie Mellon University as a cognitive science major, with the desire to study human intelligence. I was rejected. Most likely, my SAT scores weren't high enough to study human intelligence (how ironic!). Undeterred, I applied to the Opera program (which valued musical ability more than SAT scores), and was accepted. Once I got to CMU, I eventually switched my major to psychology, and the rest is history.

Now, how should I think about the cause of my success? In Angela's book, my story is told as a paragon of grit. Make no doubt: grit played a HUGE part of my success. I did work immensely hard. I resonate so much with Angela's work because I personally lived it. I know firsthand how far grit can take you, and how much perseverance can defy the odds. Indeed, I wrote my book Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined in 2013 because I wanted to raise awareness of the value of characteristics other than IQ for success in life. In addition to grit, I also talked about the importance of engagement, inspiration, imagination, daydreaming, and creativity.

In an interesting twist of fate, just last week, Linda Silverman, an expert on "giftedness" sent me an email out of the blue. She is head of the Gifted Development Center , and for the past 36 years (as long as I've been alive!) the center has assessed children's intellectual capacities using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. In her email, she said she read my book and watched my videos and her and her team all believe that I am "exceptionally gifted" (IQ > 160). What's more, she says she thinks I'm the poster boy for " twice-exceptional " children: those who simultaneously have a learning disability but who are also highly intelligent.

Yikes! What to make of this new information!? This puts the narrative I've constructed about my life into disarray. Which is it: Am I the kid who defied my low intelligence through my grit and hard work? Or did I have genuine intelligence, that was suppressed and underappreciated due to my learning disability? What's the truth?

Then it got me thinking. Is it possible that it is all true-- that I was a very gritty, intellectual, and creative kid with a learning disability? And if so, why is it not polite in society to mention intelligence? Why do I somehow think I would get more applause if I presented the narrative as though I was an ungifted kid with a heck of a lot of grit than a "gifted" kid who relied on grit to show people what I was truly capable of achieving? Why does it personally make me feel much more uncomfortable saying that I am intelligent than saying I am gritty? Aren't they both aspects of who I am? Aren't both intelligence and grit equally influenced by genes (and both perhaps equally as malleable)? Aren't we all a complex mix of characteristics and traits? I have so many questions.

Whatever the truth (and the truth is always a mix of perspectives), the more I think about all of the research, and my own experiences, the more convinced I become that the study of human possibility is one of the most important areas in all of psychology. Like Angela, I have devoted my life to using science to help people (especially children) flourish. I thank Angela for writing a book that brings this discussion so out in the open, that makes it so accessible, that educators and public policy makers can't help but notice it.

But we can't stop here. We must continue doing the science, and looking at all of the character traits and opportunities available to people, to get this right. Every person's future is at stake.

I end with a picture of me and Angela at her book release party here in Philadelphia:

Come to the world's first ever festival of positive education  this summer [see here ].

Apply to be a part of the grit and imagination symposium this summer [see here ]! The Relay Graduate School of Education,  Character Lab , and the  Imagination Institute  are partnering to put on a three-day summer institute for K-12 educators called  Grit + Imagination: An Educator Summit in Honor of Jack Templeton.  Join researchers and educators from across the country to learn what character-focused teaching and learning can be, why it is important, and how to implement research-informed strategies with your K-12 students. During this summit, educators will deepen their understanding of grit and imagination through presentations from world-renowned researchers. They will also have the opportunity to refine approaches for developing these competencies in their students. We are looking for strong educators currently working with K-12 students who are excited to learn about and practice strategies for teaching and developing students' character. Our aim is to help educators ignite character-based instruction in classrooms and beyond.  We have a limited number of spots available, so we encourage all interested candidates to  APPLY NOW ! We will accept applications until Wednesday, May 25th.

A New York Times Best Seller

Everything I’ve learned about grit as a scientist, teacher, and parent.

About Angela

Angela Duckworth is a co-founder of Character Lab , a nonprofit whose mission is to advance scientific insights that help children thrive. She is also the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative . Her podcast, No Stupid Questions, is part of the Freakonomics Radio family.

Find out how gritty you are by taking the grit score quiz.

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Character Lab

Advancing scientific insights that help kids thrive.

Grit Summary

1-Sentence-Summary:   Grit describes what creates outstanding achievements, based on science, interviews with high achievers from various fields and the personal history of success of the author, Angela Duckworth, uncovering that achievement isn’t reserved for the talented only, but for those with passion and perseverance.

Favorite quote from the author:

Audio Summary

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When I hear the word grit, I always have the same image in mind immediately. A soldier has to crawl through the mud, barbed wire around him, and due to the heavy rain, he suddenly gets stuck and can’t move. But then, in a moment of almost angry defiance, he grits his teeth, pulls his foot out of the mud and crawls onward.

I’m sure it’s no coincidence the expression “to grit one’s teeth” lends itself to the title of this book, the word as a noun means courage, perseverance and fortitude. Angela Duckworth needs a lot of it herself, coming from a family in which her father often criticized her for her “lack of genius.” However, her work in psychology, which led her through Harvard, Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania, making her a 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow – ironic?

No. She just knew that perseverance and passion drive effort, and effort drives achievement. That’s Grit and that’s what you’ll learn about today in these 3 lessons:

• Even though we say hard work is more important than talent, we still believe the opposite deep down.
• Effort has a much, much bigger impact on achievement than talent.
• Combine small, low-level, daily goals with a larger vision to stay consistently motivated.

Ready to become that soldier, that person who’s willing to go on, long after others have quit? Then let’s get gritty!

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: When we say we think hard work trumps talent, we usually just bullshit ourselves.

If I approached you on the street and said: “We’re conducting a study and would like your opinion. What’s more important: hard work or talent?” you’d probably say “hard work.” It’s what you think you believe. It’s what you  want to believe.

And it’s also what 66% of people say when they’re asked this question. They want to believe it too. But when it gets hard, when the other guy gets the promotion, when the third business idea fails, do you  really  hold on to that belief? Or do you maybe think, deep down, you don’t have enough talent after all?

In 2011, Chia-Jung Tsay made a shocking discovery . She studied that last question by giving music experts two written descriptions of a “naturally talented” and a “hard-working, striving” musician and then letting them listen to a recording of the musician performing.

The majority of the experts ended up preferring the piece by the “natural.” The kicker is that on both occasions, the exact same recording was played.

We like to tell ourselves that we believe in hard work more than in talent. But we don’t really mean it.

Lesson 2: The impact effort has on achievement is exponentially greater than talent.

The funny thing is, we have no reason to. Because if you said that hard work trumps talent and really believed it, you’d be right .

After looking at successful people across a wide range of disciplines, from politicians to athletes to writers, Angela set up a set of two equations, which simplify the way talent and effort are related, to make it clear how much more important effort is.

In order to achieve something, you first need the right skill to be able to even start working towards the achievement. However, once you have it, you still need to use and apply the skill for a long time in order to actually get there. With a certain amount (or lack) of talent, your starting points for those two “movements” then become:

• Talent x Effort = Skill.
• Skill x Effort = Achievement.

Your first bit of talent, combined with effort increases your skill level. Your increasing skill, multiplied by effort, leads to achievement.

That means  effort counts twice. Once for skill and once for achievement. But that doesn’t mean it’s twice as important. If you substitute the skill equation into the achievement equation, you end up with:

Talent x Effort x Effort = Achievement, which means that Talent x Effort² = Achievement . Your effort is exponentially more important than how talented you are. That could be a factor of 2, 7, 10, or 500.

Regardless of how big the difference is though, there always will be one , and that’s what’s important to remember.

Lesson 3: You can stay consistently motivated by combining small, low-level, daily goals with a larger vision.

Okay, but a lot of effort means you’ll have to invest a lot of time and stay motivated for the long haul. How do you do that?

According to Angela, with a combination of two things:

• A large vision, a big dream , something greater that’s meaningful to you and that can inspire you for a long time.
• Small, achievable, daily goals , to help you get wins, make progress and stay motivated.

One without the other is meaningless. Do I want Four Minute Books to be a huge, global brand, with bookstores all around the world? Sure, but thinking about that every day gets depressing.

Only if I focus on doing nothing but publishing a summary, every single day, do I feel happy with my achievement and am motivated to show up yet another day.

Small daily goals, big scary dreams – not one or the other – have both, okay?

Grit Review

The only caveat I have about Grit is that you should be very cautious about the big dream you pick. There is something to be said for quitting as a strategy , but once you’ve quit the wrong things, go all in on grit. Great book!

Who would I recommend the Grit summary to?

The 15 year old star of the high school basketball team, the 25 year old struggling entrepreneur, and anyone who complains about their work regularly.

Last Updated on August 3, 2022

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

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Grit by Angela Duckworth

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The Book in Three Sentences

• The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but grit : a special blend of passion and persistence.     
• Grit is about having passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
• Gritty people are able to maintain their determination and motivation over long periods despite experiences with failure and adversity.

The Five Big Ideas

• Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time. (A top-level goal is your ultimate concern , a compass that gives direction and meaning to all the goals below it.)
• Paragons of grit have four psychological assets: (1) interest (2) practice (3) purpose (4) hope.
• Gritty people do more deliberate practice and experience more flow.
• For paragons of grit, the long days and evenings of toil, the setbacks and disappointments, and struggle, the sacrifice—all this is worth it because, ultimately, their efforts pay dividends to other people.
• Often, the critical gritty-or-not decisions we make are a matter of identity more than anything else.

Grit Summary

Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.

Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are damped, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.

The “naturalness bias” is a hidden prejudice against those who’ve achieved what they have because they worked for it, and a hidden preference for those whom we think arrived at their place in life because they’re naturally talented.

In Duckworth’s 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.

In a study of competitive swimmers titled, “ The Mundanity of Excellence ,” Dan Chambliss, writes, “The most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is, in a sense, ordinary.”

Great things are accomplished by those “people whose thinking is active in one direction, who employ everything as material, who always zealously observe their own inner life and that of others, who perceive everywhere models and incentives, who never tire of combining together the means available to them.”

Talent—how fast we improve in skill—absolutely matters. But effort factors into the calculations twice, not once. Effort builds skill. At the very same time, effort makes skill productive.

Consistency of effort over the long run is everything.

Many of us, it seems, quit what we start far too early and far too often. Even more than the effort a gritty person puts in on a single day, what matters is that they wake up the next day, and the next, ready to get on that treadmill and keep going.

Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it. It’s not about falling in love; it’s about staying in love.

Grit has two components: passion and perseverance.

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.

Duckworth on passion:

What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way. You are not capricious. Each day, you wake up thinking of the questions you fell asleep thinking about. You are, in a sense, pointing in the same direction, ever eager to take even the smallest step forward than to take a step to the side, toward some other destination. At the extreme, one might call your focus obsessive. Most of your actions derive their significance from their allegiance to your ultimate concern, your life philosophy. You have your priorities in order.

Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time. Furthermore, this “life philosophy,” as Pete Carroll might put it, is so interesting and important that it organizes a great deal of your waking activity. In very gritty people, most mid-level and low-level goals are, in some way or another, related to that ultimate goal. In contrast, a lack of grit can come from having less coherent goal structures.

When prioritizing goals, ask yourself, “To what extent do these goals serve a common purpose?”

The more they’re part of the same goal hierarchy—important because they then serve the same ultimate concern—the more focused your passion.

Don’t beat your head against the wall attempting to follow through on something that is, merely, a means to a more important end.

Giving up on lower-level goals is not only forgivable, it’s sometimes absolutely necessary. You should give up when one lower-level goal can be swapped for another that is more feasible. (Note: to learn more about when to quit and when to stick, read The Dip by Seth Godin .)

As a species, we’re getting better and better at abstract reasoning.

Grit grows as we figure out our life philosophy, learn to dust ourselves off after rejection and disappointment, and learn to tell the difference between low-level goals that should be abandoned quickly and higher-level goals that demand more tenacity.

Duckworth on “ The Maturity Principle ”:

Over time, we learn life lessons we don’t forget, and we adapt in response to the growing demands of our circumstances. Eventually, new ways of thinking and acting become habitual. There comes a day when we can hardly remember our immature former selves. We’ve adapted, those adaptations have become durable, and, finally, our identity—the sort of person we see ourselves to be—has evolved. We’ve matured.

Like every aspect of your psychological character, grit is more plastic than we might think.

If you’re not as gritty as you want to be, ask yourself why.

Any of the following four thoughts might go through your head right before you quit what you’re doing: “I’m bored.” “The effort isn’t worth it.” “This isn’t important to me.” “I can’t do this, so I might as well give up.”

Paragons of grit don’t swap compasses: when it comes to the one, singularly important aim that guides almost everything else they do, the very gritty tend not to utter the statements above.

Paragons of grit have four psychological assets:

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.

Passion for your work is a little bit of discovery, followed by a lot of development, and then a lifetime of deepening.

Interests are not discovered through introspection. Instead, interests are triggered by interactions with the outside world.

What follows the initial discovery of an interest is a much lengthier and increasingly proactive period of interest development.

Longitudinal studies tracking learners confirm that overbearing parents and teachers erode intrinsic motivation. (Note: to learn more about motivation, read Drive by Dan Pink .)

Kids whose parents let them make their own choices about what they like are more likely to develop interests later identified as a passion.

Duckworth on the motivational differences between expert and beginners:

At the start of an endeavor, we need encouragement and freedom to figure out what we enjoy. We need small wins. We need applause. Yes, we can handle a tincture of criticism and corrective feedback. Yes, we need to practice. But not too much and not too soon. Rush a beginner and you’ll bludgeon their budding interest. It’s very, very hard to get that back once you do.

The grittier an individual is, the fewer career changes they’re likely to make.

For the expert, novelty is nuance.

If you’d like to follow your passion but haven’t yet fostered one, you must begin at the beginning: discovery.

Ask yourself:

• What do I like to think about?
• Where does my mind wander?
• What do I really care about?
• What matters most to me?
• How do I enjoy spending my time? And, in contrast, what do I find absolutely unbearable?

To young graduates wringing their hands over what to do, Duckworth says, “Experiment! Try! You’ll certainly learn more than if you don’t!”

The directive to follow your passion is not bad advice. But what may be even more useful is to understand how passions are fostered in the first place.

Kaizen is Japanese for resisting the plateau of arrested development. (Note: To learn more about kaizen, read One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer )

A crucial insight of Anders Ericsson’s research on excellence is not that experts log more hours of practice. Rather, it’s that experts practice differently. Unlike most of us, experts are logging thousands upon thousands of hours of what Ericsson calls deliberate practice .

Duckworth on how experts practice:

• First, they set a stretch goal, zeroing in on just one narrow aspect of their overall performance. Rather than focus on what they already do well, experts strive to improve specific weaknesses. They intentionally seek out challenges they can’t yet meet.
• Then, with undivided attention and great effort, experts strive to reach their stretch goal. Interestingly, many choose to do so while nobody’s watching.
• As soon as possible, experts hungrily seek feedback on how they did. Necessarily, much of that feedback is negative. This means that experts are more interested in what they did wrong—so they can fix it—than what they did right. The active processing of this feedback is as essential as its immediacy. And after feedback, then what?
• Then experts do it all over again, and again, and again. Until they have finally mastered what they set out to do. Until what was a struggle before is now fluent and flawless. Until conscious incompetence becomes unconscious competence.
• Finally, experts start all over again with a new stretch goal. One by one, these subtle refinements add up to dazzling mastery.

Gritty people do more deliberate practice and experience more flow. There’s no contradiction here, for two reasons:

• First, deliberate practice is a behavior, and flow is an experience. Anders Ericsson is talking about what experts do; Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is talking about how experts feel.
• Second, you don’t have to be doing deliberate practice and experiencing flow at the same time (Duckworth argues for most experts, they rarely go together.)

Deliberate practice is for preparation. Flow is for performance.

Nobody wants to show you the hours and hours of becoming. They’d rather show the highlight of what they’ve become.

Duckworth has three suggestions for getting the most out of deliberate practice:

• Know the science
• Make it a habit
• Change the way you experience it.

Each of the basic requirements of deliberate practice is unremarkable:

• A clearly defined stretch goal
• Full concentration and effort
• Immediate and informative feedback
• Repetition with reflection and refinement

For paragons of frit, the long days and evenings of toil, the setbacks and disappointments and struggle, the sacrifice—all this is worth it because, ultimately, their efforts pay dividends to other people.

In Duckworth’s “grit lexicon,” purpose means “the intention to contribute to the well-being of others.”

Most gritty people see their ultimate aims as deeply connected to the world beyond themselves.

Three bricklayers are asked: “What are you doing?” The first says, “I am laying bricks.” The second says, “I am building a church.” And the third says, “I am building the house of God.” The first bricklayer has a job. The second has a career. The third has a calling. Many of us would like to be like the third bricklayer, but instead identify with the first or second.

Yale management professor Amy Wrzesniewski has found that people have no trouble at all telling her which of the three bricklayers they identify with.

Not surprisingly, Wrzesniewski’s conclusion is that it’s not that some kinds of occupations are necessarily jobs and others are careers and still others are callings. Instead, what matters is whether the person doing the work believes that laying down the next brick is just something that has to be done, or instead something that will lead to further personal success, or, finally, work that connects the individual to something far greater than the self.

Adam’s research demonstrates that leaders and employees who keep both personal and prosocial interests in mind do better in the long run than those who are 100 percent selfishly motivated.

In order to develop a sense of purpose, David Yeager recommends reflecting on how the work you’re already doing can make a positive contribution to society.

Amy Wrzesniewski recommends thinking about how, in small but meaningful ways, you can change your current work to enhance its connection to your core values.

Bill Damon recommends finding inspiration in a purposeful role model.

The hope that gritty people have has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with getting up again.

Optimists habitually search for temporary and specific causes of their suffering, whereas pessimists assume permanent and pervasive causes are to blame. (Note: To learn more about learned optimism, read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor .)

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.

Duckworth has measured growth mindset and grit in both younger children and older adults, and in every sample, she’s found that growth mindset and grit go together. (Note: to learn more about growth mindset, read Mindset by Carol Dweck .)

Growth Mindset > Optimistic Self-Talk > Perseverance Over Adversity

Duckworth’s recommendation for teaching yourself hope is to take each step in the sequence above and ask, “What can I do to boost this one?”

Duckworth’s three suggestion in that regard is to:

• Update your beliefs about intelligence and talent
• Practice optimistic self-talk
• Ask for a helping hand

If you want to bring forth grit in your child, first ask how much passion and perseverance you have for your own life goals. Then ask yourself how likely it is that your approach to parenting encourages your child to emulate you. If the answer to the first question is “a great deal,” and your answer to the second is “very likely,” you’re already parenting for grit.

As soon as your child is old enough, find something they might enjoy doing outside of class and sign them up and require that they stick with at least one activity for more than a year.

Kids who spend more than a year in extracurriculars are significantly more likely to graduate from college and, as young adults, to volunteer in their communities.

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.

Over time and under the right circumstances, the norms and values of the group to which we belong become our own. We internalize them. We carry them with us. The way we do things around here and why eventually becomes The way I do things and why .

Often, the critical gritty-or-not decisions we make are a matter of identity more than anything else. Often, our passion and perseverance do not spring from a cold, calculating analysis of the costs and benefits of alternatives. Rather, the source of our strength is the person we know ourselves to be. (Note: This echoes James Clear’s idea of Identity-Based Habits .)

Recommended Reading

If you like Grit , you may also enjoy the following books:

• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Buy The Book: Grit

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10 Books To Read For Developing Grit And Resilience

Table of contents.

• Psychological Aspects of Grit
• Grit and Motivation
• Grit and Emotional Intelligence
• Habits for Developing Grit
• Role of Environment in Developing Grit
• Grit and Success Stories
• Case Studies: Grit in Action
• Parenting with Grit
• Grit in the Workplace
• Grit and Career Growth
• Cultivating Grit in Teams
• Understanding Mindset
• Importance of Grit
• Growth vs Fixed Mindset
• Grit Fundamentals
• Influence of Culture on Grit
• Grit and Time Management
• Grit and Social Skills
• Developing Grit in Youth
• Grit and Self-Improvement
• Grit and Personal Development
• Role of Teachers in Grit Development
• Grit in Education
• Fostering Grit in Children
• Overcoming Challenges with Grit
• Mindset Shift Strategies
• Grit and Perseverance
• Understanding Grit in a Child's Context
• Role of Teachers in Fostering Children Grit
• Role of Parents in Developing Children Grit
• Incorporating Mindfulness Practices to Develop Children Grit
• Grit and Resilience For Children
• Grit and Emotional Intelligence For Children
• Grit and Academic Success For Children
• Measuring Grit
• Criticism and Controversies of Grit

>> Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance <<

Trudy D. McKinney

Are you looking to develop grit and resilience in your life? Do you want to push through challenges and come out stronger on the other side? One great way to develop these qualities is by reading books that inspire and motivate you. Here are 10 books that you should consider adding to your reading list.

First up is ‘Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance’by Angela Duckworth. This book explores the idea that talent and intelligence alone are not enough to achieve success, but rather it is the combination of passion and perseverance that leads to greatness. Duckworth provides actionable advice for developing grit in your own life, whether it be in relationships, work, or personal pursuits.

So if you want to learn how to push through obstacles and achieve your goals, this is a must-read.

Key Takeaways

• Developing grit and resilience is crucial for success, and can be achieved through strategies such as cultivating a growth mindset and turning challenges into opportunities.
• Books such as ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth, ‘Mindset’ by Carol Dweck, ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ by Ryan Holiday, ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl, and ‘Option B’ by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant provide valuable insights and strategies for building resilience and overcoming challenges.
• Mindfulness, building a support network, self-care, and embracing adversity as an opportunity for growth are key strategies for building resilience.
• Productivity and habit-building can also help build resilience and grit by training the brain to push through obstacles and achieve goals. ‘The 5 AM Club’ by Robin Sharma is a book that teaches productivity and habit-building.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance"by Angela Duckworth

If you’re looking to boost your perseverance and passion, ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth is a must-read. This book is all about developing grit and resilience, and it emphasizes the importance of these qualities in achieving success in life.

Duckworth shares her research on grit, which she defines as a combination of passion and perseverance, and provides strategies for cultivating it in yourself and others. One of the key takeaways from Angela Duckworth’s ‘Grit’ is that talent and intelligence are not the only factors that lead to success. In fact, she argues that grit is just as important, if not more so.

This means that even if you don’t feel particularly talented or intelligent, you can still achieve great things if you have a strong work ethic and the ability to persevere through challenges. Duckworth also emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset, which means believing that your abilities can improve with effort and practice.

By embracing this mindset and cultivating grit and resilience, you can achieve your goals and overcome obstacles that might otherwise hold you back.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"by Carol Dweck

Unlocking the power of a growth mindset is at the heart of Carol Dweck’s ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’. It reveals how a simple shift in perspective can transform the way we approach challenges and achieve our goals. Developing a mindset that embraces growth rather than fixed abilities can help us face obstacles with resilience and a determination to learn and improve.

Dweck explains that a growth mindset fosters a love of learning and a belief that our abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, leading to greater achievement and satisfaction in life. By developing a growth mindset, we can cultivate resilience and grit in the face of challenges and ultimately achieve greater success in our pursuits.

To further emphasize the importance of a growth mindset, here are four key takeaways from Dweck’s book:

• People with a growth mindset embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than threats to their abilities.
• Effort and persistence are valued over natural talent or intelligence in a growth mindset.
• Failure is seen as an inevitable part of the learning process, and feedback is used to improve rather than criticize.
• Comparing oneself to others is discouraged in a growth mindset, as each person’s journey and progress are unique and valuable.

The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph"by Ryan Holiday

You’re about to dive into ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ by Ryan Holiday. This will teach you how to turn challenges into opportunities through the power of stoicism. You’ll learn how to use obstacles as a pathway to success.

This book will inspire you to take control of your life and turn any obstacle into a stepping stone towards achieving your goals.

Learn How to Turn Challenges into Opportunities

Developing the skill to transform obstacles into advantageous situations is a key element of building resilience and grit. Challenges are inevitable in life, but how we respond to them can make all the difference.

When faced with adversity, it’s crucial to shift our perspective and see the opportunity within the challenge. Here are some ways to learn how to turn challenges into opportunities:

Reframe the situation: Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the challenge, try to reframe it in a positive light. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this experience?"or "How can I grow from this challenge?"

Embrace change: Challenges often require us to adapt and change our approach. Embracing change can lead to new opportunities and growth.

Seek support: It’s okay to ask for help when facing a challenge. Seek support from friends, family, or a therapist to help you navigate the situation.

Take action: Instead of feeling helpless, take action towards overcoming the challenge. Break it down into smaller, manageable steps and celebrate each small victory along the way.

Remember, challenges are opportunities for growth and development. By shifting your mindset and taking action, you can transform obstacles into advantageous situations and build resilience and grit.

Discover the Power of Stoicism

Are you ready to tap into the power of stoicism and transform the way you approach challenges in life?

Stoic philosophy is a powerful tool for developing mental toughness and resilience. It teaches us to focus on what we can control, let go of what we cannot, and accept the natural order of things.

Stoicism is not about suppressing emotions or becoming indifferent to the world around us. Instead, it’s about developing the ability to respond thoughtfully to difficult situations and make the best of them.

By cultivating a stoic mindset, we can learn to see challenges as opportunities for growth and personal development.

So if you want to develop grit and resilience, consider studying the teachings of stoic philosophy and see how it can transform your life.

Use Obstacles to Achieve Success

Don’t let obstacles hold you back from achieving success – use them as stepping stones to elevate yourself to new heights! Turning setbacks into opportunities for growth is a key aspect of cultivating resilience in the face of adversity.

It’s important to remember that every obstacle you encounter is an opportunity to learn, grow, and become stronger. Here are four ways to leverage challenges for success:

Reframe the obstacle as an opportunity: Instead of seeing the obstacle as a roadblock, try to reframe it as a chance to learn something new or develop a new skill.

Find joy in difficult times: Look for small moments of joy or gratitude even when things are tough. This can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

Seek out community support: Surround yourself with people who encourage and support you. Having a strong support system can help you stay resilient in the face of challenges.

Develop a morning routine and productivity habits for success: Starting your day with a positive routine can help you stay focused and productive throughout the day. Consider incorporating habits like exercise, meditation, or journaling into your morning routine to set yourself up for success.

Man’s Search for Meaning"by Viktor Frankl

‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl is a powerful memoir that explores the human capacity for resilience in the face of unimaginable suffering during the Holocaust. In this book, Frankl shares his experiences as a concentration camp inmate and how he managed to find meaning in his life despite the atrocities he faced.

He argues that it’s possible to survive even the most difficult situations if one has a purpose and a reason to live. Through his personal story, Frankl highlights the importance of exploring meaning and purpose in life and how it can help one survive hardship.

He shows that even in the darkest of times, humans have the ability to find hope and meaning. By focusing on what’s important and meaningful, one can overcome any obstacle and find a reason to keep going.

‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ is a must-read for anyone seeking to develop grit and resilience in the face of adversity.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy"by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Are you looking to build resilience in the face of adversity? Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant’s book ‘Option B’ may be just what you need.

In this book, you’ll learn how to harness the power of community to find joy even in the most difficult circumstances. Sandberg and Grant show readers how adversity can actually be used as a tool for growth and positivity.

Learn How to Build Resilience

You can develop your resilience by learning how to bounce back from setbacks and challenges. Resilience strategies can help you overcome difficulties and come out stronger on the other side.

Here are three things you can do to build your resilience:

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help you stay present in the moment and avoid getting caught up in negative thoughts and emotions. Try practicing mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, or other mindfulness techniques to help build your resilience.

Build a support network: Having a strong support system can help you weather difficult times. Reach out to friends, family members, or a therapist for help when you need it. Building a network of supportive people can help you feel more resilient and better equipped to handle challenges.

Take care of yourself: Self-care is an important part of building resilience. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and taking time to exercise and relax. When you take care of yourself, you’ll be better able to handle whatever challenges come your way.

By incorporating these strategies into your life, you can develop greater resilience and become better equipped to handle whatever challenges come your way. Remember that setbacks and challenges are a natural part of life, but with the right mindset and tools, you can overcome them and emerge stronger than ever.

Discover the Power of Community

Discovering the power of community is like finding a tribe of people who have your back no matter what. When you surround yourself with individuals who offer community support, you’ll feel a sense of belonging and security that can’t be found elsewhere.

Having a strong social connection can help you develop grit and resilience, as you’ll have a network of people to turn to during challenging times. Community support can come in many forms, such as joining a group or club that aligns with your interests, volunteering in your local community, or attending events and gatherings where you can meet like-minded individuals.

By connecting with others who share similar values and experiences, you’ll be able to strengthen your own resilience and build a sense of belonging. In turn, you can offer support to others in your community, creating a positive feedback loop of mutual assistance and encouragement.

Use Adversity to Find Joy

When life throws you challenges, use them as opportunities to find joy and grow. It may seem counterintuitive to find joy in adversity, but it’s possible.

Instead of dwelling on the negative, focus on the positive outcomes that can arise from difficult situations. Overcoming obstacles with positivity can give you a sense of accomplishment and strength that you may not have discovered otherwise.

Finding joy in adversity is possible when you shift your perspective. Instead of seeing challenges as roadblocks, view them as opportunities for growth and learning. Embrace the uncertainty and the discomfort that comes with adversity, and know that it’s temporary.

When you overcome obstacles with positivity, you develop grit and resilience that will serve you well in the future. Remember, it’s not about avoiding adversity, but how you respond to it that matters.

So, when life throws you challenges, embrace them with a positive attitude and find joy in the journey.

The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life"by Robin Sharma

Are you looking to develop a morning routine that sets you up for success? Look no further than Robin Sharma’s ‘The 5 AM Club’.

In this book, you’ll learn the power of productivity and how to use habits to achieve your goals. By owning your morning, you’ll be able to elevate your life in ways you never thought possible.

Develop a Morning Routine

Developing a morning routine can be a powerful tool for building grit and resilience. It allows you to start each day with intention and purpose. When you wake up at the same time every day, you’re training your body and mind to be disciplined and consistent. This consistency is an important aspect of developing grit as it teaches you to stick to your goals even when the going gets tough.

Another important aspect of building grit through a morning routine is setting achievable goals. By breaking down your morning routine into smaller, achievable tasks, you’re able to build up your confidence and self-esteem. When you consistently achieve these smaller goals, you’ll begin to develop the mindset that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

This mindset will help you stay resilient when faced with challenges and setbacks. You’ll have the confidence to keep pushing forward towards your larger goals.

Learn the Power of Productivity

Discover the incredible impact of being productive and how it can transform your life. Time management and goal setting are essential skills that can help you become more productive.

By setting clear goals and managing your time effectively, you can work towards achieving your dreams and aspirations. Productivity hacks can also help you maximize your time and get more things done in a shorter amount of time. From using the Pomodoro technique to taking breaks, there are many ways to improve your productivity and work smarter, not harder.

However, it’s important to remember that productivity isn’t just about work. It’s also about achieving a healthy work-life balance. By setting boundaries and prioritizing your time, you can make time for the things that matter most to you, whether it’s spending time with loved ones, pursuing a hobby, or just taking some time for yourself.

By mastering the art of productivity, you can live a more fulfilling and successful life.

Use Habits to Achieve Success

Using habits is a proven way to reach success and create lasting change in your life. By making a habit out of something, you’re essentially training your brain to associate that action with a specific cue or trigger.

To create a habit, start by identifying what you want to achieve. Break that goal down into smaller, actionable steps, and create a plan to implement those steps into your daily routine. Start small and focus on consistency rather than perfection.

Over time, the habit will become easier, and you can gradually increase the difficulty or frequency of the action. By creating habits, you’re building resilience and grit, as you’re training your brain to push through obstacles and stay committed to your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do these books specifically help in developing grit and resilience.

To develop grit and resilience, it’s important to understand their immense importance in personal growth. Both of these qualities help individuals persevere through difficult situations and come out stronger on the other side.

The books recommended for developing grit and resilience offer practical tips for implementing the lessons learned from their pages. You’ll gain insight into how to overcome obstacles, stay motivated, and push through adversity.

By taking the advice presented in these books to heart, you’ll be able to cultivate a mindset that allows you to tackle challenges head-on and emerge victorious.

Are there any personal anecdotes or stories shared in these books that relate to grit and resilience?

When it comes to books on grit and resilience, personal experiences and stories can be incredibly impactful for readers.

These anecdotes can help readers relate to the concepts being discussed and inspire them to apply these principles to their own lives.

By sharing their own struggles and triumphs, authors can provide readers with a sense of hope and motivation to persevere through challenges.

These personal experiences can also serve as examples of how grit and resilience can lead to success and fulfillment.

Overall, incorporating personal stories into books on grit and resilience can make the concepts more relatable and tangible for readers, and can have a significant impact on their mindset and approach to life.

Are there any exercises or activities recommended in these books to help in developing grit and resilience?

If you’re looking to develop your grit and resilience, there are plenty of exercises and tips that can be effective and applicable to your life.

These can range from practicing mindfulness and gratitude, setting small achievable goals and celebrating your progress, stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, and seeking out social support and building strong relationships.

The effectiveness of these exercises will depend on your willingness to commit to them and incorporate them into your daily routine. But with consistency and dedication, they can help you develop the mental toughness and resilience needed to overcome challenges and thrive in the face of adversity.

How do these books differ from other self-help books in terms of their approach towards grit and resilience?

When it comes to books on grit and resilience, there are certain approach differences that set them apart from other self-improvement techniques.

Unlike other self-help books that focus on external factors like goal-setting and positive affirmations, books on grit and resilience focus on internal factors like mindset and character.

These books help readers develop a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

They also emphasize the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges and setbacks.

Overall, books on grit and resilience offer a more holistic approach to self-improvement that emphasizes personal growth and development rather than external achievement.

Are there any criticisms or drawbacks of these books that readers should be aware of before picking them up?

Before diving into any self-help book on developing grit and resilience, it’s important to be aware of potential critiques and limitations.

These can include biases or blind spots in the author’s perspective, as well as a one-size-fits-all approach that may not work for everyone.

Additionally, some readers may find that the advice given in these books is too simplistic or unrealistic for their individual circumstances.

It’s important to approach these books with an open mind and critical eye, and to be willing to adapt the advice to fit your own needs and experiences.

Congratulations! You’ve just finished reading about 10 books that can help you develop grit and resilience.

By reading these books, you’ve taken the first step towards building a stronger mindset and overcoming obstacles in your life. Remember, developing grit and resilience is not an overnight process. It takes time, effort, and dedication.

But with the help of these books, you can start to cultivate the skills and habits necessary to persevere through challenges and achieve your goals. So, keep reading, keep learning, and keep pushing yourself to be the best version of yourself. You’ve got this!

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Do you ever wonder why some people seem to persist through challenges while others give up easily? Or why some individuals have a high level of emotional intelligence and are able to manage their emotions effectively? The answer may lie in the concept of

Grit And Goal Setting: How Perseverance Drives Achievement

Do you ever feel like giving up when faced with a challenge? Do you struggle to stay motivated when pursuing your goals? If so, you may benefit from developing grit and setting goals. Grit is the ability to persevere and remain resilient in the

From Theory To Practice: Implementing Grit-Building Activities In The Classroom

If you’re a teacher, you understand the importance of building resilience and determination in your students. However, it’s not always easy to know how to go about it. That’s where the theory of grit comes in. Grit is the ability to persevere through challenges

The Future Of Success: Exploring The Potential Of Grit And Time Management

Are you looking for the secret to success? It’s time to explore the potential of grit and time management. These two concepts may seem simple, but they are essential for achieving your goals and reaching your full potential. In this article, you will learn

10 Online Courses For Parents: Incorporating Mindfulness Practices To Develop Your Child’s Grit

If you’re a parent, you know that raising a child can be challenging. As your child grows and develops, you want to give them the tools to succeed in life. One way to do this is by incorporating mindfulness practices into your parenting. Mindfulness

5 Essential Skills For Successful Parenting With Grit

Parenting is not an easy task, and it requires a lot of grit to succeed. Raising a child is a lifelong commitment that requires you to be resilient, communicate effectively, set boundaries, practice self-care, and foster a growth mindset. In this article, we will

Success Stories: Real-Life Experiences With Grit And Time Management

You’re always trying to find ways to improve yourself and your career, but it can be tough to know where to start. One thing that successful people have in common is grit and time management skills. Grit is the determination to keep going even

Exploring The Link Between Teacher-Student Relationships And Grit Development

Do you ever wonder why some students seem to have more grit than others? Grit, defined as a combination of perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a crucial factor in achieving success both academically and in life. While some may argue that grit

Comparing Different Parenting Styles And Their Effects On Grit

If you’re a parent, you’re probably aware of the different parenting styles out there, from strict authoritarian to more laid-back permissive styles. But have you considered how your parenting style may affect your child’s grit, or their ability to persevere and overcome obstacles? Research

8 Expert-Approved Mindfulness Practices For Developing Grit In Children”

Are you looking for ways to help your child develop grit and resilience? Mindfulness practices may be the key. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment, without judgment or distraction. It can help children develop a strong

10 Effective Strategies For Parenting With Grit

Are you a parent who wants to raise resilient and independent children? Do you want to instill a sense of grit and determination in your kids? Parenting with grit means teaching your children to persevere through challenges and setbacks, and to have the mental

Grit And Emotional Intelligence: Unlocking Your Full Potential

Do you ever feel like you’re not reaching your full potential? Do you struggle to overcome obstacles and setbacks in your personal or professional life? The key to unlocking your full potential may lie in developing both grit and emotional intelligence. Grit is the

Grit And Leadership: How Perseverance Shapes Effective Leaders

Do you ever wonder what sets apart effective leaders from the rest? While there are many qualities that contribute to successful leadership, one that stands out is grit. Grit is the ability to persevere through challenges with resilience and persistence. Leaders with grit are

Grit, Emotional Intelligence, And Academic Achievement: What’s The Connection?

Are you struggling to achieve the academic success you desire? It may be time to start focusing on developing your grit and emotional intelligence. Grit, defined as the ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks, and emotional intelligence, defined as the ability to understand

The Importance Of Grit In Building Resilient Teams

Do you want to build a resilient team that can withstand any challenge thrown their way? Then you need to prioritize grit. Grit is the combination of passion, perseverance, and resilience in the face of adversity. It’s what separates the successful from the unsuccessful,

Review: ‘Grit And Resilience’ By Martin Seligman – How Much Does Environment Matter?

Are you interested in personal growth and development? Do you often wonder how much of your success is due to your environment versus your innate abilities and personality? If so, then you’ll want to check out Martin Seligman’s book ‘Grit and Resilience’. In this

A Journey Of Growth: Reflections On Parenting With Grit

Are you a parent who has faced challenges in raising your children? Do you sometimes feel like giving up when things get tough? Parenting with grit means persevering through these difficulties and coming out stronger on the other side. It’s about having the determination

Perseverance Pays Off: How Grit And Time Management Impact Personal Development

Do you ever feel like giving up when faced with challenges? It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go according to plan, but perseverance can make all the difference in achieving personal growth. By developing grit and practicing effective time management, you can

6 Must-Know Tips For Parents Incorporating Mindfulness Practices To Develop Grit In Children”

As a parent, you want to equip your child with the tools they need to succeed in life. One of the most important skills you can help them develop is grit. Grit is the ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks, to stick with

Comparing The Impact Of Socio-Economic Status And Grit: An In-Depth Review

Are you curious about the impact of socio-economic status and grit on individuals’ success? In this in-depth review, we will compare and contrast the effects of these two factors on academic and professional achievement. Socio-economic status refers to an individual’s financial and social standing,

Unleashing Potential: Empowering Your Child Through Parenting With Grit

Are you looking for ways to help your child reach their full potential? Parenting with grit may be the answer. Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, and it has been linked to success in various areas of life. By instilling

5 Top-Rated Meditation Apps For Children: Boosting Mindfulness And Grit”

Are you looking for ways to help your child become more mindful and resilient? Meditation and mindfulness practices have been shown to improve attention, emotional regulation, and overall well-being in children. However, getting your child to sit still and meditate can be a challenge.

The Power Of Grit And Emotional Intelligence In Personal Transformation

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Grit In The Face Of Failure: Turning Setbacks Into Opportunities

Do you ever feel like giving up when faced with failure or setbacks? Its a natural reaction, but what if you could use those setbacks as opportunities for growth and success? Thats where grit comes in. Grit is the ability to persevere through challenges

Grit In The Digital Age: Balancing Technology And Resilience

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Grit And Emotional Intelligence In Sports: Keys To Peak Performance

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From Grit To Greatness: Inspiring Stories Of Parenting Triumphs

Are you a parent who has faced challenges and overcome them with grit and determination? Do you find yourself inspired by stories of other parents who have triumphed over adversity? Look no further than ‘From Grit to Greatness: Inspiring Stories of Parenting Triumphs.’ This

The Ultimate Review: ‘Sitting Still Like A Frog’ And Its Role In Developing Grit In Kids”

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How Do Competitive And Collaborative Environments Influence Grit? A Comparative Study

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How Grit And Emotional Intelligence Drive Entrepreneurial Success

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur looking to achieve great success? Then you need to understand the importance of grit and emotional intelligence in your journey. Grit is defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals, while emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize

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Author Interviews

Caleb carr's new book is a memoir about life spent with his beloved rescue cat.

Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Caleb Carr, author of the best-selling novel, "The Alienist." Carr has written a memoir, reflecting on his life through the companionship of his scrappy rescue cat, Masha.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Much of the story we're about to hear will be delightful, and some of it will be hard. Caleb Carr is our guest. He's written a memoir called "My Beloved Monster." It's the story of his life over 17 years with Masha, whom he calls his emotionally remarkable cat. They share play and jokes, affection and, finally, the challenge of cancer. Caleb Carr, bestselling novelist, author of "The Alienist" and "The Angel of Darkness," joins us now from his home in upstate New York. Thanks so much for being with us.

CALEB CARR: Thank you so much, Scott.

SIMON: How did you and Masha kind of pick each other out at the animal shelter outside of Rutland, Vt.?

CARR: She picked me out. I sort of turned around. I sensed something, and I turned around, and there was this cat in a little cage, and she had decided already that we were at least going to have an interview together. And then when we had the interview, she really decided that I was going to take her home.

SIMON: You found out she'd kind of rejected everyone else, hadn't she?

CARR: Well, she had been abandoned in an apartment and locked up when the people moved, which is, unfortunately, a very common thing in this country. And she'd made so much noise, breaking things and kind of banging around, that she got taken into a shelter. But at the shelter, that experience, I think, largely had just made her very distrustful. And she had attacked the staff. She had attacked people who tried to adopt her. But when I went into the interview room with her, she was as sweet as could be. And the one attendant sort of grabbed me by the arm and said, you've got to take that cat.

SIMON: She was a Siberian forest cat, I guess you discovered.

CARR: She was a breed that I - until then, I had never heard of. They really are ferociously physical and just fascinating cats, really smart. They really have this wild intelligence.

SIMON: Living in the country, you gave her a lot to react to. Let me put it that way.

CARR: Yes, yes. As I say in the book, there is a big debate about whether cats should be allowed outdoors these days. But when you live in some place that's as wild as this - and it really is just a house on - in the foothills of a mountain - I couldn't have stopped her from going outside. It would have killed her. She took one look out the door at the trees that start right at the back porch of the house, and she just was home, and she patrolled that with a dedication and a fierceness that I have never seen before. And Siberians are known for that.

SIMON: May I ask you about your childhood, Mr. Carr?

CARR: Sure.

SIMON: And I'll take the license to call it a horrible childhood. Your father was often drunk and violent. How did a cat named Zorro (ph) and your love of history help you survive?

CARR: Well, I was the child in my family that noticed things and commented on them. When you're dealing with alcoholics, it doesn't earn you any points. And so I experienced a certain amount of violence. And because of that, most nights I was up most of the night and watching and listening what the adults were doing just in case it was coming my way, basically. And Zorro was the first cat that I really chose that was mine. She would come out and lie down next to me as I sat on the top of the stairs. And she had this remarkable capacity to make me feel safe and sort of understood.

SIMON: Cats are really good at companionship, aren't they? They're just there for us.

CARR: Yeah, they are really good at companionship. It's a distinctly different kind of companionship than you get from any other animal, but once you accept it on their terms, it's really amazing. They are always there, often without being there. But they're beside you. They're not on top of you the way that dogs are.

SIMON: Can you tell us about Masha's taste in music?

CARR: Masha had a very refined ear for music, and it's not as weird as it sounds. Cats are very sensitive to the upper ranges of sonics, and they don't like high-pitched sounds, which means that most of the popular music, you're going to find that cats don't really enjoy. But when I discovered that she liked classical music, I would experiment with playing different composers for her while I was working. Before long, it was clear that she had a particular affinity for Wagner. And I know it sounds crazy, but it was true. And I eventually made her her own CDs of orchestral selections, and particularly the prelude to "Das Rheingold."

(SOUNDBITE OF RICHARD WAGNER'S "DAS RHEINGOLD")

CARR: She would just come shooting in from wherever she was. She would hear it going on in my study. If she wasn't already there, she would come shooting in, throw herself on the floor and just start rolling in absolute ecstasy. And I asked a musicologist friend of mine about it, and he said, well, that doesn't surprise me at all. It's probably the most primal piece of classical music that there is.

SIMON: After almost 17 years together, you and Masha just grew sick in astonishingly similar ways, didn't you?

CARR: Yes. And that's part of the most astonishing part of the story. Masha had - certainly had arthritis from the time she was very young. We never really knew what exactly caused it, whether it was trauma or abuse or just having the genetics for it. But she had arthritis in her back legs and her hind legs, and I ended up coming down with peripheral neuropathy quite badly. And then, eventually, we both ended up coming down with cancer.

And it was part of the amazing - the most amazing details of our story that our illnesses were so similar. Because of that, we knew we were tied in even more in terms of knowing what to do for each other and knowing what was going on with each other. And she made it possible - really possible for me to survive. I like to think - I hope that I did the same for her.

SIMON: What do you think that cord is between us and the animals we love, as you've experienced it, and especially strongly with Masha?

CARR: There are so many things that are difficult and lacking in human life that are provided by animals. And there are so many things that we've gotten away from in our civilized human life that are so basic to being alive that animals provide. And it's just that it is so much more basic. And to use a word I used in reference to Masha's musical taste, it's so much more primal that it takes us to a place that kind of defies all of the complications that we've put on life in our own species.

SIMON: Caleb Carr - his book, "My Beloved Monster." I'm so glad you wrote it. Thanks so much for being with us.

CARR: Thank you so much, Scott.

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Care Work Recreation Edition Innovations that can be made in the care of the patient: Understanding the Psychology and Needs of People with Dementia Caregiver ... Skills Book (grit books) (Japanese Edition) Kindle Edition

はじめに 第一章　認知症の利用者さんを笑顔にするには～レクリエーションは、「関わり」そのもの～ その一　「関わり」について考えましょう その二　記録に何を書きますか 第二章　主役は利用者さん、介護職員は黒子 その一　記録に残すのは何か その二　日中の過ごし方が大事 おわりに 後付

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Dazzling parties and dashed hopes: To understand Hollywood, you need these 50 books

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter . It’s Saturday, April 13 . Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

You're reading the Essential California newsletter

Our reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the day.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

• The 50 best books to understand the glitz and gloom of Hollywood
• Why Californians are fleeing this once-Golden State
• The best Thai breakfast spots in L.A.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

50 books to understand Hollywood

What is Hollywood? An idea? A place? An in-between?

What if it’s a dazzling cocktail? One reeking of glamor coupled with a massive splash of disillusionment, a shot of romance, an ounce of heartbreak and maybe a tablespoon or two of comedy.

The great thing about this cocktail, then, is that anyone can order it: The aspiring actor, director, cinematographer, videographer, screenwriter — all eager to capture a part of the human experience and get recognized for it.

Writers too, enjoy taking a sip of this magical drink. Over a plethora of decades, they have re-created it, highlighting its liminal quality through stories of dashed hopes, disagreement and controversy.

Ahead of our annual Festival of Books , Times Entertainment & Arts editors embarked on a project to answer the question of “What is Hollywood?” by finding the 50 best Hollywood books of all time .

The list, compiled from a survey of experts in the worlds of publishing and entertainment and written by regular contributors to The Times’ film and books coverage, explicates the cocktail’s allure and why many have ordered it again and again, despite its tart aftertaste.

“These 50 titles compare Hollywood to an assembly line, a criminal enterprise, a high-seas expedition and much, much more,” wrote my colleague Matt Brennan.

Give our ranking a look. Have we left your favorite Hollywood book off the list? What is on your Ultimate Hollywood Bookshelf? Tell us in this survey by Monday, April 15.

Until then, here are some of the books that remake and refute Hollywood’s glitz:

(The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)

Number 39: “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mamies, and Bucks”

At the time of its publication in 1973, Donald Boogle’s novel was the only text to investigate the American cinema’s systematized stereotypes of Black characters as the “servile slave,” “mixed-race sufferer” or “violent Black brute.”

“Bogle’s book was practically the birth of the field,” wrote Chris Vognar , a freelance culture writer and former Nieman Arts and Culture fellow at Harvard University.

“[The book] also sought to rescue the humanity of those performers who usually had no other option but to play their assigned roles.”

Number 9: “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls”

It’s difficult to identify Hollywood’s greatest year. But 1974 is a safe bet: “The Godfather Part II,” “Scenes From a Marriage” and “Chinatown” were released.

Peter Biskind’s novel provides an addictive, encyclopedic account of the people behind why 1974 was such a terrific year in American cinematic history.

If you’re looking for anecdotes about the screenwriters that made these “brilliant pictures” possible, you might be disappointed. Because, as David Kipen, author of “The Schreiber Theory: A Radical Rewrite of American Film History” wrote, Biskind “adheres to the pervasive, pernicious auteur theory, which insists that even non-writing directors are the ‘authors’ of their movies.”

Number 1: “Play It As It Lays”

Joan Didion’s novel is a cutting-edge study of a decaying Hollywood, saturated “with copycat movies, predatory men, hacks and hangers-on,” wrote Matt . “The most remarkable aspect of Didion’s portrait is not the ruthless precision with which it renders the film business then, but the clarity with which it corresponds to the film business now.”

If your agent was a no-show at a crucial meeting or you attended an exclusive party as the guest of a guest, you have already faced the broken Hollywood of Didion’s novel.

The week’s biggest stories

O.J. Simpson dies

• O.J. Simpson, whose murder trial riveted and divided the world, dies at 76 .
• Commentary: Silence spoke volumes about O.J. Simpson’s deeply tarnished football legacy .
• How O.J. Simpson’s murder trial changed the TV news business.

Coachella 2024

• 25 of the best restaurants and bars for your Palm Springs or Coachella road trip.
• Girl Ultra, Eddie Zuko and more Latin artists tell us how they are prepping for Coachella .
• Hatsune Miku is playing Coachella , but she’s not human. Why brands are working with digital avatars.
• Coachella 2024: Everything you need to know about the festival.
• Eighteen acts we can’t wait to see at Coachella 2024 .
• Taylor Swift at Coachella? These are the 3 sets where our experts think she could appear.

Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal

• Shohei Ohtani’s former translator Ippei Mizuhara surrenders to federal officials in L.A.
• Why feds say Shohei Ohtani is a ‘victim’: Interpreter allegedly paid gambling debts pretending to be Dodger.
• What’s next for Shohei Ohtani and MLB after charges against Ippei Mizuhara?
• Shohei Ohtani ‘grateful’ for investigation into ex-interpreter : ‘I’d like to focus on baseball.’

SoCal home prices

• All-cash offers and wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record .
• Housing tracker: SoCal home prices at a record .
• Looking to buy or sell a home this spring? Here’s what to expect .

More big stories

• L.A. to provide resources to hundreds of 99 Cents Only workers losing their jobs.
• Still haven’t filed your taxes? How to avoid penalties or lost refunds .
• Grab your winter jackets, California. Cold weather is coming this weekend .
• Suspect in clubbing of two women near Venice canals arrested in San Diego .
• Lancaster accuses county of $10-million ‘illegal profit’ on Sheriff’s Department contract.
• Trans-led coalition targeted by multiple bomb threats : ‘How can there be people so cruel?’
• Video shows L.A. probation officers letting group beat teen in Los Padrinos juvenile hall.
• Roku says 576,000 accounts were hacked in the latest breach.
• Google says it will reduce some user access to California news sites .
• A nationwide manhunt for a fake priest who stole faith as well as cash ends in Moreno Valley.
• Downtown L.A. is hurting . Frank Gehry thinks arts can lead a revival.
• Why the search for the next Gustavo Dudamel is full of hope — and hazards.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here .

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

Santa Monica luxury towers, HOA fees, alleged theft: Where did the millions go? A fight to reclaim the HOA board at the Ocean Towers luxury residential co-op eventually uncovered millions of dollars of alleged fraud and caught the attention of the California Department of Justice.

More great reads

• A California border town’s first transgender mayor faces recall . Is gender the reason?
• The secret to French onion ramen and other life lessons from ‘The Mythical Cookbook.’
• Column: Confederate sentiment in Southern California ran deeper than you might know.
• Palm Spring promises to ‘right that wrong’ for Black, Latino community destroyed in 1960s.
• Column: A cancer survivor’s advice — research, persistence and second opinions.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected] .

For your weekend

• 🍜 The best Thai breakfast spots in L.A., for any time of day.
• 💿 Live DJ sets! Freebies! Exclusive drops! 12 L.A. shops going big for Record Store Day .
• 🎦 In ‘The People’s Joker’ — screening at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles — an iconic villain is co-opted for sly trans expression.
• 🎥 Celebrating the midnight movie, plus the best films to see in L.A. this week .
• 📚 The 50 best Hollywood books of all time .
• 🥧 Here’s a recipe for Tourte De Blettes Sucrée (Sweet Swiss Chard Pie) .
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games .

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

In one of L.A.’s largest cash heists ever, burglars stole how much? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz .

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Defne Karabatur, fellow Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor

Check our top stories , topics and the latest articles on latimes.com .

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Defne Karabatur is the 2023-24 audience engagement fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley, where she studied applied mathematics, English and political economy.

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Don't break the bank with your reading habit: Here's where to buy cheap books near you

Have you caught the reading bug from BookTok ? Looking to check out a viral series ? Getting into reading is all fun and games until you realize new releases can run you about $30 a hardcover. 

But you don’t have to ask for a raise to finance your reading habits – there are many online platforms dedicated to making reading an accessible and even free experience. Libraries are a go-to, but there are also options for those who want to own a physical copy to build up their bookshelf.

Where to buy cheap books

The art of low-cost book buying lies in the unexpected gems. You might find a book you’ve been dying to read with a cover that's a little worse for wear or a cheap read you’ve never heard of. Searching for inexpensive books can be a great way to expand your reading palate.

Get into the habit of checking out sale sections as well. Many bookstores have a discount table or sell used books for only a few dollars. 

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

Buy cheap books online

While you can find cheap, used books on Amazon or eBay, you may also have luck at e-commerce platforms that specialize in low-cost books. Check out one of these sites to make your next read a steal:

• ThriftBooks
• Better World Books
• Half Price Books
• Awesome Books
• Book Outlet

Swap books with another reader

Why not kill two birds with one stone? You can donate a book and get a new one with a trusty book swap, either through friends or at an online retailer like Paperback Swap or Book Mooch .

Check for local sales

Some libraries raise funds by selling second-hand books. Find the closest public library to you using this U.S. map created with data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and ask your librarian if they have a "for sale" table.

Independent bookstores may let you trade your old books for store credit that you can use to snag a new one. Thrift stores and consignment shops also typically sell used books.

Another place to scour is Facebook Marketplace. You never know who is doing a closet cleanout and wants to get rid of their old books for a few dollars. 

How to read books for free

You don’t have to shell out any money to become well-read – a library card is all you need to unlock a world of literature. Start by visiting your local library . You typically only need proof of address to apply for a library card.

Little Free Library’s take-a-book, leave-a-book model is also a great place for finding new free books. These outdoor pop-up hutches are all over the country. Check out Little Free Library’s map of registered libraries across the U.S. to find one near you.

You can also try e-reading. The Libby app lets readers borrow e-books, digital audiobooks and magazines with your library card.

Audiobooks are another low-cost way to access books and popular platforms like Audible , Libro.fm , B&N Audiobooks and Audiobooks.com let you listen at your leisure with a monthly subscription fee. Spotify recently unveiled a new audiobook program as well where eligible Spotify premium subscribers can enjoy 15 hours of monthly listening from over 200,000 audiobooks.

Where to donate books

You can donate books at many of the same locations where you purchase or borrow them, like libraries, donation centers, bookstores and community centers. If you’re doing some spring cleaning, check out USA TODAY’s comprehensive guide to donating and selling your books .

Keep up with the reading trends: How to find book recommendations on BookTok

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More than half of 2023's most challenged books have LGBTQ themes

The American Library Association, a nonprofit organization that tracks efforts to ban books nationwide, released a list Monday detailing the 10 most challenged titles of 2023 — seven of which deal with LGBTQ themes, according to the group.

Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” a graphic memoir that chronicles the author coming out as nonbinary, topped the list for the third year in a row . The other LGBTQ-themed titles on the list include George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Juno Dawson’s “This Book Is Gay” and Mike Curato’s “Flamer.”

In recent years, school districts and state legislatures across the U.S. have been roiled by fierce debates over what reading materials are appropriate for kids and teenagers. The moves to restrict or withdraw books have been driven in part by conservative activist groups such as Moms for Liberty as well as Republican elected officials.

Meanwhile, the American conservative movement has increasingly coalesced around initiatives to curb lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer visibility, including Florida’s restrictions on LGBTQ education in public schools and wider efforts to prevent trans athletes from competing in school sports.

“In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, it’s obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color,” American Library Association President Emily Drabinski said in a statement accompanying the list.

“We are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read,” Drabinski added. “Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read.”

The American Library Association announced last month that the number of books challenged in libraries across the U.S. in 2023 spiked 65% over the previous year, reaching the highest level ever documented by the nonprofit organization.

In a report released March 14, the association said that 4,240 individual book titles were targeted for removal from schools and public libraries — a dramatic uptick from the previous high of 2,571 in 2022.

The most challenged books of 2023 — the top five of which all had LGBTQ themes — also included Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” Ellen Hopkins’ “Tricks,” Jesse Andrews’ “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan’s “Let’s Talk About It,” and Patricia McCormick’s “Sold.”Three of the titles on the list were not specifically flagged for LGBTQ themes. “The Bluest Eye,” widely considered a literary classic, drew complaints because it features depictions of rape and incest, according to the library association. It was also “claimed to be sexually explicit” and flagged for “EDI content,” an acronym that refers to equity, diversity and inclusion.

The list of challenged books was released Monday to kick off National Library Week, an observance co-sponsored by the library association, which was founded in 1876.

The library association, which has monitored attempted book bans since 1990, compiles data on challenges from two sources: reports from library professionals and news stories. The association said the 2023 data “represents only a snapshot of book censorship,” partly because many attempts to challenge books are not formally flagged or covered by the news media.

“Each challenge, each demand to censor these books is an attack on our freedom to read, our right to live the life we choose, and an attack on libraries as community institutions that reflect the rich diversity of our nation,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

“When we tolerate censorship,” she added, “we risk losing all of this.”

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Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.

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Before He Died in Prison, Aleksei Navalny Wrote a Memoir. It’s Coming This Fall.

In the book, Navalny tells his story in his own words, chronicling his life, his rise as an opposition leader, and the attempts on his life.

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By Alexandra Alter

During the years leading up to his death in a Russian prison, Aleksei A. Navalny , the Russian opposition leader, was writing a memoir about his life and work as a pro-democracy activist.

Titled “Patriot,” the memoir will be published in the United States by Knopf on Oct. 22, with a first printing of half a million copies, and a simultaneous release in multiple countries.

Navalny, who rose to global prominence as a fierce critic of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, resisted the Kremlin’s repeated attempts to silence him through physical harm, arrests and imprisonment in a remote Arctic penal colony, where he died in February , at age 47.

The book, telling his story in his own words, comes as a final show of defiance, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a statement, and could have a galvanizing effect on his followers.

“This book is a testament not only to Aleksei’s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship — a fight he gave everything for, including his life,” Navalnaya said. “Through its pages, readers will come to know the man I loved deeply — a man of profound integrity and unyielding courage. Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.”

In a news release, Knopf said that the memoir “expresses Navalny’s total conviction that change cannot be resisted and will come.”

Navalny wrote the entire memoir himself, dictating some parts, and Yulia Navalnaya is working with the publisher to edit and finalize the manuscript, according to a Knopf representative. The book has already been translated into 11 languages, Navalnaya wrote on X , and a Russian-language edition of the book will be available.

The project is a more sensitive endeavor than most memoirs by high profile political figures. Navalny’s supporters and his team, which has carried on his work, continue to draw the scrutiny of Russian authorities as they direct criticism at the Kremlin against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Navalny began working on his memoir in 2020, after surviving a near-fatal poisoning with a nerve agent, an attack that Western intelligence officials believed was a state-sponsored assassination attempt . The book covers his youth, his rise as a political activist, his marriage and family, his political career as an opposition leader, and the attempts on his life and attacks on those close to him, according to the publisher.

Navalny had political aspirations, but was barred from a presidential run following a conviction on fraud charges by a Russian court, widely seen as politically motivated. He exerted his political influence in other ways: organizing protests against Putin and building offices and investigative teams across the country to uncover corruption.

Navalny wrote much of the memoir while he was in Germany and recovering from poisoning. In February 2021, he returned to Russia, knowing that he would likely be detained or attacked again. He was arrested at the airport, and was later charged with embezzlement and fraud in a trial that international observers concluded was also politically motivated. In August 2023, he was charged with “extremism” and given a 19-year sentence. His harsh treatment in Russia’s severe penal colonies included lack of medical care and many stints in solitary confinement.

Addressing why he chose to go back to Russia to face almost certain imprisonment and possible death, Navalny said remaining in exile felt like a betrayal of his cause.

“I don’t want to give up either my country or my beliefs,” Navalny wrote in a Facebook post in January, shortly before his death. “I cannot betray either the first or the second. If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them. And if necessary, make some sacrifices.”

Navalny’s return to Russia led to weeks of protests around the country, but they were eventually quashed in a fierce crackdown by the Kremlin. Even as Russia has shut down or driven away independent news media outlets and silenced many of its internal critics in an effort to smother political opposition, Navalny remained a vocal and influential figure who came to embody the country’s beleaguered pro-democracy movement.

Navalny maintained a presence on social media even behind bars, and remained a ferocious critic of Putin. His team, which was living and working in exile, continued to release exposés on corruption in Russia. He also kept working on the book, which includes never-before-seen correspondence from prison, according to the publisher.

Within Russia, thousands of his followers gathered for his funeral, despite the risk of being arrested by Russian authorities. Outside the church on the outskirts of Moscow where the service was held, people in the crowd chanted phrases like “Love is stronger than fear” and “Thank you, Aleksei.”

Even after his death, those who seek to carry on Navalny’s work and extend his legacy face threats and attacks. Last month, Leonid Volkov, who served as one of Navalny’s top organizers, was attacked with a hammer and tear gas outside his home in Lithuania’s capital.

Navalny was well aware that his activism put him at risk, but remained cheerfully defiant, with a wry, prankster-like persona that helped drive some of his viral online activism.

“I’m trying not to think about it a lot,” he said in an interview with CBS News in 2017. “If you start to think about what kind of risks I have, you cannot do anything.”

Alexandra Alter writes about books, publishing and the literary world for The Times. More about Alexandra Alter