BookTalk with Saumya: Range by David Epstein

This book not only added to the way I think, it also made me question the narratives I’d unknowingly internalised for years.

Back in high school, I read “Grit” by Angela Duckworth and it cemented the idea that relentless perseverance in a single direction was the key to success. But while grit holds its value, it also planted a doubt:

“If I’m not hyper-focused on one thing, am I wasting time?”

I’ve never seen my curiosity as a flaw, I love learning new things, but that lingering thought

“Shouldn’t I be more focused?”

“Shouldn’t I have a clear path mapped out?” Never really left the back of my mind. The book, and frankly my entire learning environment, made it seem like specialisation was the only way forward and I had to do it quick. Imagine. Sort my entire life out in the 9th grade basically.

When I read “Range,” that narrative didn’t feel as solid anymore. Epstein challenges the Tiger Woods model- the idea that mastery requires starting young, specialising early, and never looking back. In its place it makes a compelling case for the Roger Federer model, where early exploration and experimentation build the foundation for long-term success. The stories he sews together, from Nobel Prize-winning scientists and nasa engineers to elite athletes and leaders in business, elucidate how the most innovative and resilient people often haven’t followed a linear trajectory. Rather, they’ve drawn from their wide array of experiences, building a toolkit that equips them to thrive in their unpredictable environments.

We are often told that quitting is failure, that the most successful people are the ones who push through obstacles no matter what. But “Range” presents a different argument: sometimes, knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing when to persist. The best performers, Epstein suggests, aren’t just the ones who persevere blindly. They are the ones who experiment, fail fast, and quit strategically when something isn’t working. This was a huge knock on my mindset for me. We celebrate perseverance, but rarely do we acknowledge that walking away from the wrong thing can save years of wasted effort. The sunk cost fallacy, for my finance nerds ;)

Beyond that, “Range” highlights how many of the greatest problem-solvers didn’t come from within the fields they ended up transforming. Epstein presents insightful research showing that breakthroughs often happen when problems are approached from an outsider’s perspective. People who have experience in multiple disciplines tend to see connections that specialists miss, allowing them to create solutions that seem obvious in hindsight but were invisible to those too deeply embedded in the field. Instead of worrying about picking one lane and staying in it, I started seeing the value in collecting wisdom from all the different domains I keep dipping my feet in. It’s not distraction, it’s strategy.

The most reassuring takeaway from the book however, was the argument that delaying specialization can actually be a good thing. We’re (or at least I was) conditioned to believe that the earlier we find our “thing,” the better off we’ll be. That the sooner we pick a major, a career path, a skill set, the greater our chance of success. But Epstein shows how people who take the time to sample different skills, careers, and experiences often end up more successful in the long run. They’re more adaptable, they think more creatively, and they have a wider range of skills to draw from when industries inevitably shift. Reading this felt like exhaling a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Instead of stressing about locking in to a perfect (and fixed) career path, I started embracing the idea that exploration isn’t wasted time, it’s an investment in long-term adaptability.

Aside from its thematic layers, “Range” is also a masterclass in argument construction. For the no fluff, fact based readers, Epstein presents hard core research conversationally for anyone to understand. His writing is sharp and well researched, but what sets him apart is his ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas seamlessly. Rather than drilling a single point into the ground, the book is expansive, introducing new concepts with every chapter. Epstein pulls from psychology, neuroscience, sports, business, and history, creating an interdisciplinary narrative that shows rather than tells why breadth of knowledge is valuable. Epstein rewards curiosity and advocates intellectual exploration even through the book's literary structure.

"Range" by David Epstein left a lasting impact on the way I think about success, curiosity, and learning. It validated something I had always felt but never fully embraced, made me rethink what it means to be successful, and more importantly, it made me comfortable with the way I approach learning. What made it all the more special was the fact that it was recomended to me by a truly badass mentor at work who I now see as not only a pioneer in her field but also a mind reader for me.