RANGE by David Epstein

An eminently readable book about being a generalist

The 2019 book Range was recommended to me by a friend, Leanne. The premise of the book is to look at how people who take a broad approach to their careers, rather than a highly specialised one, makes for better decision making, better leadership and genuine lateral thinking skills that can change and save lives.

As someone who has been criticised and questioned about not being “committed” or not staying in jobs long enough, this really resonated with me. It has been suggested that I have made too many jumps with no “red thread”. I’ve never understood the critique, personally. I know I am a creative person who sees problems differently to most, and I attribute that to my broad education and professional experience in the arts, education and law. On paper, however, I am seen as skittish. I’m not.

Epstein talks to people across a broad spectrum of people, including athletes, scientists, firefighters, academics, musicians, government and the arts. Epstein draws some great analogies that people can understand - for example, it takes a generalist, genius mind to consider writing a hip-hop album about a Founding Father of the United States, only to have it evolve into one of the most successful, popular Broadway productions of all time.

I always like to think about Leonardo da Vinci as well - an artist, architect, scientist and philosopher. His broad genius changed the world, impacting for centuries after he lived. Why, then, do we live in a world that insists that a profesisonal life - any life - is better served by specialisation and the pursuit of very specific knowledge?

Of course, specialisation is essential - when I have surgery, I want a surgeon who has done this procedure hundreds or thousands of times. I want someone who knows what they’re doing. But I also want a surgeon who can think on their feet if they’re greeted with a surprise, if they are met with the unexpected, and solve any problems.

This book is very, very readable - on the surface, you’d think it could be dry but it really isn’t. I have tabbed and underlined so much of it, and made extensive notes. It’s not so much that it was saying what I wanted to hear (although that’s true); what I liked was that it made me feel that I wasn’t as wrong to take the more general, broad-based approach to life. Admittedly, I’ve done this somewhat out of need and more out of curiousity - I love to learn new things! I also loved that Epstein drew so widely on demonstrable evidence that people with range are those who can solve problems, see things in ways that specialists cannot, and provide leadership more impactful.

I think if you are in business, in a position of leadership or really have any interest in how we succeed professionally, this is a great book.