The End of Average

In this book, praised as “groundbreaking” by the Telegraph and perfect for readers of The Power of Habit and Quiet, Harvard scientist Todd Rose shows how our one-size-fits-all world is actually one-size-fits-none

The End of Average shows how success lies in customizing to our individual needs in all aspects of our lives, from the way we mark tests to the medical treatment we receive.

All around us, we think, are the average people—with the average height, the average salary and the average house. But the average doesn’t just influence how we see ourselves; our entire social system has been built around this average-size-fits-all model. Schools are designed for the average student. Health care is designed for the average patient. Employers try to fill average job descriptions with employees on an average career trajectory. Our government implements programs and initiatives to serve the average person. For more than a century, we’ve believed that the best way to run our institutions is by focusing on the average person. But when you actually drill down into the numbers, you find an amazing fact: no one is average—which means that our society built for everyone is actually serving no one.

Using principles from “the Science of the Individual,” The End of Average shows how we can break down the average to create individualized success that benefits everyone in the long run. It’s time we stopped settling for average, and Todd Rose will show you how.

Todd Rose is the director of the  Mind, Brain, and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he leads the Laboratory for the Science of the Individual. He is also the cofounder of The Center for Individual Opportunity, a non-profit organization that promotes the principles of individuality in work, school, and society. He lives  in Cambridge, Massachusetts.