Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

“This book is a breakthrough, a lyrical, powerful, science-based narrative that actually shows us how to get better (much better) at the things we care about.”—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

“Anyone who wants to get better at anything should read [Peak]. Rest assured that the book is not mere theory. Ericsson’s research focuses on the real world, and he explains in detail, with examples, how all of us can apply the principles of great performance in our work or in any other part of our lives.”—Fortune

Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak distills three decades of myth-shattering research into a powerful learning strategy of deliberate practice that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about skill acquisition. Whether you want to stand out at work, improve your athletic or musical performance, or help your child achieve academic goals, Ericsson’s revolutionary methods will show you how to improve at almost any skill that matters to you.

“The science of excellence can be divided into two eras: before Ericsson and after Ericsson. His groundbreaking work, captured in this brilliantly useful book, provides us with a blueprint for achieving the most important and life-changing work possible: to become a little bit better each day.”—Dan Coyle, author of The Talent Code

“Ericsson’s research has revolutionized how we think about human achievement. If everyone would take the lessons of this book to heart, it could truly change the world.”—Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein

Based on three decades of research, Peak overturns the myth of innate talent and offers a science-based blueprint for achieving excellence:

• Expert Performance: Debunk the myth of the natural "gift" and discover why the world’s best chess champions, violin virtuosos, and star athletes are made, not born.
• Purposeful Practice: Learn a new learning strategy that goes beyond mindless repetition. Find out how to get out of your comfort zone, set well-defined goals, and use focused attention to consistently improve.
• Mental Representations: Understand the true key to expertise. Develop the same highly complex mental structures that allow top performers to process huge amounts of information and make faster, better decisions.
• Brain Adaptability: Explore the science of neuroplasticity and how targeted practice can literally rewire your brain, creating abilities―like perfect pitch―that you weren’t born with.

K. ANDERS ERICSSON, PhD, is Conradi Eminent Scholar and professor of psychology at Florida State University. He studies expert performance in domains such as music, chess, medicine, and sports. His groundbreaking work has been cited in bestsellers from Moonwalking with Einstein to Outliers to How Children Succeed. He lives in Florida.

ROBERT POOL, PhD, is a science writer living and working in Tallahassee, Florida. He has worked at some of the world’s most prestigious science publications, including Science and Nature, and his work has appeared in many others, including Discover and Technology Review. He has written three books, including Eve’s Rib: Searching for the Biological Roots of Sex Differences and Beyond Engineering: How Society Shapes Technology.