Episode description

Author Angela Duckworth visits Google to discuss her book, "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.” In the book, Angela explores the science of why some people succeed and others fail, and why talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.

Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently criticized her supposed lack of “genius,” Duckworth describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance.

In “Grit”, she takes readers into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

“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.

Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.