Marcia Franklin talks with David Epstein, an award-winning sports journalist and author of the bestselling book The Sports Gene. It delves into the controversial research on what role genetics plays in the development of athletic talent. The book also takes on the so-called “10,000 Hour Rule,” which contends that 10,00

The general consensus in society tends to be that to have success in any field requires early specialisation and many hours of deliberate practice - aka the 'Tiger Woods model'. And if you dabble or delay, you'll never catch up with those who got a head start. In this episode, David Epstein dispels this widely-held myt

A head start doesn't always ... well, help you get ahead. With examples from sports, technology and economics, journalist David Epstein shares how specializing in a particular skill too early in life may undermine your long-term development -- and explains the benefits of a "sampling period" where you try new things an

Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to defend the ratification of the Constitution, The Federalist has long been recognized as a fundamental text in American political thought. Yet the complexity and subtlety of The Federalist as a work often is not sufficiently appreciated. In this Conversation,

He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes the argument that early specialization does not give you a head start in life. David and Steve talk about why frustration is a good sign, and wh

The author of one of my favorite books: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, a #1 New York Times bestseller; and also The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance, David Epstein is now the new host of Slate.com's "How To!" Podcast. In this episode, I have him on to discuss