David Epstein on Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
The power of range and breadth
What you'll learn: David Epstein on Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World — a 30-minute personal development course on Sonder.courses.
Specialize early. Commit to a single path. That's what many of us are told we must do to succeed in school, sports, or work. But bestselling author, acclaimed journalist, and renowned TED speaker David Epstein argues that this advice is just plain wrong—and in his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, he lays out the evidence. In this course, you'll learn why Epstein believes generalists have a competitive advantage over those who specialize early. First, you'll find out why "head starts" are overrated, when switching careers is a smart idea, and how a breadth of skills and experiences uniquely prepares you for an increasingly "wicked world." You'll then explore how to broaden your range to boost cognitive flexibility and analogical thinking, allowing you to solve problems across fields. Finally, you'll discover the benefits of ditching long-term plans or old tools to pick up something new.

What you'll explore
- A focused, beautifully crafted lesson — 30 minutes or less
- One illuminating idea explored from multiple angles
- Works on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop
- Part of the full Sonder library of 200+ courses
- All courses are taught in English
- Certificate of Completion included with every course
How to access
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