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Angela Duckworth: Grit — The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Duckworth's original TED talk introducing the research behind her bestselling book.
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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Duckworth’s #1 New York Times bestselling debut argues that the strongest predictor of success isn’t talent or IQ but ‘grit’ — a combination of sustained passion and perseverance toward a long-term goal. Drawing on her research with West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee finalists, and teachers in struggling schools, she builds the case that grit can be measured and, more importantly, cultivated.
Grit sold more than 5 million copies and turned Duckworth’s TED talk into one of the most-cited psychology concepts of the decade. It’s a rare pop-psychology book built on the author’s own peer-reviewed research rather than borrowed studies, and Duckworth is unusually candid about her own uneven path to the idea.
Psychology
Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best
Duckworth’s second book complicates her own famous thesis: grit alone, she argues, is necessary but not sufficient, and the environments people put themselves in — the objects within reach, the peers and mentors nearby, the culture of a place — shape outcomes just as much as internal willpower. She draws on examples from Taylor Swift to Michael Phelps alongside candid stories of her own burnout.
A decade after Grit made her the leading public voice on perseverance, Situated is Duckworth publicly revising her own framework rather than simply extending it — a genuinely unusual move for a bestselling author. It reads as more personal than Grit, including frank material about her own marriage and professional struggles.
Frequently asked questions about Angela Duckworth’s books
From the bookshelf
“Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.”
— Angela Duckworth, Grit
For more psychology writing grounded in the author's own peer-reviewed research, browse the full shelf.
