Peak

"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 methods will show you how to improve at almost any skill that matters to you.

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 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 rewire your brain, creating abilities--like perfect pitch--that you weren't born with.