Published 2013 · Oxford University Press · Edited by Scott Barry Kaufman
The Complexity of Greatness
Beyond Talent or Practice
For decades, the conversation about expertise has bounced between two poles — innate talent on one side, ten thousand hours of deliberate practice on the other. In this volume, Scott Barry Kaufman gathers the world's leading researchers to make a richer case: that greatness emerges from a constellation of cognitive, motivational, developmental, and environmental factors that no single explanation can capture.
About the book
Beyond the 10,000-hour rule
Popular accounts of expertise have drifted toward seductive single-factor explanations — practice is everything, or talent is everything. The research itself tells a more interesting story. Genetics, working memory, motivation, mentorship, deliberate practice, opportunity, and even pure chance all play a role, and the weight each carries depends on the domain.
This volume brings together leading scholars across psychology, education, music, sports, science, and the arts to map out what we actually know about extraordinary achievement — and to surface the questions that still need better answers.
Inside the volume
What you'll find
01
Talent vs. Practice
A clear-eyed look at the long-running debate and the evidence on both sides.
02
Domain Differences
Why expertise in music, sports, science, and the arts develops along different trajectories.
03
Mind & Motivation
The cognitive and personality factors — beyond raw practice hours — that shape elite performance.
04
Development & Environment
How families, mentors, and access to opportunity multiply or constrain individual capacity.
Get the book
Rethink what makes greatness
Available in hardcover and Kindle from Oxford University Press and major retailers.