1. The Mystery 1
Great performance is more valuable than ever-but where does it really come from?
2. Talent Is Overrated 17
Confronting the unexpected facts about innate abilities
3. How Smart Do You Have to Be? 36
The true role of intelligence and memory in high achievement
4. A Better Idea 52
An explanation of great performance that makes sense
5. What Deliberate Practice Is and Isn't 65
For starters, it isn't what most of us do when we're "practicing"
6. How Deliberate Practice Works 84
The specific ways it changes us, and how that makes all the difference
7. Applying the Principles in Our Lives 105
The opportunities are many-if we think about our work in a new way
8. Applying the Principles in Our Organizations 126
Few do it well, and most don't do it at all; the sooner you start, the better
9. Performing Great at Innovation 145
How the principles we've learned take us past the myths of creativity
10. Great Performance in Youth and Age 167
The extraordinary benefits of starting early and continuing on and on
11. Where Does the Passion Come From? 187
Understanding the deepest question about great performance
Afterword 207
Acknowledgments 214
Sources 216
Index 227