David Epstein on Mastery, Specialization, and Range

David Epstein talks about his book Range with host Russ Roberts. He explores the costs of specialization and the value of breadth in helping to create mastery in our careers and lives. What are the best backgrounds for solving problems? Can mastery be achieved without specialization at a young age? What experiences and knowledge best prepare people to cope with unexpected situations? This is a wide-ranging conversation that includes discussion of chess, the Challenger tragedy, sports, farming in obscure Soviet provinces after the revolution, the Flynn effect and why firefighters sometimes fail to outrun forest fires.

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