Cori W's Reviews > Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

I’m a big fan of Adam Grant’s work; I find that he’s both an engaging writer and brings forward a lot of interesting, nuanced analyses of existing research + his own in an accessible way. That said, I think that this book suffers from what many books in the genre suffer from: the people and examples that he uses to humanize research insights are mostly people like mountaineers in ill health who climb Everest, sports superstars, and the like. While I understand that these examples make for good writing and that the hyperbolic nature of their accomplishments drive his points home, it becomes tiresome and hard to relate. I’d love to see an edition of this book with the examples swapped out for the middle manager who made a big difference at their org, or the mediocre student who went on to become a partner at his law firm, or the meh yoga trainee who opened a studio that was super successful. The consequence, for me, of examples and stories that were so extraordinary was that I struggled to make the connection for how I could apply this knowledge to my own personal and professional life.