Situated by Angela Duckworth

SITUATED by Angela Duckworth is her first full length book since 2016’s Grit and she builds on that bestseller by arguing that “grit is necessary—but not sufficient.” Duckworth, a psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, encourages her readers to think about the three box problem: the Situation – Thoughts – Response sequence and how changing the situation (e.g., removing tempting foods or keeping your phone farther away when studying) can result in better thoughts and an easier response (less temptation to actively avoid). In fact, SITUATED is subtitled “Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best.” Duckworth references scientific studies (notes and an index comprise roughly twenty percent of the text), but she is more apt to illustrate a point with a story (e.g., Michael Phelps’ development as a winning swimmer). Relying on others and asking for help are key components of her advice, as shown in the recent New York Times article, “I Study Successful People. They Have One Habit in Common.” Want to learn more about her thinking regarding culture, mentors, teammates? Duckworth will be discussing SITUATED with fellow author Nicholas Epley at a Family Action Network event on Thursday, evening October 22, at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

For those who are interested in her earlier work, here is her TedTalk, which has almost 40 million views: