The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.

I just finished reading The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born.  It's Grown.  Here's How by Daniel Coyle.

The thesis is that the growth of Myelin in the brain is the physiological change that allows your brain to become great at certain things (like playing a musical instrument).  The idea is that with lots of practice (thousands of hours) at a very low level anyone could become fantastically proficient.  By "at a low level" he means that you need to practice small muscle movements over and over.  Playing a song is the wrong thing, instead you need to practice a single technique over-and-over until the Myelin grows in your brain to make it automatic and fast.

I think what's really interesting is how he connects the Myelin theory to great coaches.

People know that great coaches can produce great performers multiple times.  The theory (he uses a lot of interesting examples) is that these great coaches naturally teach in "tiny bite sized increments" and therefore optimize for Myelin creation.

I heard an UW professor call this "the book of the decade."  I don't know if I would go that far, however it is a very accessible, positive and thought provoking read.

Dan