Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Book review by Deane Barker • • 1 min read •
An image of the cover of the book "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things"

Here’s the thing – this is a “paint by numbers” self-help book. I’m trying not to be condescending about it, but this book absolutely fulfills the goal of being a seemingly groundbreaking look into behavioral psychology, but revealing nothing new.

It has all the hallmarks of the genre, especially the inspiring anecdotes, many of which are joined in medias res to be as interesting as impossible.

The book is purportedly about how the amazing (hidden?) ways people achieve their potential (“everything you know is wrong!”). But, in the end, I found nothing at all surprising.

A friend had recommended the book due to a passage about the importance of kindergarten teachers (my wife teaches kindergarten). I found that passage in the prologue. Everything went kind of downhill from there.

(Note: I transcribed this passage for my wife to reference.)

Some chapter titles:

I mean, consider that last chapter – that’s a big subject. Thousands of books have been written about this (see: I Got Schooled, for example). Is this chapter going to break any new ground?

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a competent book. It’s professional, and scattered with interesting stories (kind of Malcolm Gladwell-esque) and various studies from which the relevant data is extracted. If this was the only book you read on the subject, then, yeah, I suppose you might get a lot of it.

I feel like an elitist even writing this. But every chapter was just filled with palpable dread for me, for some reason. I just feel like I had read all this so many times before.

Book Info

Author
Adam Grant
Year
Pages
304
Acquired
  • I have read this book. According to my records, I completed it on .
  • A hardcover copy of this book is currently in my home library.

Here are some notes I took on the acquisition of this book:

Jan Wasson recommended this because it had a section about the importance of kindergarten teachers.

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