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The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. Hardcover – April 28, 2009
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Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism.
Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.
• Deep Practice--Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice.
• Ignition--We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.
• Master Coaching--What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students.
These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo’s to Michael Jordan’s. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished.
Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent, but equip you to reach your own highest potential.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBantam
- Publication dateApril 28, 2009
- Dimensions5.69 x 1.11 x 8.54 inches
- ISBN-10055380684X
- ISBN-13978-0553806847
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From the Publisher


Editorial Reviews
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"This is a remarkable—even inspiring—book. Daniel Coyle has woven observations from brain research, behavioral research, and real-world training into a conceptual tapestry of genuine importance. What emerges is both a testament to the remarkable potential we all have to learn and perform and an indictment of any idea that our individual capacities and limitations are fixed at birth."—Dr. Robert Bjork, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, UCLA
About the Author
Daniel Coyle is the author of the New York Times bestseller Lance Armstrong’s War and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, and is a contributing editor for Outside magazine. He lives with his wife and four children in Homer, Alaska, where he coaches a rapidly improving Little League team.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Product details
- Publisher : Bantam; 1st edition (April 28, 2009)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 055380684X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0553806847
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.69 x 1.11 x 8.54 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #8,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3 in Rugby (Books)
- #185 in Leadership & Motivation
- #321 in Success Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
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Daniel Coyle is the New York Times best-selling author of the The Culture Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book of Talent, The Talent Code, Lance Armstrong's War, Hardball: A Season in the Projects and the novel Waking Samuel. Winner (with Tyler Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize, he is a contributing editor for Outside magazine, and also works a special advisor to the Cleveland Guardians. Coyle lives in Cleveland, Ohio during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jen, and their four children.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book provides valuable insights into learning and self-improvement. They describe it as an engaging read with compelling stories and facts to support its ideas. The narrative captures readers' attention chapter by chapter, making it a must-read for anyone who aspires to greatness or leads. Many customers find the book entertaining, exciting, and imbued with humor and suspense. They appreciate the well-paced narrative and the author's optimistic tone.
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Customers find the book insightful and valuable for learning and self-improvement. They mention it contains valuable information for coaches and those aspire to excel. The author has assembled a large amount of data regarding talent development. The book is highly recommended for educators, parents, coaches, and people who want to improve. It has influenced the way they work with youth in various capacities.
"...I was blown away by his clear, lucid description of "deep practice" and "myelenation." These concepts supplied the missing elements of my own quest...." Read more
"...master, what he terms as a Matrix of skills, are the product of years and years of practice, of trial and error, of undergoing the very same deep..." Read more
"...2. Deep Practice - How deeply are you practicing? 3. Deep Practice Q & A - Get the low-down. 4. Muscles & Myelin - Time to grow! 5...." Read more
"...I am most interested in is that he has assembled a large amount of data concerning development of talent...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They appreciate the well-written narrative and insights into learning. The book is described as a must-read for anyone who aspires to greatness or leadership.
"...that Dan Coyle explains in this masterpiece, I found it much easier to apply -- and teach -- all of the essential skills of writing...." Read more
"...Overall, the text is a quick read, one that all teachers, coaches, and parents should invest in so that they can understand those they influence." Read more
"...would like to compare this book to an ideal book: a book that is easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great..." Read more
"...In this book, Daniel Coyle gives us a brilliant, fun, inspiring look at precisely how extraordinary performers became so extraordinary...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's story length. They find it practical and full of stories and facts to back their ideas. The narrative captures readers' attention and gives a sense of progress chapter by chapter. While some find the story too long, others consider it short and sweet.
"...The book’s extremely well-written and is packed with great stories and Big Ideas. Here are some of the Big Ideas:..." Read more
"...The book talks at length about how skill is built through mindful practice that develops myelin, a sort of neuron insulator...." Read more
"...These are great stories; fun to share with friends...." Read more
"...To a point where the narrative becomes too obvious with little to learn...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's engaging and entertaining writing style. They find it exciting and intriguing, with real-world examples across many fields. The author draws them in with humor and suspense, making learning accessible and fun.
"...It is merely things that get you interested, that excite you and bring you passion...." Read more
"...In this book, Daniel Coyle gives us a brilliant, fun, inspiring look at precisely how extraordinary performers became so extraordinary...." Read more
"...It's a fun book. And you learn a lot...." Read more
"...style brings the subject matter to life in a way that’s imbued with humor and suspense...." Read more
Customers find the book well-paced with interesting anecdotes and stories. They find it informative and timely, providing a refreshing look at individual performance and what it takes to gain mastery in their chosen field. The book is downloaded instantly from Kindle to iPad.
"...insulation that wrap these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy."..." Read more
"...of "earning myelin," i.e. building skill, as effectively and rapidly as possible...." Read more
"Mr. Coyle's The Talent Code is an interesting and fast-paced tour through centers of excellence around the world...." Read more
"...The book is well paced with interesting anecdotes and stories to support the science behind how talent is developed...." Read more
Customers find the book motivating and encouraging. They say it provides hope and optimism. The book offers advice on skill development, goal setting, and motivation.
"...However, the real success of Curaçao is that it keeps motivational fire lit, Doyle tells you how they did it...." Read more
"...The section on "Ignition" is all about the critical factor of motivation -- the source of passion and desire that keeps the fire burning...." Read more
"Like the book "Grit" it reminds us of the importance of goal directed effort in great achievements" Read more
"...2. Enthusiasm really matters;, dedication and commitment also matter a great deal 3. A good teacher make a big, big difference. 4...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's discussion of myelin formation. They mention that it explains the substance that coats neural circuits and makes them fire faster. The author has done an outstanding job taking research into myelin, a substance that insulates. Readers also mention that the author is very passionate about myelin.
"...Author Daniel Coyle has done an outstanding job of taking research into myelin, a substance that insulates nerve cells, and turning that scientific..." Read more
"...While Daniel gives evidences of how this impacts formation of myelin, but the overall discussion on myelin remains limited and narrow..." Read more
"...This is how myelin is build in our bodies circuitry makeup. Myelin build by repetition...." Read more
"...read on the inner workings of the nervous system and the production of myelin...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's focus on mastering coaching and deliberate practice. They say passion and desire keep the fire burning.
"...The structure is very simple with the three parts, Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching...." Read more
"...that determine how individuals achieve greatness: Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching...." Read more
"...the book is organized into three main sections: Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching. "..." Read more
"...- This is probably the key to pushing through a skill set and keeping Ignition...." Read more
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faster and better. I call this book the Black Swan of ...
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2012I'll say it right away: Dan Coyle's book did much to inspire my quest to "crack the code" of writing. In fact, I named my own book and learning system The Writing Code: The Only Comprehensive Guide To Writing Well in All Fields (The Writing Code Series). My Coyle-inspired quest transformed my approach to writing -- and to teaching writing to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Years ago, when Dan Coyle started work on "The Talent Code," he called me looking for contacts with the baseball world of Curacao. I had just written Little League, Big Dreams, which featured the Curacao team in the Little League World Series. He told me he was trying to figure out the secret of talent "hot spots," and he was intrigued that such a tiny country could produce such talent. I didn;t really know what he was trying to do, but I was happy to help.
When "The Talent Code" came out, it was just the book I was looking for. I had started teaching writing at Yale and SUNY-Purchase and I was working on a book about the 1963 March on Washington (Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington was published in 2010). I had embarked on my own quest to bring my own writing to a higher level and to help my students transform their writing. I read everything I could about learning and the brain. And I started to develop a number of simple tricks to help students to write better and faster.
Then Dan Coyle's book came out. I was blown away by his clear, lucid description of "deep practice" and "myelenation." These concepts supplied the missing elements of my own quest. The idea, in a nutshell, is this: We learn better when we break complex skills into their smallest parts, and then focus intensely on those pieces. As Coyle says, the old saying that "practice makes perfect" is not completely right. In truth, practicing the right way, with with total concentration -- and repeating simple actions, again and again -- is what makes the difference. So to master a skill like writing, we need to break it down, isolate each simple skill, and make each one interesting and usable. And we need to figure out a way to "burn" the skills into the brain.
I brought that insight into my teaching and writing. What a difference it makes! Following the approach that Dan Coyle explains in this masterpiece, I found it much easier to apply -- and teach -- all of the essential skills of writing. With this system, almost anyone can master all the basic skills of writing in a fraction of the time you spend in school. And, as Dan Coyle suggests, it's fun. Because when you make progress, when you gain real mastery, you develop confidence and a desire to practice what you've learned.
I hope this doesn't sound like a commercial. I just want to say how grateful I am for this book -- not just for me and my students, but for anyone who cares about learning. It's hard to imagine a more important book for education and the changing economy that depends so much on creativity.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code, explores the origin and construction of talent in humanity. Within the roughly 200 pages of text, Coyle explores a variety of modern talent hotbeds, Brazilian soccer players for example, in an effort to isolate the factors behind greatness. Coyle begins his exploration by starting with the biological facilities possessed by all humans--the building of neural pathways through the addition of myelin, a compound that serves as insulation and thus allows the neuron to fire more effectively and efficiently. In this section, a section that breaks scientific expertise down into basic terminology, Coyle allows the reader to understand how practice literally makes perfect through the extended construction of improved neural pathways.
Coyle then heads to the hotbeds themselves, observing the world's best becoming the best. First providing an analytical breakdown of their deep practice, and then expanding upon this explanation, Coyle breaks down genius and greatness into the combination of deep practice, practice in which students engage in their field of study in an intense, driven manner, a manner that allows them to expand their abilities rapidly, and the ignition of said practice. Deep practice does involve and in fact thrives off of frequent and repeated error, error that is corrected and built upon by master coaches. Yet such practice requires a key component: desire. Desire comes through an area that Coyle terms as ignition, something that lights a fire among the youth and creates a desire to be great. For example Anna Kornikova's early success in her tennis career ignited a desire for young, Russian girls to play professional tennis.
Lastly, Coyle explores those behind talent hotbeds and everyday talent growth: Master Coaches/Teachers. He provides extensive examples of these individuals in action--not only describing their methods and pedagogy, showing them in action, but also digging deeper, demonstrating how they became who they are. The skills of the master, what he terms as a Matrix of skills, are the product of years and years of practice, of trial and error, of undergoing the very same deep practice in the method of instruction that their pupils undergo in terms of their desired craft.
Overall, the text is a quick read, one that all teachers, coaches, and parents should invest in so that they can understand those they influence.
Top reviews from other countries
- Oseas X.Reviewed in Brazil on March 2, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, funny and profound content
Using a simple writing the author brings to
attention some important, and specific, points involved with the development for so called talent.
Great reading.
- Vorlesende MutterReviewed in Germany on November 26, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally motivating
My 29-year-old son highly recommended this book...and it was mind-blowing for me. Not sure if it was the timing--because actually I was already familiar with the general concepts of what makes for experts--but I was able to connect it to so many different aspects of my life. It motivated me to come up with 3 new classes using "deliberate practice" (I'm a university lector), it inspired me to start running up the stairs at work, and I was able to connect the content to so many points both in the Read-Aloud Handbook I was reading simultaneously and to my husband's polyneuropathy. As someone who almost majored in psychobiology, I loved the emphasis on the role of myelin in learning. Highly recommend the book for teachers and for anyone wanting to get better in anything.
- Nicola SfondriniReviewed in Italy on May 5, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking the Secrets to Nurture Greatness
Here are some key highlights that make this book a must-read for anyone interested in understanding and nurturing talent:
🧠 Science of talent: The book delves into the fascinating science behind talent and skill development, shedding light on how greatness can be nurtured and cultivated in individuals.
💡 Myelin and skill-building: "The Talent Code" introduces the concept of myelin, a neural insulator, and explains its crucial role in accelerating skill acquisition and mastery.
🌟 Talent hotbeds: The book provides intriguing case studies of various "talent hotbeds" across the world, revealing the secrets behind their extraordinary success in nurturing talent.
📚 Deep practice: "The Talent Code" offers valuable insights into the concept of deep practice and its role in fostering exceptional skills and abilities in individuals.
👥 Ignition and motivation: The book explores the power of ignition in sparking motivation and drive in individuals, emphasizing the importance of passion and determination in achieving greatness.
🚀 Master coaching: "The Talent Code" highlights the critical role of master coaches in nurturing talent and shares effective coaching techniques to inspire and guide individuals towards their full potential.
🌱 Growth mindset: The book reinforces the importance of a growth mindset, encouraging readers to view talent as something that can be developed and cultivated over time.
- Stephen BorsyReviewed in Canada on October 12, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars You can learn a subject if you want to
This book knocks it out of the park. In more ways than one. The concepts that the author discusses here can be used for literally any new skill you are trying to learn. Fantastic read and easy to understand language make this book engaging with actionable suggestions.
- CarolineReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars apart from that it is a great read. It is easy
The book was used and had someone els's notes written in it, apart from that it is a great read. It is easy, informative, interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed putting in to practice what I've learned.