Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

David Epstein is an investigative reporter who has written for Sports Illustrated, ProPublica, and other publications, and who has authored two books, The Sports Gene (2013) and Range. He began his journalistic career writing stories in the world of sports, which ultimately resulted in The Sports Gene, which discusses the impact of both genetics and elite training on high-performing athletes. As Epstein explains, writing The Sports Gene eventually led to Range. The discussion of hyperspecialization and intense training in his first book increased his interest in those topics. Once he realized there were many other paths to achievement, Epstein realized he wanted to explore alternatives to hyperspecialization in Range.

Because he has a varied background involving science (which he studied as an undergraduate student), sports, and journalism, Epstein was poised to explore and describe the diverse stories, concepts, and methods discussed in Range. At times, Epstein even shares stories about himself in Range beyond describing what led him to write the book. For instance, he describes his own struggles as the worst member of his collegiate track team in the context of Chapter 6’s discussion of

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