Situated - by Angela Duckworth (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the #1 bestselling author of Grit, a new book that reveals the hidden power of situations--and how you can shape them to bring out your best.

In Angela Duckworth's first book, she showed that a common denominator of successful strivers is a blend of passion and perseverance she dubbed "grit." This second book springs from her deepening realization that grit, while necessary, is sometimes not sufficient. How you situate yourself to meet a challenge can be crucial.

Duckworth's in-depth research reveals the enormous influence wielded by the objects within arm's reach, your peers and mentors, and even your zip code. Though you're often told to make the best of your situation, it is far, far better to make your situation better first.

In Situated, you'll discover--

• Why your personality changes, sometimes dramatically, from one situation to another--and how you can harness that shift
• The secret to conquering temptation without willpower
• Why taking the less effortful path can feel like cheating but often solves a stubborn problem
• How the company you keep shapes the person you become
• The most effective ways to help others succeed

Highlighting four essential elements of successful situations, Duckworth shows how high performers like Taylor Swift, Michael Phelps, and Jerry Seinfeld create situations that make the most of their grit. And with disarming honesty, she shares her own struggles with burnout and marriage--and how learning to change her situation, not herself, made all the difference.

Whatever it is you want to achieve, there's a situation that can make your journey easier.

It takes effort to make your situation your ally--but a little effort goes a long way...when you get situated.

Review Quotes

"This is how you do it. This is how you fuse the instructive insights of solid behavioral science with the flair of a superb communicator. Situated is brilliant and makes me envious."
--Robert Cialdini, New York Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

"Angela's first book, Grit, helped frame for me what success and joy truly require: hard work, determination, and believing in yourself no matter what the obstacles are, every day. This latest book explores an additional truth--one I wholeheartedly agree with--which is that much depends on the environment you create. Angela continues to motivate and inspire me to do my best work, for my family, my readers, and myself."
--Marie Kondo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Letter from Japan

About the Author

Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a psychologist, a MacArthur Fellow, and the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth's TED talk is among the most viewed of all time. Her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.