Book Report: Grit

        For this book report, I have chosen to read the book, Grit, written by Angela Duckworth. When looking at the several options provided, and the various quirky titles, this one caught my attention the most. Before reading this book, the only type of grit that I knew of, was the popular breakfast, eggs, and grits, or when someone describes a texture as being gritty. However, in this book, Angela Duckworth defines the word grit as being something that you chose to stick with over the course of time and master its capabilities. Grit is also an individual personality trait that is seen in those individuals who have a deep passion and strive for a specific goal, regardless of the obstacles of life. 

        I really enjoyed reading this book and understanding how grit applies to my own life. One of the main points that is expressed throughout the entire book is that grit is a measurement of effort that soars above talent. In the book, Angela Duckworth has this “Grit Scale,” and those people who score high will supposedly be more successful than others who chose to rely on their talent. Duckworth takes grit and then compares it to various physical anomalies, levels of intelligence, and different innate abilities; concluding that people who are higher achievers tend to put in two times the amount of effort in order to be successful.

        Based on this grit scale, people with higher scores also practice and fail very often. This is because of the concept that an individual should practice constantly and should do so with only that goal in mind. Having a goal is one thing, but acting upon and achieving that goal is another, and this book greatly divides the two.

        While I enjoyed reading the entire book and learning about Angela Duckworths personal struggles, I really liked seeing the comparisons of the high and low scores and what they meant about a person. I liked the way in which Duckworth said that those people who obtained higher scores have more direction in their lives. Another point that greatly stuck with me, was when she expressed that those who scored higher, have their goals written down in pen, and those who scored lower, had their goals written in pencil, and that was extremely deep. It truly made me think a lot about what my goals are and how far have I come. How much grit do I have and are my goals written in pen?

        Furthermore, this book can greatly be correlated with the other book we read for this class, Endurance, written by Alfred Lansing. Throughout the entirety of the book, Shackleton and his whole crew needed to have tons of grit in order to survive. The whole crew went through tons of difficult moments and struggles that made them feel hopeless, but in the end, they had enough grit in order to complete the journey.

        I definitely recommend that everyone should read this book at some point in their lives to get a different perspective on life and how grit can affect it in a positive way. I have many personal goals that I have set for myself, and I look forward to continuing to have the passion and perseverance to be successful.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWctLEdIgi4