This book is the product of a collaboration between two people, a psychological scientist and a science writer. We began talking regularly about the subject—expert performers and “deliberate practice”—more than a decade ago and began serious work on the book more than five years ago. During that time the book grew in the give-and-take between the two of us to the point that it is now difficult even for us to tell exactly who is responsible for which piece of it. What we do know is that it is a much better—and different—book than either of us would have produced alone. However, while the book is a collaboration, the story that it tells is the story of just one of us (Ericsson), who has spent his adult life studying the secrets of extraordinary performers. Thus, we chose to write the book from his point of view, and the “I” in the text should be understood as referring to him. Nonetheless, the book is our joint effort to describe this exceptionally important topic and its implications.

WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE so amazingly good at what they do? Anywhere you look, from competitive sports and musical performance to science, medicine, and business, there always seem to be a few exceptional sorts who dazzle us with what they can do and how well they do it. And when we are confronted with such an exceptional person, we naturally tend to conclude that this person was born with something a little extra. “He is so gifted,” we say, or, “She has a real gift.” But is that really so? For more than thirty years I have studied these people, the special ones who stand out as experts in their fields—athletes, musicians, chess players, doctors, salespeople, teachers, and more. I have delved into the nuts and bolts of what they do and how they do it. I have observed, interviewed, and tested them. I have explored the psychology, the physiology, and the neuroanatomy of these extraordinary people. And over time I’ve come to understand that, yes, these people do have an extraordinary gift, which lies at the heart of their capabilities. But it is not the gift that people usually assume it to be, and it is even more powerful than we imagine. Most importantly, it is a gift that every one of us is born with and can, with the right approach, take advantage of.