Book Review The Talent Code by Coyle on Amazon: This book was a surprise. Somehow I expected something about how to spot talent, hire talent, or use talent for corporate success. What I got was a great book on learning and brain development. This well written and well researched book discusses the power of deep practice on the Myelin coating in the brain. Myelin is the insulating sheath surrounding nerve enabling them to conduct impulses between the brain and other parts of the body. The electrical current must travel without being corrupted, scrambled, diverted from the proper path, or leaking energy. Therefore, myelin is like the layer of plastic insulation surrounding an interior wire, which is the nerve.
Myelin increases when we engage in deep practice. Much like Gladwell discusses in Outliers, success comes after thousands of hours of good correct practice. This intense practice occurs when we are in a zone of focus, repeating correct actions over and over again, stopping and correcting mistakes, and repeating correct actions again. This grows and thickens that myelin over the nerves allowing for faster more accurate responses.
Before we can practice we need motivation, which he calls ignition. He also discusses why some motivation sticks and some does not using examples from a variety of sports and educational settings. This is not the world of pep-talks, but of inspiration that comes from the HSE…the Holy Shit Effect. We suddenly see someone just like us who won a golf tournament and realize that maybe we could play golf well. Coyle give numerous examples that support the HSE.
Finally Coyle points out the importance of good coaching. He reports on many studies on coaching and teaching that change our notions of the “sage on the stage” and encourage us to be a “guide on the side” to be effective. He found that short, precise and intense feedback is more effective than lectures. He uses examples from education citing the KIPP and KEEP projects, as well as more sports.
This is a great book. I was inspired to return to my piano and work on my novel. The more I practice the more myelin I grow and the better I get. Intense focused practice in the sweet zone is the secret. See perfection, measure my distance from it, reach, repeat.
Great book for educators and coaches, or anyone interested in brain research or cognitive psychology. Great book to get anyone motivated to try harder!