This chapter discusses the importance of trial and error in learning and the value of gaining diverse experiences. The speakers highlight the tendency to settle down too quickly in careers and the need for failure and exploration. They also touch on the use of analogies and patterns in problem-solving, emphasizing how they can be both powerful and limiting.
Journalist and author David Epstein talks about his book Range with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Epstein explores the costs of specialization and the value of breadth in helping to create mastery in our careers and in life. What are the best backgrounds for solving problems? Can mastery be achieved without specialization at a young age? What experiences and knowledge best prepare people to cope with unexpected situations? This is a wide-ranging conversation that includes discussion of chess, the Challenger tragedy, sports, farming in obscure Soviet provinces after the revolution, the Flynn effect and why firefighters sometimes fail to outrun forest fires.