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Grit

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"Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare."

— Angela Duckworth, Grit (2016)

Introduction

Grit
 
Full titleGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
AuthorAngela Duckworth
LanguageEnglish
SubjectSuccess; Perseverance (Ethics); Psychology
GenreNonfiction; Self-help
PublisherScribner
Publication date
3 May 2016
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback); e-book; audiobook
Pages333
ISBN978-1-5011-1110-5
Websitesimonandschuster.com

📘 Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is a nonfiction book by psychologist Angela Duckworth that blends research and reportage to argue that sustained passion and effort—“grit”—drive long-term achievement. [1] Duckworth defines grit in the scholarly literature as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals,” drawing on studies of West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee contestants, and other cohorts. [2] The book introduces an “effort counts twice” equation (talent × effort = skill; skill × effort = achievement) and organizes practical guidance around interest, deliberate practice, purpose, and hope. [3][1] Written in an accessible, reportorial style that mixes case studies with psychology, the prose aims to explain findings and offer usable advice. [4] The hardcover is structured in three parts—what grit is and why it matters; growing grit from the inside out; and growing grit from the outside in—with a concluding chapter. [5] On release in May 2016 it was billed by the publisher as an “instant New York Times bestseller” and debuted at #2 on Publishers Weekly’’’s Hardcover Nonfiction list (week of 16 May 2016). [1][6]

Chapter summary

This outline follows the Scribner hardcover edition (2016, ISBN 978-1-5011-1110-5).[7]

I – What Grit Is and Why It Matters

🚪 1 – Showing Up.

🌟 2 – Distracted by Talent.

🔁 3 – Effort Counts Twice.

🧪 4 – How Gritty Are You?.

🌱 5 – Grit Grows.

II – Growing Grit from the Inside Out

🔍 6 – Interest.

🛠️ 7 – Practice.

🎯 8 – Purpose.

🌅 9 – Hope.

III – Growing Grit from the Outside In

👨‍👩‍👧 10 – Parenting for Grit.

🏟️ 11 – The Playing Fields of Grit.

🏛️ 12 – A Culture of Grit.

📘 Conclusion.

Background & reception

🖋️ Author & writing. Angela Duckworth is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania whose research focuses on grit and self-control. [8] She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2013. [9] The academic foundation for the book is her work defining grit and testing it across populations such as West Point cadets and National Spelling Bee contestants. [2] The publisher describes the book as weaving personal narrative with field studies in schools, the military, and competitive settings. [1] The first edition presents a three-part structure (definition and importance; growing grit from the inside out; growing grit from the outside in) that frames the reportage-plus-science voice. [5][4] Duckworth also co-founded Character Lab in 2013 to translate research into practice through school-based studies and online “Playbooks.” [10] Character Lab later announced it would sunset operations in June 2024. [11]

📈 Commercial reception. Publishers Weekly reported that Grit debuted at #2 on its Hardcover Nonfiction list for the week of 16 May 2016. [6] Simon & Schuster describes the title as an “instant New York Times bestseller.” [1] A trade paperback edition followed on 21 August 2018. [12] An audiobook narrated by the author was released by Simon & Schuster Audio. [13]

👍 Praise. Publishers Weekly called the book “an informative and inspiring contribution to the literature of success.” [3] Kirkus Reviews described it as an accessible blend of anecdote and science and “a pleasure to read.” [4] In The Washington Post, Sarah Carr judged it a useful guide for parents and teachers, summarizing its emphasis on interest, practice, purpose, and hope. [14]

👎 Criticism. David Denby in The New Yorker argued that Grit overstates a single trait and can neglect structural factors such as poverty and opportunity. [15] Jerry Useem in The Atlantic highlighted downsides of dogged persistence and cautioned against elevating grit above other skills. [16] A 2017 meta-analysis questioned grit’s distinctiveness from conscientiousness and found modest links to performance outcomes. [17] The Harvard Graduate School of Education also summarized concerns that a grit focus can “blame the victim” by downplaying systemic barriers. [18]

🌍 Impact & adoption. Duckworth’s 2013 TED Talk, “Grit: the power of passion and perseverance,” has been widely viewed and helped popularize the concept beyond academia. [19] KIPP’s Character Growth Card incorporated “grit” among seven character strengths used for feedback in schools. [20] In research settings, noncognitive attributes including grit have predicted completion of intensive initiation training and four-year graduation among West Point cadets. [21] At the same time, large U.S. districts (the CORE network in California) pursued SEL measurement focusing on constructs such as growth mindset, self-efficacy, self-management, and social awareness rather than grading “grit,” reflecting cautions Duckworth herself has voiced about high-stakes use. [22][18]

Related content & more

YouTube videos

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YouTube
TED Talk by Angela Duckworth (6 min)
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YouTube
Animated summary by Productivity Game (6 min)

CapSach articles

 

Atomic Habits

 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 

The Power of Habit

 

Deep Work

 

Essentialism

 

CS/Self-improvement book summaries


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named S&S2016
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Duckworth2007
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance". Publishers Weekly. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "GRIT". Kirkus Reviews. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Grit: the power of passion and perseverance — Table of contents". Colorado Mountain College (Marmot Library Network). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "This Week's Bestsellers: May 16, 2016". Publishers Weekly. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named OCLC953827740
  8. ↑ "Angela Duckworth". University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "Angela Duckworth". MacArthur Foundation. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "About Character Lab". Character Lab. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Character Lab — legacy site". Character Lab. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Grit (Trade Paperback)". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Grit (Audio CD) — bibliographic record". Colorado Mountain College (Marmot Library Network). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Carr, Sarah (29 April 2016). "If you've heard the term grit lately, it's probably because of Angela Duckworth". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  15. ↑ Denby, David (21 June 2016). "The Limits of "Grit"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  16. ↑ Useem, Jerry (May 2016). "Is Grit Overrated?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  17. ↑ Credé, Marcus; Tynan, Michael C.; Harms, Peter D. (2017). "Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 113 (3): 492–511. doi:10.1037/pspp0000102. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "The Problem With Grit". Harvard Graduate School of Education. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  19. ↑ "Grit: the power of passion and perseverance — TED-Ed lesson". TED-Ed. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  20. ↑ "KIPP NYC's Approach to Character — Q&A" (PDF). KIPP. 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  21. ↑ Duckworth, Angela L.; Quirk, A.; Gallop, R.; Hoyle, R. H.; Kelly, D. R.; Matthews, M. D. (2019). "Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (47): 23499–23504. doi:10.1073/pnas.1910510116. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  22. ↑ "Measures of SEL and School Climate in California" (PDF). Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). May 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
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