I wanted this book to suck. I hate to admit it now, but I did. I watched the TED Talk. I didn’t buy the hype. Grit? Throwing a hollow buzzword at the idea that people who work harder are more successful didn’t seem all that profound. Then I read it.

I loved this book. If I had to pick one genre that this book fell under I suppose psychology would be the correct answer, but, having read quite a few titles form the self-help category, this book didn’t feel all that far off. However, whereas the justification for advice in self help books rarely goes any deeper than the author implicitly stating “because I’m successful and this happened to work for me,” Grit provides actual scientific backing for all claims made, and even points out blind spots in the research. As a “data-driven” person, I really appreciated it. And if you’re worried that a book filled with data from clinical trials and tedious research may be a bit heavy (i.e. boring), don’t be. While maybe not as page turning as the crime thriller on your nightstand, the style was very approachable and enjoyable. I don’t consider myself a great reader, but I had trouble putting this one down.

I loved this book because it made me reassess my own life and think about what really matters on a much larger scale. What matters to you more than anything? How do you want to be remembered when you’re dead? What is worth spending your life on? To all these questions, my answer is the same: I have no fucking idea. But the mere act of asking myself has changed the way I approach my daily life. Do I exemplify grit? I don’t think so, but I aspire to, and I think the missing piece is in the answer to the questions above. The search begins.

Read this book. If you’re a teacher, parent, or anyone with influence over an impressionable youth, seriously read this book. If you’re just a normal person like me, still, read it. I can’t think of anyone I wouldn’t recommend this to. I hope you read this book, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

P.S. The author of this book is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and makes various Philadelphia references throughout. Sadly, this book was released before Gritty, the lovable Flyers mascot, was born. Missed opportunity...