The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills

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The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills

by Daniel Coyle (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 306 ratings · 81 reviews

The Little Book of Talent is a manual for building a faster brain and a better you. It is an easy-to-use handbook of scientifically proven, field-tested methods to improve skills—your skills, your kids’ skills, your organization’s skills—in sports, music, art, math, and business. The product of five years of reporting from the world’s greatest talent hotbeds and interviews...more

Hardcover, 160 pages

Published August 21st 2012 by Bantam (first published April 1st 2012)

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May 13, 2013 Justin Staub rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are new to leadership, teaching, coaching, or parenting, you should pick up Daniel Coyle's book, The Little Book of Talent. I made the mistake of borrowing it from the library; you will want to buy a copy. You will speed through this book, but you will want to return to it often to remind yourself how important key ideas are.

This book is a collection of 52 short tips, each about two pages, on how you can improve your teaching and training to become more skilled at your practice. Throughou...more If you are new to leadership, teaching, coaching, or parenting, you should pick up Daniel Coyle's book, The Little Book of Talent. I made the mistake of borrowing it from the library; you will want to buy a copy. You will speed through this book, but you will want to return to it often to remind yourself how important key ideas are.

This book is a collection of 52 short tips, each about two pages, on how you can improve your teaching and training to become more skilled at your practice. Throughout his tips, Coyle makes connections between sports, education, coaching, and parenting which make the research-based tips very easy to follow. One of the tips that reoccurs through his book is slowing down a skill and practicing it until it is perfected. Slow down playing music, practicing a tennis swing, or reading a book. Reduce distractions and focus on the skill. Repeat the skill often, in slow motion, and create the memory of a perfect approach. Coyle uses multiple examples from "hotbeds" of talent (sports training facilities, schools of music, etc.) to show how this works. Coyle also includes research about why this works. What is great about the book is the examples and the research do not get in the way of the tips. Rather, they reinforce his point without weighing down the reading.

Coyle also reiterates breaking down a skill into its most essential component, then practicing that component slowly and repeatedly. For educators, this requires identifying exactly what a student needs to be successful and ensuring he or she masters that skill before adding new content. Even in high schools, a teacher must recognize mastery of basic skills is important before adding complexity.

Much like Jonah Lehrer and Carol Dweck note, talent (or creativity, or intelligence) is not something one is born with. Talent, creativity, and intelligence are skills one practices repeatedly, continually pushing into new levels of experience. Effort, hard work, and practice make one talented. Talent is not a natural gift.

The Little Book of Talent will be an easy read, but it is meant to inform your approach to learning. Much like Coyle suggests to cultivate talent, the reader must slow down and study, practice, and reflect on his 52 tips. Reading the book in one sitting and moving on will not make you a better cultivator of talent, but returning to his ideas and implementing them will. You will definitely want to buy this book.(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Andres rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-a-weeek

I finished it in one reading, the book is easy to read and quite short. The author doesn't waste your time. The book would be good to someone who works with people or needs to train others or themselves and wants a fresh perspective.

It is divided into three categories: getting started, improving skills and sustaining progress. Altogether there are 52 ideas, most of them less than a page. The author gather the ideas over the years while talking about talent (he is the author of "The Talent Code")...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Flexnib rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some great tips here, including:

TIP #4
BUY A NOTEBOOK
"...write stuff down and reflect on it. Results from today. Ideas for tomorrow. Goals for next week. A notebook works like a map: It creates clarity."

TIP #16
EACH DAY, TRY TO BUILD ONE PERFECT CHUNK
"...set a daily SAP: smallest achievable perfection. In this technique, you pick a single chunk that you can perfect—not just improve, not just “work on,” but get 100 percent consistently correct."

TIP #50
CULTIVATE YOUR GRIT
"Grit is that mix of passion...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Mikki Ibarra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Holy Moses! I am in love with this book! Okay, I don't usually like self-help books, or inspirational type things, but I do adore things like writing prompts and simple suggestions to increase chances of success. This book sort of hauls all of that in and shoves it into these handy little tips, all of which are not beyond anyone's reach. Wow, I just keep reading and re-reading and my roommate has already told me that he is stealing the book from me when I am not looking. He read through it befor...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Only on page 19 of "The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills," and I am already finding this book very interesting. It has already provided me with useful information that I am putting into practice. I am really looking forward to what else this book has to offer as I continue to read it, and put what I am reading into action so I can improve various skills.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Eric Wallace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

First you should know before continuing to read my review is that I am totally addicted to books about increasing productivity, developing talent and creativity, probing how the mind works and how to get the most out of it, and building good habits and influencing positive decisions. So how could I not like this book?

And yet because of said affliction, there were few ideas or concepts that were new for me, simply because I've read so much on these similar topics. Still, I enjoyed the book for it...more First you should know before continuing to read my review is that I am totally addicted to books about increasing productivity, developing talent and creativity, probing how the mind works and how to get the most out of it, and building good habits and influencing positive decisions. So how could I not like this book?

And yet because of said affliction, there were few ideas or concepts that were new for me, simply because I've read so much on these similar topics. Still, I enjoyed the book for its straight-forward delivery of so many practical suggestions. The pithiness of each tip's title make them memorable, if you need a mantra to help you apply these steps. And the stories from the various "hotbeds of learning" that Coyle visited and observed in preparation for his earlier book "The Talent Code" (and this one as well) help make the goal more vivid and inspirational to boot. (Who could forget his description of the younger students' rapt attention as they unabashedly stare in observation of the elder masters of their craft?)

Despite the glut of my related reading, I have not read "The Talent Code" before--but now the pragmatist in me says that I don't need to, as this book seems to contain and summarize what I imagine to be the bulk of the "actionable" data. In other words, if I am reading with a goal of improving myself, then this is all I need. (Nevertheless I'm sure the other book is an enlightening and engaging read.) Similarly if you have not spent as much time as I have devouring books on secrets to performance and skill development, then this book may be a shortcut to learning and applying the key points.

My foremost take-away right now is the impression that I should spend my practice time for whatever skill I am seeking to master in the zone at the leading edge of my abilities, where it requires the most mental effort--and thus achieves the greater reward. (I suppose it's much like weight-lifting, where they say, "the only rep that counts is the last," the one in which it is almost too much for your muscles to bear--that's what makes the muscle grow.) But I fully expect to revisit the book in he future so I can be reminded of more ways to stretch and grow.(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Dan Shaw rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: helpful-though-not-life-changing

Aside from the fact that the edition I read was an advance copy, thus there were more than a few grammatical errors, the sheer style of Coyle's writing was just substandard; or at least fell short of my personal standards for self help books. Having not read any of the author's previous works, nor having much preparation for this book, I wasn't overly skeptical at the onset. In actuality, many of his tips were insightful, though it consistantly references studies and people and fails to cite sou...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Joseph McBee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do not let the title or the size of this book fool you. This is powerful and important stuff.

I flew through the book on the first reading just to take in all the excellent tips and strategies and now I am going back through tip-by-wonderful-tip to digest and apply what I am seeing there.

I am recommending this book to everyone I know who is interested in improving performance for themselves or those they lead, which really, should be everyone.

In these pages, Coyle reveals the strategies of the tr...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Janalee rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of really great advice. And you can read it in a few short hours. Don't ask me to list it out for you, but I know it will come out of my head when it's needed. Oh! Here's something I remember. They talked about a therapy for shyness. Instead of delving into your past and figuring out why you were what you were, they just decided to create good habits. So the first assignment would be, Go ask a stranger what time it is, then go ask 5 strangers. All culminating to the final mom...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, owned, non-fiction, gr-authors, 2012-in-2012, very-short, reviews

I won this book through the goodreads first reads program.

Received this book - with postage due! Only 59 cents, but still! Why didn't they just send it media mail instead of first class? This is an uncorrected proof, so I can't quote it.

I haven't read The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Everything Else. For art, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You about Being Creative may be better.

I definitely think this book would be a worth...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Eric Jensen rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Little Book of Talent is a 'how to' guide based on Daniel Coyle's research on the science and practice of skill building and coaching (see his previous book The Talent Code). He presents 52 tips organized into three sections: Getting Started, Improving Skills, and Maintaining Progress. Coyle's approach differs from most books written by athletic coaches and music teachers in his divergent focus and emphasis on the underlying neuroscience of skill building. While this is not really a scientif...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Rayah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

A short, easy read - this is a good thing, because you can get out there and put the 52 Tips into practice right away rather than spend a week reading about them. Most likely, if you work hard at something in your life right now, you already do some of the things mentioned in here. In that case, those chapters serve as a good reminder of why you do them. And most likely, there will be some new ideas in here, too. Author Daniel Coyle smartly gives us examples from sports, science, the arts, busin...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Erasmo Guerra rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a fast read you'll want to take slowly. Insightful. Packed with anecdotal and scientific research. For a former self-help junkie like me, this was a great tune-up for tweaking and turbo-boosting my practice of becoming a better, faster, stronger me. Looking forward to reading The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Everything Else, from which this little tip sheet of a book is derived.

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Oct 08, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is great for anybody building skills - whether it is in music, writing, sports, arts, public speaking, or many work skills.

There were some really good tips to keep me thinking such as spending time engraving the skill or your role model on your brain, steal technique (great Picasso quote "Good artists borrow. Great artists steal."), Be willing to be stupid, figure out if the skills is a hard skill or soft skill and different techniques for each.

Some of the tips were redundant after a...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Fox rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, self-help, first-reads, non-fiction, own, philosophy, 2012, favorites

I won this book through the first-reads program.

I'm a fan of self-help books, generally because I enjoy improving myself. A good number of self-help books, though, tend to focus upon immediate improvement and immediate gratification. Well, immediate results tend to be rare, and don't last. Luckily, this book not only acknowledges that fact, but celebrates it.

This book is divided into 52 different short tips that you can execute fairly easily. Everything from napping (Einstein did it) to slowing...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Chung Chin rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you have read "The Talent Code", and you love it, you'll love this book too.
The Talent Code presents the blueprint to talent whereas this little book presents all the handy tips on how to take the blueprint model and build it into reality.
I personally think that it's a great book that complements The Talent Code with all the concise, clear and useful advise packaged into one little book that you can quickly refer to whenever you need some idea on building your talent.

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Feb 03, 2013 Heather Preston rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A distillation of insights learned by the author, Dan Coyle in his research for his book, The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Everything Else. I listened to the audio book, so it's a little hard to go back and get specifics, but I think if I had the print edition I'd refer back to it.

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Aug 05, 2012 Elinor Forguson rated it 5 of 5 stars

First, Thank you Goodreads, for the free book.
I won this one thru you.

I love this little book, this is pact of good advice on how to be better on your chosen hobby, quest in life.
I read the Talent Code, which wrote by the same author and I was really impressed of that book, and I know that this little book will be hit too.

I am amateur musician, and this book helps me out tremendously, on how to make time to be better, and this book has nailed everything on how to be better and believed in yourse...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Hope rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: help-yourself

I won a copy through Goodreads' Firstreads giveaway program!!!

I am always skeptical of self-help books, but “The Little Book of Talent” is more of a pocket reference guide. There are undoubtedly a couple tips in here that everyone already knows…but moreover many you never thought to try.
Coyle offers quotes from famous successes and examples for how these tips relate to everyday talents. I especially enjoyed his focus of nurturing ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ skills. Although this is not a new concept, the...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Jared Barcelos rated it 5 of 5 stars

I put this book down over and over again, not because I didn't want to go on, but because I wanted to immediately implement something from a chapter into my daily routine, or because I wanted to share one of the tips with a friend.

I will definitely be focusing on these tips as I work towards specific goals, and I am anxious to see if the result is improved progress.

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May 18, 2013 JP rated it 5 of 5 stars

This compact guide about how to pursue self improvement gets a "highly recommend" from me. I like the Coyle draws from a range of proven cases then synthesizes it all down neatly into a set of 52 quite readable tips. I'm ready to pursue career, parenting and even my tennis game this week with a new outlook and new ideas to improve.

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Nov 23, 2012 Ananthu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This is more like a condensed version of Coyle's The Talent Code . Some of the tips mentioned are quite useful.

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Oct 04, 2012 Andd Becker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Easy to read, easy to understand, and filled with imaginative tips on how to help others develop talent and strengthen skills, this book is a winner. It is a pocket-sized book to read again and again. The rule of ten thousand hours is mentioned. Take this concept figuratively, as a rule of thumb. As the author says, "Greatness is not born, but grows through deep practice, no matter who you are."
Have you considered the windshield phenomenon -- learners observing top performers? Have you ever he...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Murali rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book contains several nuggets of wisdom which can be used by people trying to master a new skill. Many of the things mentioned in the book are well-known but the author has done a decent job compiling them here.

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Sep 23, 2012 George rated it 5 of 5 stars

A good book to help to discover why, as the author states, "the willingness to be stupid" works!! A short book that takes no time to read it could also, and profitably, be one best read, re-read, and re-read again!

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Aug 28, 2012 Bill Gathen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very quick read (it's designed as a mini-book you can always have with you) that distilled the key elements of The Talent Code by the same author quite well. It added a number of handy suggestions, too. All very actionable stuff.

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Sep 25, 2012 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hot tip: Practicing a skill three times, with 10-minute breaks in between, is more effective than one big chunk of practice. Lots of other great ideas on improving talent in this re-readable book.

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May 10, 2013 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant book. Super easy and fast read. Chalk full of great information to really understand how the top performers of the world make their mark. Will be read once a month.

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Jul 10, 2012 Jalynn Patterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Who doesn't need to improve our talent from time to time? My favorite tip take a nap. With four kids running around I could always use this one.

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Sep 01, 2012 Paula Lyle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

This book was fine, but hardly groundbreaking. It is very slight, not much to it. I got it through the library, but I would have felt cheated if I'd spent money.

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About Daniel Coyle

Author of the New York Times bestseller Lance Armstrong’s War, Hardball: A Season in the Projects, Waking Samuel, and most recently The Talent Code. Coyle has written for Sports Illustrated, Play, and the New York Times Magazine. His work has appeared multiple times in Best American Sports Writing, and he is a two-time National Magazine Award finalist. He lives in Homer, Alaska, with his wife Jen...more

More about Daniel Coyle...

Books by Daniel Coyle

The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Everything Else

Lance Armstrong's War: One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France

The Talent Code: Greatness isn't born. It's grown

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