SYSK Choice: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World & Amazing Extreme Animals

When it comes to easing traffic congestion, sometimes the solution is worse than the original problem. This episode begins with a tale of how trying to ease traffic tends to cause more of it. It’s all about “build it and they will come.” (Source: Edward Humes author of the book Door to Door https://amzn.to/2EQKFNs). To be successful, it’s important that you get really good at one specific thing as soon as possible. In other words, you have to specialize. While that concept seems to make sense, it turns out to be flawed, according to journalist David Epstein, author of the book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (https://amzn.to/2WdTjLG). Listen as he explains why being a generalist is likely better even though people tend to think the opposite is true.  Far fewer parents spank their kids than they used to - but some still do. They likely believe in the “spare the rod, spoil the child” approach to parenting. Listen as I explain why a lot of those parents will live to regret it. (Source: Karl Pillemer author of the book 30 Lessons for Living https://amzn.to/2WqxXzN) Our world is crawling with “extreme” creatures. By that I mean the largest, fastest, smallest, strongest and smartest. There is a lot we can learn from these animals and organisms. For example, the largest mammal could help us end cancer. The fastest bird is teaching engineers about flight. Matthew LaPlante, a professor of journalism at Utah State University is author of the book Superlative: The Biology of Extremes (https://amzn.to/2WmlPA3). He joins me to reveal the fascinating reasons why these creatures became so extreme in their own right and why they are so fascinating and potentially helpful to mankind. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Listen to Build For Tomorrow with Jason Feifer, our favorite new podcast, right here! https://apple.co/3rPM8La or visit https://www.jasonfeifer.com/build-for-tomorrow/ Save time, money, and stress with Firstleaf – the wine club designed with you in mind! Join today and you’ll get 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 and free shipping! Just go to https://tryfirstleaf.com/SOMETHING JUSTWORKS makes it easier for you to start, run and grow a business. Find out how JUSTWORKS can help your business by going to https://justworks.com Visit https://www.remymartin.com/en-us/ to learn more about their exceptional spirits! Download the five star-rated puzzle game Best Fiends FREE today on the Apple App Store or Google Play! https://bestfiends.com https://www.geico.com Bundle your policies and save! It's Geico easy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices