Situated
Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Sept 1, 2026
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
The long-awaited and groundbreaking new book by the bestselling author of Grit
In Grit, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth showed parents, students, educators, athletes and businesspeople—both seasoned and new—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”
Now, she tackles the difficult challenge of making change and shows how the secrets to lasting personal growth are not where we usually look. Your situation can be as powerful as your genes in determining everything you think, feel, say and do. You’ll learn why the psychological pull of your situation is as strong as gravity—and just as invisible. Most important, you’ll learn how to recognize the situations that bring out your best, and your worst, and how to make the power of situation work for you.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
People too often attribute a lack of success to weak willpower rather than the circumstances that shape their behavior, according to this persuasive manual. Psychologist Duckworth (Grit) argues that efforts to change oneself are most effective when they begin "upstream," because situations stimulate thoughts, which in turn provoke responses, making optimizing one's surroundings easier and more proactive than "attack the motivation problem at the last possible moment." Drawing on research in self-control and behavioral change, she outlines how readers can wisely design the spaces (homes, workplaces) they spend time in, choose friends to learn from and mentors to broaden their horizons, and find work cultures that honor their values and spur growth. While some of the advice hews to familiar habit-design principles, Duckworth illustrates it with a trove of memorable examples: a snorkeling accident involving her elderly mother becomes a metaphor for recognizing when a situation is too powerful to overcome alone, while a closer look at Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps's career reveals how coaches, teammates, and facilities are essential to maximizing raw talent. Other chapters lucidly apply the same logic to marriage, parenting, leadership, exercise, studying, and resisting digital distractions. Readers of Grit will find this a useful and humane follow-up.
