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The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. Hardcover – April 28, 2009
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Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism.
Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.
• Deep Practice--Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice.
• Ignition--We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.
• Master Coaching--What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students.
These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo’s to Michael Jordan’s. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished.
Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent, but equip you to reach your own highest potential.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBantam
- Publication dateApril 28, 2009
- Dimensions5.69 x 1.11 x 8.54 inches
- ISBN-10055380684X
- ISBN-13978-0553806847
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From the Publisher


Editorial Reviews
Review
"This is a remarkable—even inspiring—book. Daniel Coyle has woven observations from brain research, behavioral research, and real-world training into a conceptual tapestry of genuine importance. What emerges is both a testament to the remarkable potential we all have to learn and perform and an indictment of any idea that our individual capacities and limitations are fixed at birth."—Dr. Robert Bjork, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, UCLA
About the Author
Daniel Coyle is the author of the New York Times bestseller Lance Armstrong’s War and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, and is a contributing editor for Outside magazine. He lives with his wife and four children in Homer, Alaska, where he coaches a rapidly improving Little League team.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Product details
- Publisher : Bantam
- Publication date : April 28, 2009
- Edition : 1st
- Language : English
- Print length : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 055380684X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0553806847
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.69 x 1.11 x 8.54 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #14,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Rugby (Books)
- #196 in Leadership & Motivation
- #389 in Success Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Daniel Coyle is the New York Times best-selling author of the The Culture Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book of Talent, The Talent Code, Lance Armstrong's War, Hardball: A Season in the Projects and the novel Waking Samuel. Winner (with Tyler Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize, he is a contributing editor for Outside magazine, and also works a special advisor to the Cleveland Guardians. Coyle lives in Cleveland, Ohio during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jen, and their four children.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book an incredible read that contains valuable data on talent development and offers profound implications for learning. Moreover, the book is well-written, engaging, and fast-paced, with one customer noting its humorous and suspenseful elements. Additionally, they appreciate its motivational content, with one review highlighting how it explains myelin formation through repetition.
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Customers appreciate the book's insights, particularly its profound implications for learning and deep practice techniques. The book assembles a large amount of data on talent development, and one customer notes how it inspires hard work.
"...I was blown away by his clear, lucid description of "deep practice" and "myelenation." These concepts supplied the missing elements of my own quest...." Read more
"...I am most interested in is that he has assembled a large amount of data concerning development of talent...." Read more
"Profound read for me. Reaffirms the path to excellence in any field" Read more
"...master, what he terms as a Matrix of skills, are the product of years and years of practice, of trial and error, of undergoing the very same deep..." Read more
Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an incredible and must-read text that is well-written and makes for a quick weekend read.
"This book is absolutely brilliant. It should be required reading in colleges and universities." Read more
"...would like to compare this book to an ideal book: a book that is easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great..." Read more
"...that Dan Coyle explains in this masterpiece, I found it much easier to apply -- and teach -- all of the essential skills of writing...." Read more
"...Overall, the text is a quick read, one that all teachers, coaches, and parents should invest in so that they can understand those they influence." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's stories, with one noting how the narrative captures readers' attention, though some find it too long.
"...These are great stories; fun to share with friends...." Read more
"...The book’s extremely well-written and is packed with great stories and Big Ideas. Here are some of the Big Ideas:..." Read more
"...The book talks at length about how skill is built through mindful practice that develops myelin, a sort of neuron insulator...." Read more
"...To a point where the narrative becomes too obvious with little to learn...." Read more
Customers find the book entertaining and engaging, with one review noting it is imbued with humor and suspense.
"...It is merely things that get you interested, that excite you and bring you passion...." Read more
"...It's a fun book. And you learn a lot...." Read more
"...In this book, Daniel Coyle gives us a brilliant, fun, inspiring look at precisely how extraordinary performers became so extraordinary...." Read more
"...style brings the subject matter to life in a way that’s imbued with humor and suspense...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's pacing, describing it as a fast-paced tour that makes readers fire faster, with one customer noting it provides a refreshing look at individual performance.
"...insulation that wrap these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy."..." Read more
"...of "earning myelin," i.e. building skill, as effectively and rapidly as possible...." Read more
"Mr. Coyle's The Talent Code is an interesting and fast-paced tour through centers of excellence around the world...." Read more
"...The book is well paced with interesting anecdotes and stories to support the science behind how talent is developed...." Read more
Customers find the book motivating and optimistic, with several mentioning it provides hope for everyone and helps with goal-setting.
"...However, the real success of Curaçao is that it keeps motivational fire lit, Doyle tells you how they did it...." Read more
"...The section on "Ignition" is all about the critical factor of motivation -- the source of passion and desire that keeps the fire burning...." Read more
"Like the book "Grit" it reminds us of the importance of goal directed effort in great achievements" Read more
"...2. Enthusiasm really matters;, dedication and commitment also matter a great deal 3. A good teacher make a big, big difference. 4...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's coverage of myelin formation, with one customer highlighting how it explains the substance and its role in nerve fiber insulation, while another notes that myelin is built through repetition.
"...While Daniel gives evidences of how this impacts formation of myelin, but the overall discussion on myelin remains limited and narrow..." Read more
"...Author Daniel Coyle has done an outstanding job of taking research into myelin, a substance that insulates nerve cells, and turning that scientific..." Read more
"...This is how myelin is build in our bodies circuitry makeup. Myelin build by repetition...." Read more
"...read on the inner workings of the nervous system and the production of myelin...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's ignition aspect, with one noting how it keeps the fire burning.
"...The structure is very simple with the three parts, Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching...." Read more
"...the book is organized into three main sections: Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching. "..." Read more
"...that determine how individuals achieve greatness: Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching...." Read more
"...- This is probably the key to pushing through a skill set and keeping Ignition...." Read more
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2025This book is absolutely brilliant. It should be required reading in colleges and universities.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2025Nice price
- Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2009"I'm going to practice it a zillion million times," she said. "I'm going to play super good."
"The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle is a book on how to grow talent. The author is against the wisdom that talent is natural. The book is around the belief that talent come from Myelin. Myelin is the "insulation that wrap these nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy." When the certain signal is sent down the nerve system, myelin wraps around the nerve fibre. The thicker the myelin, the better the signal. Thus, "skill is myelin insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows according to certain signals."
The book is divided into three parts of talent growing; 1. Deep Practice 2. Ignition 3. Master Coaching
Contents
Part 1: Deep Practice
Chapter 1: The Sweet Spot
This is the first chapter to familiarise us with the deep practice. Coyle wrote about Brazilian football (soccer) and why it is the world's talent hotbed. He had an amazing story of Edwin Link and how his unusual device transformed the training of the Air Force.
Chapter 2: The Deep Practice Cell
This chapter surrounds the idea of myelin and how it might be the holy grail to talent. It is very scientific. To sum it up, "deep practice x 10,000 hours = world-class skill."
Chapter 3: The Brontës, the Z-Boys, and the Renaissance
The author started with the Brontë sisters from England in the 1850s who wrote fantastic children books. He also wrote about the group of skaters by the name of Z-Boys and the guilds during the renaissance and how they produced highly talented people.
Chapter 4: The Three Rules of Deep Practice
This chapter, Coyle gives us three rules of Deep Practicing. 1. Chunk It Up 2. Repeat It 3. Learn to Feel It
Part 2: Ignition
Chapter 5: Prima Cues
It is merely things that get you interested, that excite you and bring you passion. Coyle wrote on how the success of Se Ri Pak, a Korean golfer, had an impact on the next generation of female Korean golfers and how young Russian tennis players wanted to be the new Anna. "If she can do it, why can't I?"
Chapter 6: The Curaçao Experiment
The remote Caribbean island, Curaçao, did a miraculous work at producing lots of talented baseball players because the ignition sparked when an island hero, Andruw Jones, hit a home run. However, the real success of Curaçao is that it keeps motivational fire lit, Doyle tells you how they did it.
Chapter 7: How to Ignite a Hotbed
This chapter is about KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) by Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin. The story of success of KIPP is like a miracle but the core of it is to constantly ignite the students with just a word, college. No,... "COLLEGE!!"
Part 3: Master Coaching
Chapter 8: The Talent Whisperers
Talent does not come alone, the talented people in their fields need a coach, a mentor, or a master. Coyle wrote about Herman Lamm, the originator and teacher of modern bank-robbing skill! He wrote about Hans Jansen, a cello teacher at Meadowmount Music School in Chicago and how he personalised his teaching method. There is also a wonderful story of John Wooden, a great basketball coach and his amazing coaching techniques.
Chapter 9: The Teaching Blueprint
The author elaborated the four virtues of teaching 1. The Matrix or a task-specific knowledge of the teacher (He wrote a nice story of Linda Septein who taught Jessica Simpson and Beyonce Knowles) 2. Perceptiveness - how to perceive students individually 3. The GPS Reflex - the just-in-time informative directives 4. Theatrical Honesty which is the ability to connect with students.
Chapter 10: Tom Martinez and the $60 Million Bet
This is a chapter about Tom Martinez, a retired junior college American football coach, and his teaching method on a promising young quarterback, JaMarcus Russell.
...
I would like to compare this book to an ideal book: a book that is easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading experience.
Ease of Understanding: 8/10: The book is written in simple language albeit some scientific information. The structure is very simple with the three parts, Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching. Minor drawbacks are some uses of unnecessary ambiguous words such as Matrix, Threatrical Honesty, etc. but they are minor, though.
Distinction: 7/10: There are many books on this subject already and it reminds me of a recent book, "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell and the two have some similarities and some differences. However, The Talent Code is excellent at instilling the knowledge of Myelin making us view talent from a different perspective.
Practicality: 8/10: This book is practical especially in the field on Deep Practice. Daniel Coyle explained nicely on this issue and it is not difficult to implement it to our daily life. Chunk It Up, Repeat, and Learn to Feel It are pretty much straightforward and Deep Practice is the best part of the book because the other two, Ignition and Master Coaching are more difficult to implement.
Credibility: 3/10: Although this is a very good book, it has a major flaw. This book is like a qualitative research. It is deep in the subject and in the examples and stories in the book. However, it lacks generalisation. You might say "That's the way it is" to a story but that might not be the way the rest are. There are some contradictions in the book as well.
For example, in the Chapter 9, the author stated that teaching soccer is different from teaching violin. Teaching soccer must be free flowing because the soccer circuitry is "varied and fast, changing fluidly in response to each obstacle." So, the coach rather lets the players perform. On the other hand, the violinist has to be accurate, precise, and stable. The coach, thus, has to stop and make sure that the circuitry is correct.
The argument is convincing and sensible until we noticed the way the legendary John Wooden, a basketball coach, coached. It's undisputed that basketball is more similar to soccer than violin that it requires fluidity in the game but Coyle wrote that John Wooden constantly issuing informative corrections of movements to players. He might not stop the game but he surely keeps correcting players, not letting them flow. Coyle wrote "[The soccer coach] occasionally smiles ot laughs or says oooooooo for a close play as a fan would. But he doesn't coach in the regular sense of the term, which is to say he doesn't stop the game, teach, praise, critique, or otherwise exert any control whatsoever."
There are some other contradictions or, at least, an overlap. In the chapter 8, Coyle wrote that some coaches coach love or make the children love what they are doing. The quote from the research of Dr. Benjamin Bloom in the chapter is "Perhaps the major quality of these teachers was that they made the initial learning very pleasant and rewarding. Much of the introduction to the field was a playful activity, and the learning at the beginning of the stage was much like a game."
However, in chapter 7, regarding KIPP, the process is not really similar, if not opposite. The new students will be introduced to "discipline" from the first day on everything; how to walk, how to talk, how to sit at a desk, how to look at a teacher or classmate who's speaking, and so on. Students, on the first day, sat on the floor without a desk because "...everything here at KIPP is earned. EVERYTHING is earned. Everything is EARNED." This is a much tougher game than the piano class in Dr. Bloom's research. Likewise, at Spartak, the tennis hotbed in Russia, they did not "play" tennis - they preferred the verb borot'sya - "fight" or "struggle."
There are many minor contradictions and overlaps in this book and make it much less convincing and credible and much of them are in the parts of "Ignition" and "Master Coaching."
Insightful: 7/10: Daniel Coyle had done a very good work with his interviews in the so-called talent hotbeds around the world. Those examples are backed with stories from those involved. However, more researches with less depth would be great to confirm the findings of the deep and insightful ones.
Reading Experience: 6/10: At first, this book is very promising with the first part, "Deep Practice." It gives you intriguing knowledge and very practical methods. However, the book fades out in the later parts I discussed above. While the "Deep Practice" part is very scientific, the other parts are not as solid. The general theme of the whole book is nice but the contradictions can frustrate you.
Overall: 6.5/10: This is a good book with a different perspective on how we look at talent. It will provide you with inspiration and sufficient guidelines to make you more talented in your fields. The Deep Practice part of the book is simply invaluable. The other two parts are not bad but some unclear messages might hold you back.
(I have done this kind of review for some months; if any of you have a comment or suggestion, please do tell)
- Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2012I'll say it right away: Dan Coyle's book did much to inspire my quest to "crack the code" of writing. In fact, I named my own book and learning system The Writing Code: The Only Comprehensive Guide To Writing Well in All Fields (The Writing Code Series). My Coyle-inspired quest transformed my approach to writing -- and to teaching writing to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Years ago, when Dan Coyle started work on "The Talent Code," he called me looking for contacts with the baseball world of Curacao. I had just written Little League, Big Dreams, which featured the Curacao team in the Little League World Series. He told me he was trying to figure out the secret of talent "hot spots," and he was intrigued that such a tiny country could produce such talent. I didn;t really know what he was trying to do, but I was happy to help.
When "The Talent Code" came out, it was just the book I was looking for. I had started teaching writing at Yale and SUNY-Purchase and I was working on a book about the 1963 March on Washington (Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington was published in 2010). I had embarked on my own quest to bring my own writing to a higher level and to help my students transform their writing. I read everything I could about learning and the brain. And I started to develop a number of simple tricks to help students to write better and faster.
Then Dan Coyle's book came out. I was blown away by his clear, lucid description of "deep practice" and "myelenation." These concepts supplied the missing elements of my own quest. The idea, in a nutshell, is this: We learn better when we break complex skills into their smallest parts, and then focus intensely on those pieces. As Coyle says, the old saying that "practice makes perfect" is not completely right. In truth, practicing the right way, with with total concentration -- and repeating simple actions, again and again -- is what makes the difference. So to master a skill like writing, we need to break it down, isolate each simple skill, and make each one interesting and usable. And we need to figure out a way to "burn" the skills into the brain.
I brought that insight into my teaching and writing. What a difference it makes! Following the approach that Dan Coyle explains in this masterpiece, I found it much easier to apply -- and teach -- all of the essential skills of writing. With this system, almost anyone can master all the basic skills of writing in a fraction of the time you spend in school. And, as Dan Coyle suggests, it's fun. Because when you make progress, when you gain real mastery, you develop confidence and a desire to practice what you've learned.
I hope this doesn't sound like a commercial. I just want to say how grateful I am for this book -- not just for me and my students, but for anyone who cares about learning. It's hard to imagine a more important book for education and the changing economy that depends so much on creativity.
Top reviews from other countries
- DBPDCReviewed in Mexico on February 7, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars very insightful and inspiring!
Although ideas like in Malcolm Gladwells' works (that teach us that 10,000 hours, identity and mentorship are more important than talent) are not totally new, this book is very inspiring through the real life examples and different angles it provides.
- Nicola SfondriniReviewed in Italy on May 5, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking the Secrets to Nurture Greatness
Here are some key highlights that make this book a must-read for anyone interested in understanding and nurturing talent:
🧠 Science of talent: The book delves into the fascinating science behind talent and skill development, shedding light on how greatness can be nurtured and cultivated in individuals.
💡 Myelin and skill-building: "The Talent Code" introduces the concept of myelin, a neural insulator, and explains its crucial role in accelerating skill acquisition and mastery.
🌟 Talent hotbeds: The book provides intriguing case studies of various "talent hotbeds" across the world, revealing the secrets behind their extraordinary success in nurturing talent.
📚 Deep practice: "The Talent Code" offers valuable insights into the concept of deep practice and its role in fostering exceptional skills and abilities in individuals.
👥 Ignition and motivation: The book explores the power of ignition in sparking motivation and drive in individuals, emphasizing the importance of passion and determination in achieving greatness.
🚀 Master coaching: "The Talent Code" highlights the critical role of master coaches in nurturing talent and shares effective coaching techniques to inspire and guide individuals towards their full potential.
🌱 Growth mindset: The book reinforces the importance of a growth mindset, encouraging readers to view talent as something that can be developed and cultivated over time.
- MalReviewed in Australia on August 16, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read
Great insight backed up with science and real life examples
- CarolineReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars apart from that it is a great read. It is easy
The book was used and had someone els's notes written in it, apart from that it is a great read. It is easy, informative, interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed putting in to practice what I've learned.
- Stephen BorsyReviewed in Canada on October 12, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars You can learn a subject if you want to
This book knocks it out of the park. In more ways than one. The concepts that the author discusses here can be used for literally any new skill you are trying to learn. Fantastic read and easy to understand language make this book engaging with actionable suggestions.