The End of Average

Unlocking our potential by embracing what makes us different

by Todd Rose

On Sale: 11/14/2017

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The End of Average

Unlocking our potential by embracing what makes us different

by Todd Rose

On Sale: 11/14/2017

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Amazon Indigo

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Book Overview
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About the Book

In this book, praised as “groundbreaking” by the Telegraph and perfect for readers of The Power of Habit and Quiet, Harvard scientist Todd Rose shows how our one-size-fits-all world is actually one-size-fits-none

The End of Average shows how success lies in customizing to our individual needs in all aspects of our lives, from the way we mark tests to the medical treatment we receive.

All around us, we think, are the average people—with the average height, the average salary and the average house. But the average doesn’t just influence how we see ourselves; our entire social system has been built around this average-size-fits-all model. Schools are designed for the average student. Health care is designed for the average patient. Employers try to fill average job descriptions with employees on an average career trajectory. Our government implements programs and initiatives to serve the average person. For more than a century, we’ve believed that the best way to run our institutions is by focusing on the average person. But when you actually drill down into the numbers, you find an amazing fact: no one is average—which means that our society built for everyone is actually serving no one.

Using principles from “the Science of the Individual,” The End of Average shows how we can break down the average to create individualized success that benefits everyone in the long run. It’s time we stopped settling for average, and Todd Rose will show you how.

Critical Praise

“Fascinating, engaging, and practical. Todd Rose dispels the myth that our success can be divined by a simple number or average, whether a grade, a score in a standardized test, or a ranking at work. The End of Average will help everyone . . . live up to their potential.” — Dan Heath, coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive

“Todd Rose shows that everything we think we know about ‘average’ performance is wrong. In fact, our one-dimensional understanding of achievement-our search for the average score, average grade, average talent-has seriously underestimated human potential. This book is readable, enlightening, and way above average.” — Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive

“Rose will change the way you see culture, school, work and everyone around you. Taylorism is officially dead. With compelling stories and an engaging style, he transforms our understanding of who we are and what’s important.” — Seth Godin, author of We Are All Weird and Stop Stealing Dreams

“Fascinating, engaging, and practical. Todd Rose dispels the myth that our success can be divined by a simple number or average, whether a grade, a score in a standardized test, or a ranking at work. The End of Average will help everyone ... live up to their potential.” — Amy Cuddy, professor at Harvard Business School, and author of Presence

“Todd Rose’s thought-provoking book challenges the explanatory power of the everyday term ‘average,’ opening our minds to new ways of conceptualizing human variation and human potentials.” — Howard Gardner, author of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed

“Todd Rose has achieved a rare feat: he is both provocative and right. He overturns our fundamental assumptions about talent, and offers an empowering way to rethink the world. With exciting stories, fresh data, and bold ideas, this book is far better than average.” — Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals