Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

• Genre: Nonfiction; cognitive psychology/self-help
• Originally Published: 2016
• Reading Level/Interest: College/adult
• Structure/Length: Preface, 3 parts, and afterword; approx. 368 pages; approx. 9 hours, 22 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: Duckworth builds a case for persistence, rather than talent, as the key to success in any endeavor. The book defines grit (persistence), explores studies that demonstrate its power, and describes how to develop grit and encourage it in children.

Angela Duckworth, Author

• Bio: Born in 1970; taught math and science in public schools; earned degrees in neuroscience at Harvard University, Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she joined the faculty; was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2013; cofounder of nonprofit Character Lab, which aims to apply scientific insights in helping children thrive; cohost, with Stephen Dubner, of the podcast No Stupid Questions; Grit is her first book
• Awards: New York Times best seller

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Nature of Grit
• The Achievement of Grit
• The Teaching of Grit

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and cultural contexts that drive Duckworth’s research on grit.
• Analyze paired texts and other resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Nature of Grit, The Achievement of Grit, and The Teaching of Grit.