Summary Of The Truth About Grit By Jonah Lehrer

In the book The Best American Science Writing 2010 Jonah Lehrer wrote the article The Truth About Grit (Lehrer, 2010). Lehrer presented a question what makes an extraordinary person is it brains or is what researchers classify as grit (Lehrer, 2010, p. 52). In the article Lehrer used scene settings, expert opinions, introducing new questions, leaving readers with a questions, logos, ethos, and good flow to persuade readers that grit is the reason for truly successful people. The author introduced and analyzed research done by Angela Duckworth, Francis Galton, Lewis Terman, and Carol S Dweck on the topic of grit (Lehrer, 2010). Lehrer discussed each researcher’s topic and study and simplified the large studies for readers to better understand. He discussed how Newton watching the apple fall from the tree and getting the idea of gravity was not grit but his years of research and study to prove the idea of gravity was grit (Lehrer, 2010). Lehrer broke down Duckworth’s beginning ideas and research on grit at West Point with cadets and if they would graduate by using a survey (Lehrer, 2010). Lehrer also discussed Dweck’s study on how students react to being praised and Terman’s invention of the IQ test and his research the test lead too (Lehrer, 2010). Each study Lehrer analyzed supported his claim

When Lehrer discussed Newton’s law of gravity he was using a story and a topic most people understood (Lehrer, 2010, p. 52). This allowed the audience to have a reference to grit that is easier to grasp. The studies that Lehrer broke down for the audience were also scene settings that people could relate too. The West Point cadets study allowed the audience to see a study that is relatable and has a strong outcome of proving grit. Without scene settings Lehrer article would not have had such a easily grasped concept to begin the