Two Books, Two Approaches: A Quick Take on Range and 59 Seconds

I read two books this morning—Range by David Epstein and 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman. Both challenge popular wisdom, but they do it in very different ways—and with very different levels of success.

Range is engaging, well-researched, and genuinely interesting. Epstein builds a compelling case for generalists in a world that celebrates specialists. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just repackage familiar ideas—it gives you new material to think about.

59 Seconds, on the other hand, didn’t quite land the same way. To be fair, I only read the Shortform summary, so this may not be entirely fair, but based on what I read, it felt more like a reframe than a revelation. The premise seems to be: “Here’s a popular idea. Now let’s disagree with it.” But the disagreement doesn’t always feel rooted; it’s more like a clever pivot than a clear debunking.

Maybe the whole book makes a stronger case. But from what I saw, it felt less like overturning bad advice and more like presenting old advice in new packaging, with a contrarian spin.

My verdict: Range, compelling, and worth the read. 59 Seconds, not so much, not sure it’s worth the time.