Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

Talent Code by Daniel Coyle is the culmination of extensive work by the author to unearth the basis of the phenomenon of talent. In order to do this, Mr. Coyle visited "talent hubs" across the world to determine any common characteristics among those who display particular talent. The book then focuses on the existence of the chemical myelin in the brain, which functions to cultivate the elements that encourage and cultivate talent in the individual.

In order to expound the author's views, the book is divided into three parts, where Part I focuses on the concept of deep practice as the first step towards cultivating talent. Part II focuses the "Ignition" phase, where motivation and inspiration play key roles. Part III, entitled "Master Coaching," concerns forces outside the individual, in terms of teachers and coaches, to help the individual cultivate his or her talents effectively.

The central premise of the book is that myelin works in tandem with the correct actions and features to cultivate talent. The point the author makes is that the basis of talent is chemical, and that it can be grown by action.

The style and tone of the book are informal and humorous, making it very accessible to a wide audience. The author provides many anecdotes of persons and groups having achieved great things as a result of following a certain pattern of actions and coaching. Another feature of the book is that it is obviously the result of a large and lengthy amount of research. The author has the ability to involve the reader into his world and is very convincing regarding the role of myelin and the certainty of the human propensity for cultivating talent.

While authors such as Jonathan Harnum (2009) acknowledge the premise of the book and its value for human knowledge, others are less positive. New Scientist reviewer Michael Bond for example finds the premise of the book little more than obscure. He notes that, while it may appear that Coyle is "onto something huge," there is little more than "practice makes perfect" involved. Bond also mentions other authors such as Malcolm Gladwell to negate the effect and indeed the significance of Coyle's work. Nonetheless, he does acknowledge that Coyle's greatness lies in his style, and that his focus on myelin as the basis of talent is not an area that has received much critical attention. Thus, Bond appears to contradict his own just-made claim of obscurity by acknowledging that Coyle's work is indeed more significant than it may appear.

Harnum's (2009) only criticism was a lack of specific practices to cultivate talent. Otherwise, the review focuses upon the positive, including the language, anecdotes, accessibility and applicability to the general knowledge that makes the human race great.

Personally, I enjoyed the book particularly for two reasons: it is not the type of work that I would normally read; and it surprised me in terms of its tone and accessibility. The book is based upon scientific fact, mentions chemicals in the brain, and focuses upon observed phenomena to provide conclusions. In structure and form it is therefore a scientific work, and something I would therefore not normally read.

However, the content of the book brings the science to life in a personal and accessible way. I particularly liked the author's focus on the involvement of more than just the individual to cultivate talent. Teachers and the way in which they cultivate their teaching talent are for example an important part in identifying and cultivating talent in individuals.