Harvard Book Store welcomes Angela Duckworth—award-winning psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance—for a discussion of her new book, Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best. She will be joined in conversation by Brad Stevens—President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics.
Ticketing
Tickets include admission for one and one hardcover copy of Situated, pre-signed by the author.
Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event.
About Situated
From the #1 bestselling author of Grit, a new book that reveals the hidden power of situations—and how you can shape them to bring out your best.
In Angela Duckworth’s first book, she showed that a common denominator of successful strivers is a blend of passion and perseverance she dubbed “grit.” This second book springs from her deepening realization that grit, while necessary, is sometimes not sufficient. How you situate yourself to meet a challenge can be crucial.
Duckworth’s in-depth research reveals the enormous influence wielded by the objects within arm’s reach, your peers and mentors, and even your zip code. Though you’re often told to make the best of your situation, it is far, far better to make your situation better first.
In Situated, you’ll discover:
- Why your personality changes, sometimes dramatically, from one situation to another—and how you can harness that shift
- The secret to conquering temptation without willpower
- Why taking the less effortful path can feel like cheating but often solves a stubborn problem
- How the company you keep shapes the person you become
- The most effective ways to help others succeed
Highlighting four essential elements of successful situations, Duckworth shows how high performers like Taylor Swift, Michael Phelps, and Jerry Seinfeld create situations that make it easier to excel. And with disarming honesty, she shares her own struggles with burnout and marriage—and how learning to change her situation, not herself, made all the difference. Whatever it is you want to achieve, there’s a situation that can make your journey easier.
It takes effort to make your situation your ally—but a little effort goes a long way…when you get situated.
Praise for Situated
“SITUATED HIT ME AS HARD AS DUCKWORTH’S FIRST BOOK GRIT. In this follow-up, she drives home a key point: we are not the same person in every situation. Being human means bringing different versions of ourselves to the arena, and the best may depend on circumstances. Brilliantly insightful, Situated made me think about the seemingly random nature of success. Maybe being gritty isn’t enough? Maybe being in the right situation is just as important, or more? Whatever you conclude, you’ll agree after reading this book that it’s a slam dunk. I loved it.” —Steve Kerr, four-time NBA Champion as Coach of the Golden State Warriors
“YET ANOTHER COMPELLING BOOK FROM DUCKWORTH THAT CHALLENGES HOW WE THINK ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT. Situated argues persuasively that we too often ask ‘What’s wrong with me?’ when instead we should be asking, ‘Where, and with whom, can I be better?’ Reading these pages will dramatically boost the level of achievement you can imagine for yourself and those you’re trying to help.” —Salman Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy and author of Brave New Words
“ANGELA DUCKWORTH HAS DONE IT AGAIN. Situated is the book you read when you’re tired of being told to ‘just try harder.’ Duckworth proves that the fastest way to change your results is to change your situation—your environment, your people, your defaults—so success gets easier, not harder. If you read one book this year to level up your life, make it this one.” —Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast
“EXPLORES AN ADDITIONAL TRUTH THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH, which is that much depends on the environment you create. Angela continues to motivate and inspire me to do my best work, for my family, my readers, and myself.” —Marie Kondo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Letter from Japan
Bios
Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a psychologist, a MacArthur Fellow, and the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth’s TED talk is among the most viewed of all time. Her first book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Her second book is called Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best.
Brad Stevens begins his sixth season as the Boston Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations and his 14th season overall with the team. He was named as the Celtics’ eighth President of Basketball Operations on June 2, 2021. In his previous five seasons as President of Basketball, Stevens helped lead the Celtics to five NBA Playoff appearances, two Eastern Conference Championships, and the 2023-24 NBA Title. Along the way, he has twice been named the “NBA Executive of the Year.” Photo Credit: Brian Babineau