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How long does it take to read Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned?

Kenneth O. Stanley

Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned by Kenneth O. Stanley takes about 2 hours 35 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 2 hours 35 minutes

An evening's read

First published 2015. 141 pages, about 38,775 words.

6 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 4 hours 19 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 2 hours 35 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 1 hour 37 minutes

The page count is the median across 2 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

Why does modern life revolve around objectives? From how science is funded, to improving how children are educated -- and nearly everything in-between -- our society has become obsessed with a seductive illusion: that greatness results from doggedly measuring improvement in the relentless pursuit of an ambitious goal. In [this book], Stanley and Lehman begin with a surprising scientific discovery in artificial intelligence that leads ultimately to the conclusion that the objective obsession has gone too far. They make the case that great achievement can't be bottled up into mechanical metrics; that innovation is not driven by narrowly focused heroic effort; and that we would be wiser (and the outcomes better) if instead we whole-heartedly embraced serendipitous discovery and playful creativity. Controversial at its heart, yet refreshingly provocative, this book challenges readers to consider life without a destination and discovery without a compass.

Subjects: Biology, Philosophy, Goal (Philosophy), Artificial intelligence, Biology, philosophy

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