---
type: literature
author: "Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool"
year: 2016
created: "2026-01-17"
tags:
  - expertise
  - practice
  - skill-acquisition
---

# Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

## Key Ideas

- [[Deliberate Practice]] is qualitatively different from naive practice -- it requires specific goals, feedback, and pushing beyond comfort
- Mental representations are the key to expert performance -- experts don't just know more, they organise knowledge differently
- The "10,000-hour rule" is a misleading simplification; quality of practice matters more than quantity
- [[Transfer of Learning]] is limited -- expertise in one domain doesn't automatically transfer
- Feedback loops are essential: without them, practice plateaus

## Quotes

> "The right sort of practice carried out over a sufficient period of time leads to improvement. Nothing else."

## Connections

- Mental representations connect to [[Schema Theory]] and [[Chunking]]
- The emphasis on feedback relates to [[Formative Assessment]] in education
- Ericsson's framework underpins the [[Learning System Design]] project
- Pushing beyond comfort is a form of [[Desirable Difficulties]]
- Contradicts talent-based views, supporting [[Growth Mindset]]

#expertise #skill-acquisition
