Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best
About this audiobook
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 new 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 where you live. 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 the most of their grit. 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.
‘If you read one book this year to level up your life, make it this one’ MEL ROBBINS
'For anyone who feels stuck, this book offers a path to something new' CAROL DWECK
© Angela Duckworth 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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About the author
Dr Angela Duckworth is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in non-IQ competencies, including grit and self-control. A highly sought-after international speaker, her TED talk on grit has been viewed by over 10 million people.
Duckworth’s hypothesis that the real guarantor of success may not be inborn talent but a special blend of resilience and single-mindedness grew out of her upbringing: as a child her scientist father lovingly bemoaned the fact his daughter was ‘no genius’. Duckworth was determined to prove him wrong and spent her youth smashing through every academic barrier. As an adult she became focused on proving her theory and to find out if grit can be learned or cultivated. It was out of this that she created her own Character Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.
