David Epstein

David Epstein is a journalist and bestselling nonfiction author of Inside the Box, Range, and The Sports Gene. A former Sports Illustrated senior writer and ProPublica investigative reporter, he writes and speaks about performance, learning, creativity, constraints, and human potential.

Smart Boundaries Can Make Creative Work More Productive

In an EconTalk conversation with Russ Roberts, author David Epstein argues that creativity and productive work often depend less on open-ended freedom than on well-chosen constraints. Drawing on cases from Mendeleev’s periodic table to Isabel Allende’s writing rituals and the failure of General Magic, Epstein says boundaries can clarify priorities, block habitual shortcuts, and force the kind of search that abundance often prevents.

Hoover InstitutionMay 11, 202620 min read