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Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best
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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.
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.
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Angela Duckworth
38 books2,869 followersAngela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. An expert in non-I.Q. competencies, she has advised the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Prior to her career in research, she taught children math and science and was the founder of a summer school for low-income children that won the Better Government Award from the state of Massachusetts. She completed her BA in neurobiology at Harvard, her MSc in neuroscience at Oxford, and her PhD in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. More recently, she founded Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance scientific insights that help kids thrive. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 stars
Like many folks, I originally was introduced to Angela Duckworth via the concept of grit, which, as a college educator, was ubiquitous for a time (and, in some circles, still is). That concept/work was vital in my approach to teaching community college students, so I became very interested in reading Duckworth's newest book, _Situated_. It's also full of interesting content.
This book is really about setting yourself up for success. There are countless examples - from Olympic swimmers to Duckworth's own daughter - of how folks can facilitate better outcomes through simply being mindful about the circumstances in which they place themselves.
I'll admit that there was no point during this read when I thought I was coming across something revolutionary or particularly new. However, reading this, especially right before the start of a new semester and a new academic year, was helpful in a very specific way: as a great reminder that not everyone is thinking about how to set themselves up for success all the time. That might sound obvious, but if you're the kind of person (raises her hand with the speed and enthusiasm of a teenage Tracy Flick) who pretty much exclusively operates in this way, well...
This was useful as a reminder and well timed as I prepare to meet a new group of students.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Like many folks, I originally was introduced to Angela Duckworth via the concept of grit, which, as a college educator, was ubiquitous for a time (and, in some circles, still is). That concept/work was vital in my approach to teaching community college students, so I became very interested in reading Duckworth's newest book, _Situated_. It's also full of interesting content.
This book is really about setting yourself up for success. There are countless examples - from Olympic swimmers to Duckworth's own daughter - of how folks can facilitate better outcomes through simply being mindful about the circumstances in which they place themselves.
I'll admit that there was no point during this read when I thought I was coming across something revolutionary or particularly new. However, reading this, especially right before the start of a new semester and a new academic year, was helpful in a very specific way: as a great reminder that not everyone is thinking about how to set themselves up for success all the time. That might sound obvious, but if you're the kind of person (raises her hand with the speed and enthusiasm of a teenage Tracy Flick) who pretty much exclusively operates in this way, well...
This was useful as a reminder and well timed as I prepare to meet a new group of students.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This ARC was sent to me free for review by Simon and Schuster. Situated builds upon Grit. Depending on how you feel about Grit, you may have different opinions.
Overall, I found this to be an easy read, but that is at the sacrifice of depth and research reporting. I, personally, am not a huge fan of very familial personal anecdotes in nonfiction books, especially of research. I find these sort of anecdotes to bias the research. Like it’s great you see your concept exhibited in your kid, but it is still a bias. I’d rather see examples of the principle in even more people that are not familial relations.
It seems like she is building upon some of the critiques myself and others developed of Grit because this is about the power of situation. While it does have a part devoted to situational agency, there are a lot of factors that inhibit the power of personal agency are not really mentioned or considered.
The theme of this book is 3 boxes - situation, thoughts, response.
I’m also nervous posting this review. Please be kind. 😅
Overall, I found this to be an easy read, but that is at the sacrifice of depth and research reporting. I, personally, am not a huge fan of very familial personal anecdotes in nonfiction books, especially of research. I find these sort of anecdotes to bias the research. Like it’s great you see your concept exhibited in your kid, but it is still a bias. I’d rather see examples of the principle in even more people that are not familial relations.
It seems like she is building upon some of the critiques myself and others developed of Grit because this is about the power of situation. While it does have a part devoted to situational agency, there are a lot of factors that inhibit the power of personal agency are not really mentioned or considered.
The theme of this book is 3 boxes - situation, thoughts, response.
I’m also nervous posting this review. Please be kind. 😅
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of the perks of hosting Masters of Scale is getting early access to books I love. A far bigger benefit is getting to be in conversation with those authors. And it’s the best when both the book and the conversation have you still buzzing days later.
It’s a good bet you know Angela Duckwoth from Grit. You should rush to meet her again when Situated drops on September 1. Pre-order it now.
It’s a good bet you know Angela Duckwoth from Grit. You should rush to meet her again when Situated drops on September 1. Pre-order it now.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews