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Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment
For generations, we've been stuck with a cookie-cutter mold for success that requires us to be the same as everyone else, only better. This "standard formula" works for some people but leaves most of us feeling disengaged and frustrated. As much as we might dislike the standard formula, it seems like there's no other practical path to financial security and a fulfilling life. But what if there is? In the Dark Horse Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, bestselling author and acclaimed thought leader Todd Rose and neuroscientist Ogi Ogas studied women and men who achieved impressive success even though nobody saw them coming. Dark horses blaze their own trail to a life of happiness and prosperity. Yet what is so remarkable is that hidden inside their seemingly one-of-a-kind journeys are practical principles for achieving success that work for anyone, no matter who you are or what you hope to achieve. This mold-breaking approach doesn't depend on you SAT scores, who you know, or how much money you have. The secret is a mindset that can be expressed in plain English: Harness your individuality in the pursuit of fulfillment to achieve excellence. In Dark Horse, Rose and Ogas show how the four elements of the dark horse mindset empower you to consistently make the right choices that fit your unique interests, abilities, and circumstances and will guide you to a life of passion, purpose, and achievement.
- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2018
11 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 24, 2019
This book just kind of showed up on my doorstep (I did not order it) and it turns out it was just 300 pages of nonsense. There is no actual substance or ideas, just a sprinkling of over-explained examples and unbanked philosophy. What is the moral of this story? Who knows? How do you apply it to your life? No answer. Maybe I missed the point but it was certainly not clear.
January 4, 2019
I was scrolling through Twitter and read an article about how living a value based life led to fulfilment. It caught my attention, it discussed a group of people known as 'Dark Horses" who had significant success in their lives due to this approach rather than standardised success routes. The article was so good, the next thing you know I'm listening to the book amidst Christmas shopping chaos in my car.
Game changer.
The discussion around the standardisation covenant just blew me away. Sitting there in the car park building listening to that while people around me were going nuts to conform to the standardised version of a season so wrought with expectations had me feeling I had been living in my own dystopian nightmare. Boom. A memorable moment. Which in reality, was the final piece of a jigsaw I have been working on for some time. This discussion piece about some really great research has given me that point where I can now stand back and see the whole picture.
I'm grateful to the researchers for a good read that landed perfectly at just the right time.
Game changer.
The discussion around the standardisation covenant just blew me away. Sitting there in the car park building listening to that while people around me were going nuts to conform to the standardised version of a season so wrought with expectations had me feeling I had been living in my own dystopian nightmare. Boom. A memorable moment. Which in reality, was the final piece of a jigsaw I have been working on for some time. This discussion piece about some really great research has given me that point where I can now stand back and see the whole picture.
I'm grateful to the researchers for a good read that landed perfectly at just the right time.
February 1, 2019
The new disruptors, a new way forward, a better world!
Promises without an actual plan to reach them.
The promise of personalized learning and the idea of a new social contract (ie "Society is obligated to provide you with the opportunity to pursue fulfillment, and you are accountable for your own fulfillment") is admirable, however, the reality of how this goal is pursued and administered is very different.
The connection between the Enlightenment ideals that Rose and Ogas embrace do not match the lived reality of the thinkers, philosophers, and everyone else. Their historical analysis is inaccurate and subjective.
The worst part for me, however, was the authors' praise of a new educational system. The idea that this network of schools creates personalized learning and teaching opportunities is demonstrably false. The authors highlight three areas: individual mentor 1 on 1s, project based learning, and a learning cycle that promises personalized goal building, planning, demonstrating knowledge, and reflection. From my observations of multiple schools in this network, none of these actually occur on a regular basis.
1. 1 on 1 mentor time: Each mentor teacher is supposed to meet with their mentees at least once a week. While this happens, most kids only get 5 to 10 minutes with their mentor. Some kids get a lot of time, but this is because they are failing or misbehaving. Most students receive very little individualized support.
2. Project based learning: All of our units are project based. This should be great, except the projects are graded on nebulous cogskills and not on curricula specific standards. Plus, these projects are laid out in a predetermined and limited order. There is very little personalized choice in how and what students can work on. And there are no deadlines or penalties. Students have very little extrinsic motivation to complete their work on time. That really prepares them well for college.
Even worse are the curricula specific skills they do learn; students demonstrate their knowledge via 10 question quizes. In order to pass the course, they must pass a set number of quizzes. This is the main way in which they show their content knowledge. Many attempt to brute force their way to 7 or 8 right in order to pass the quiz. Many also cheat by searching for answers online, having another student take their quiz, or by asking teachers to check their answers.
3. Learning cycle: from what I've seen, students rarely make goals and then pursue the cycle. The online resource is there, but they don't use it.
TL;DR: Many promises, no plan, little evidence
Promises without an actual plan to reach them.
The promise of personalized learning and the idea of a new social contract (ie "Society is obligated to provide you with the opportunity to pursue fulfillment, and you are accountable for your own fulfillment") is admirable, however, the reality of how this goal is pursued and administered is very different.
The connection between the Enlightenment ideals that Rose and Ogas embrace do not match the lived reality of the thinkers, philosophers, and everyone else. Their historical analysis is inaccurate and subjective.
The worst part for me, however, was the authors' praise of a new educational system. The idea that this network of schools creates personalized learning and teaching opportunities is demonstrably false. The authors highlight three areas: individual mentor 1 on 1s, project based learning, and a learning cycle that promises personalized goal building, planning, demonstrating knowledge, and reflection. From my observations of multiple schools in this network, none of these actually occur on a regular basis.
1. 1 on 1 mentor time: Each mentor teacher is supposed to meet with their mentees at least once a week. While this happens, most kids only get 5 to 10 minutes with their mentor. Some kids get a lot of time, but this is because they are failing or misbehaving. Most students receive very little individualized support.
2. Project based learning: All of our units are project based. This should be great, except the projects are graded on nebulous cogskills and not on curricula specific standards. Plus, these projects are laid out in a predetermined and limited order. There is very little personalized choice in how and what students can work on. And there are no deadlines or penalties. Students have very little extrinsic motivation to complete their work on time. That really prepares them well for college.
Even worse are the curricula specific skills they do learn; students demonstrate their knowledge via 10 question quizes. In order to pass the course, they must pass a set number of quizzes. This is the main way in which they show their content knowledge. Many attempt to brute force their way to 7 or 8 right in order to pass the quiz. Many also cheat by searching for answers online, having another student take their quiz, or by asking teachers to check their answers.
3. Learning cycle: from what I've seen, students rarely make goals and then pursue the cycle. The online resource is there, but they don't use it.
TL;DR: Many promises, no plan, little evidence
February 4, 2025
I’ve loved the other Todd Rose books I’ve read but this one wasn’t my favorite. It’s probably just my preferences—as books based so heavily on stories and case studies aren’t my favorite. Good concepts in this book—but I just don’t personally prefer so many descriptions of personal journeys and examples.
February 23, 2020
Loved it, very fresh and original insights. At times it could be repetitive and could benefit from more examples as well as perhaps a set of a self-diagnosing checklist. However 5 stars for the originality!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews