Inside the Box

David Epstein made his name with Range, arguing that generalists thrive in a complex world. Here he turns to a different counterintuitive idea: that constraints, not freedom, are what sharpen us. Drawing on stories from science, sport, art, and business, he shows how limits on time, resources, and options tend to force clearer thinking and more original solutions. It is a persuasive rebuttal to the cult of thinking outside the box, arguing that the box itself is often where the good ideas start.