254: Inside the Box by David Epstein

What's interesting about this book is I've known about constraints because I live in the engineering world.

We do engineering design.

We talk about constraints all the time and how they impact our design.

I also read a book that he references in here, which if he didn't reference it in this book, I was gonna be really upset.

But it's called The Goal, uh, by Eliyahu Goldratt.

And, uh, if he hadn't talked about the theory of constraints, I was gonna be like, "Listen, David, what are you doing?" Right? Like, you're, you completely missed the guy on constraints.

So he talks about that.

But like even before we get started into, into the, the details of the book, he talks about how he structured the book based on constraints, that he wanted certain number of parts, and he wanted a certain number of chapters in each part, and he kinda set these constraints up for him.

So we've got four parts.

So introduction in part one, how boundaries, uh, create breakthroughs.

Part two, creative constraints.

Part three, uh, where and how to focus, and part four, collaboration and contentment.

Uh, then within each of those are three chapters, so we got 12 total chapters.

Now, Mike, I'm gonna set the stage here before we get into anything and say I don't wanna talk about the interludes.

I thought the interludes were boring and not good, and I don't...

I wanna completely-

[laughs]

... wash over this.

Good?

I'm okay with that.

Just for context, it's like a two to three-page section at the beginning of each part, which ties back to the story I think he starts telling in the introduction to like hold that, that through line throughout the whole book.

So I understand why they're there, but yeah, I'm okay completely skipping those.

I have a question for you, though, before we get, get too far.

You mentioned The Goal by Eli Goldratt.

I have that book.