Robert Pool is a mathematician, science writer, and, together with Anders Ericsson, the author of Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. Today, we talk about the use of deliberate practice to improve physical and mental performance, why the 10,000 hour rule isn’t what you think it is, the relationship between talent and success (it’s less important than you think, what good mental representations will do for you, and why taste is essential to the development of expert skills.