Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better

How to do more with less and use limits to stimulate creativity, innovation and collaboration, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Range.

We live in a world that gives us seemingly infinite choices and values freedom above all else. We have an unprecedented number of options regarding what to do, who to be and how to spend our time. All that choice is wonderful; it is also overwhelming. The irony is that total freedom can be paralyzing, and unlimited resources don’t necessarily lead to the biggest breakthroughs. In fact, overvaluing complete freedom can be disastrous for everything from starting a company to harnessing creativity to finding personal satisfaction.

David Epstein argues that all of us – individuals, businesses, institutions, even societies – can benefit from narrowing our options. He dives into the science and practice of constraints, exploring exactly when and how guardrails can be beneficial, whether we’re working with limited resources or using self-imposed boundaries to tap unexpected wells of focus and innovation.

Original, galvanizing and deeply researched, Inside the Box tells absorbing stories of people and organizations that embraced constraints to transform themselves, and the world – as well as a few that struggled from a lack of limits. Epstein celebrates the surprising potential of hard deadlines, boring goals and unexpected obstacles and reveals how boundaries and constraints create breakthroughs.

This is an essential read to become the most creative, productive and satisfied version of yourself.

‘David Epstein's first two books – The Sports Gene and Range – were brilliant, but Inside the Box is his best . . . I won't think about my own work the same way ever again’ – Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of Outliers and The Tipping Point

© 2026 Macmillan Business (Audiobook): 9781035031795

Release date

Audiobook: May 7, 2026