Decorah residents and Luther College students will have a chance to hear New York Times bestselling author David Epstein discuss the value of broad-based education when he visits campus Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.
Epstein’s lecture is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Main Hall at Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life. The program is supported by the Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment and is open to both the Luther community and the public.
Tickets and admission information
Luther students, faculty, staff, emeriti faculty and retired staff may attend free by showing a Luther College identification card. Members of the public may purchase general-seating tickets for $10 each, plus transaction fees.
Tickets are available through the Luther Ticket Office and online at tickets.luther.edu. The ticket office is located at the Center for Faith and Life, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101.
Regular ticket-office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Thursday hours extending to 7 p.m. On the day of the program, the office will be open from 9 a.m. until the performance. Saturday show-day hours begin at 1 p.m.
The office can be reached at 563-387-1357 or [email protected].
Why Epstein argues for generalists
Epstein is expected to draw from his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. The book challenges the idea that narrow specialization is always the best path to high performance, especially in careers that are complex, unpredictable or difficult to automate.
According to Luther College, Epstein will explain how a liberal arts curriculum can help students think flexibly and expansively. The college says this type of education develops awareness, perception, critical thinking and creativity while giving graduates tools to adapt to a changing world.
The topic also reflects Luther’s educational approach. President Brad Chamberlain said the college sees broad study and a sense of purpose as preparation for an uncertain future.
“At Luther College, we know that the best preparation for an uncertain future is a broad course of study that develops whole persons,”
Chamberlain also said that a guiding purpose can help students become global citizens prepared to contribute to the world.
“We also understand how nurturing a guiding purpose inspires and equips students with the tools and dispositions to be global citizens working to make a difference in the world.”
Books will be available after the lecture
Epstein’s newest book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, was published in May 2026 and became an instant New York Times bestseller. The book examines how limits and restrictions can encourage creativity, collaboration, contentment, resilience and reinvention in changing business environments.
Copies of both Range and Inside the Box are expected to be available for purchase in the Center for Faith and Life lobby before and after the event. Epstein plans to sign books after his presentation.
Chamberlain said Epstein’s books reinforce Luther’s emphasis on connecting ideas across fields and applying disciplined thinking to difficult problems.
“With his two New York Times best sellers, David Epstein affirms the impact of Luther’s approach to learning, explaining why generalists triumph in a specialized world and how a disciplined approach to analyzing, connecting and formulating ideas enable us to engage society’s most pressing challenges and identify innovative solutions,”
Before becoming an author, Epstein worked as a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica and as a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. His writing has received recognition from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the Society of Professional Journalists; and the National Center on Disability and Journalism. His work has also appeared in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology.
His TED Talks have been viewed more than 12 million times. Epstein holds master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism. He is also a runner who held a Columbia University record and was twice named NCAA All-East in the 800-meter event.
For Decorah, the Sept. 24 program offers a public discussion of education, career preparation, creativity and adaptation. Luther students and employees can attend without charge with valid college identification, while other attendees can reserve general-seating tickets through the Luther Ticket Office.