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The Sports Gene David Epstein

The Sports Gene By David Epstein

The Sports Gene by David Epstein


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Condition - Like New
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Summary

Is Usain Bolt a superhuman one-off? Are sports stars like Paula Radcliffe and Tiger Woods born or made? Could we all be Olympians if we trained hard enough? And is the answer to be found by looking at Alaskan huskies? This book deals with these questions.

The Sports Gene Summary

The Sports Gene: What Makes the Perfect Athlete by David Epstein

*** Shortlisted for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2013 ***

Is Usain Bolt a superhuman one-off?

Are sports stars like Paula Radcliffe and Tiger Woods born or made?
Could we all be Olympians if we trained hard enough?
And is the answer to be found by looking at Alaskan huskies?

In this ground-breaking and entertaining exploration of athletic success, award-winning writer David Epstein gets to the heart of the great nature vs. nurture debate, and explodes myths about why top sportsmen excel.

Along the way Epstein exposes the flaws in the so-called 10,000-hour rule that states that rigorous practice from a young age is the only route to success. He shows why some skills that we imagine are innate are not - like the bullet-fast reactions of a baseball player - and why other characteristics that we assume are entirely voluntary, like an athlete's will to train, might in fact have important genetic components.

Through on-the ground reports at locations ranging from below the equator to above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of sport.

The Sports Gene Reviews

A wonderful book. Thoughtful... fascinating. -- Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers
Provides a powerful and convincing analysis of how genes influence all our lives, especially the careers of elite sportsmen * The Times *
A fascinating, thought-provoking look at the leading edge of sports performance, written by a guy who knows the territory. David, besides being a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, was a collegiate runner for Columbia University. More to the point, he's a terrific researcher and a fine, thoughtful writer -- Dan Coyle, author of The Talent Code
Full credit to David Epstein, a Sports Illustrated journalist with a serious and deep knowledge of genetics and sports science, for his terrific and unblinking new book, The Sports Gene, a timely corrective to the talent-denial industry -- Ed Smith * New Statesman *
Endlessly fascinating -- John Harding * Daily Mail *
Epstein's book does not try to simplify the argument, but it does provide a welcome corrective to those who have deliberately underplayed the notion that genetic make-up is irrelevant -- Mike Atherton * The Times *
David Epstein's illuminating synthesis of the latest research into the nature v nurture debate as applied to sport -- Simon Redfern * Independent *
Provoking spirited debate about the merits of the 10,000 hour rule -- Rick Broadbent * The Times *

About David Epstein

David Epstein is an award-winning senior writer for Sports Illustrated, where he covers sports science, medicine, and Olympic sports. His investigative pieces are among Sports Illustrated's most high-profile stories. An avid runner himself, he earned All-East honours on Columbia University's varsity track squad. This is his first book.

Additional information

GOR006835470
9780224091619
0224091611
The Sports Gene: What Makes the Perfect Athlete by David Epstein
Used - Like New
Hardback
Vintage Publishing
20130829
352
Short-listed for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2013 (UK) Short-listed for PEN/ ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing 2014 (UK)
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

Customer Reviews - The Sports Gene