The Sports Gene
- Author David Epstein
- Narrator David Epstein
- Publisher Random House
- Run Time 10 hours and 22 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Athletics, gymnastics and related sports, Ball sports / ball games, Genetics (non-medical), Physiological and neuro-psychology, biopsychology, Popular science, Sociology and anthropology, Sports and Active outdoor recreation, Sports psychology.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
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Listen to a sample
What to expect
*** 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.
Critics Review
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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
New Statesman -
Endlessly fascinating
Daily Mail
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