The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance Hardcover – August 1, 2013
Author: David Epstein | Language: English | ISBN: 1591845114 | Format: PDF, EPUB
The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance – August 1, 2013
Direct download links available The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance – August 1, 2013 for everyone book with Mediafire Link Download Link
Direct download links available for The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance – August 1, 2013
Direct download links available The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance – August 1, 2013 for everyone book with Mediafire Link Download Link
Review
“I can’t remember a book that has fascinated, educated—and provoked—me as much as The Sports Gene. Epstein has changed forever the way we measure elite athletes and their achievements.”
—Malcom Gladwell
“Clear, vivid, and thought-provoking writing that cuts through science anxiety for rank-and-file sports fans.”
—Bonnie Ford, Senior Writer, ESPN
“Many researchers and writers are reluctant to tackle genetic issues because they fear the quicksand of racial and ethnic stereotyping. To his credit, Epstein does not flinch.”
—The Washington Post
“Epstein’s rigour in seeking answers and insights is as impressive as the air miles he must have accumulated . . . his book is dazzling and illuminating.”
—The Guardian
“Few will put down this deliciously contrarian exploration of great athletic feats.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“The narrative follows Mr. Epstein’s search for the roots of elite sport performance as he encounters characters and stories so engrossing that readers may not realize they’re receiving an advanced course in genetics, physiology, and sports medicine.”
—Christie Aschwanden, The New York Times
“An important book . . . The Sports Gene is bound to put the cat among the pigeons in the blank-slate crowd who think that we can all be equal as long as we equalize environmental inputs such as practice.”
—Michael Shermer, The Wall Street Journal
“This is the book I’ve been waiting for since the early 1960s. I can’t imagine that anyone interested in sports—particularly the fascinating question, ‘How do the best athletes become the best?’—will be any less enthralled than I.”
—Amby Burfoot, (1968 Boston Marathon Champion), Runner's World
“A must-read for athletes, parents, coaches, and anyone who wants to know what it takes to be great.”
—George Dohrmann, author of Play Their Hearts Out
—Malcom Gladwell
“Clear, vivid, and thought-provoking writing that cuts through science anxiety for rank-and-file sports fans.”
—Bonnie Ford, Senior Writer, ESPN
“Many researchers and writers are reluctant to tackle genetic issues because they fear the quicksand of racial and ethnic stereotyping. To his credit, Epstein does not flinch.”
—The Washington Post
“Epstein’s rigour in seeking answers and insights is as impressive as the air miles he must have accumulated . . . his book is dazzling and illuminating.”
—The Guardian
“Few will put down this deliciously contrarian exploration of great athletic feats.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“The narrative follows Mr. Epstein’s search for the roots of elite sport performance as he encounters characters and stories so engrossing that readers may not realize they’re receiving an advanced course in genetics, physiology, and sports medicine.”
—Christie Aschwanden, The New York Times
“An important book . . . The Sports Gene is bound to put the cat among the pigeons in the blank-slate crowd who think that we can all be equal as long as we equalize environmental inputs such as practice.”
—Michael Shermer, The Wall Street Journal
“This is the book I’ve been waiting for since the early 1960s. I can’t imagine that anyone interested in sports—particularly the fascinating question, ‘How do the best athletes become the best?’—will be any less enthralled than I.”
—Amby Burfoot, (1968 Boston Marathon Champion), Runner's World
“A must-read for athletes, parents, coaches, and anyone who wants to know what it takes to be great.”
—George Dohrmann, author of Play Their Hearts Out
About the Author
David Epstein has a master’s degree in environmental science and 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 honors on Columbia University's varsity track squad. This is his first book. He lives in Brooklyn.
For more information visit http://thesportsgene.com.
For more information visit http://thesportsgene.com.
Direct download links available for The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance – August 1, 2013
- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Current Hardcover (August 1, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1591845114
- ISBN-13: 978-1591845119
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Books > Medical Books > Basic Sciences > Genetics
- #13 in Books > Science & Math > Evolution
- #25 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Anatomy
The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein
"The Sports Gene" is an enjoyable book that shares the latest of modern genetic research as it relates to elite athleticism. In the never-ending quest to settle the debate of nature versus nature, David Epstein takes the readers on a journey into sports and tries to answer how much does each contribute. This fascinating 352-page book includes the following sixteen chapters: 1. Beat by an Underhand Girl: The Gene-Free Model of Expertise, 2. A Tale of Two High Jumpers: (Or: 10,000 Hours Plus or Minus 10,000 Hours), 3. Major League Vision and the Greatest Child Athlete Sample Ever: The Hardware and Software Paradigm, 4. Why Men Have Nipples, 5. The Talent of Trainability, 6. Superbaby, Bully Whippets, and the Trainability of Muscle, 7. The Big Bang of Body Types, 8. The Vitruvian NBA Player, 9. We Are All Black (Sort Of): Race and Genetic Diversity, 10. The Warrior-Slave Theory of Jamaican Sprinting, 11. Malaria and Muscle Fibers, 12. Can Every Kalenjin Run?, 13. The World's Greatest Accidental (Altitudinous) Talent Sieve, 14. Sled Dogs, Ultrarunners, and Couch Potato Genes, 15. The Heartbreak Gene: Death, Injury, and Pain on the Field, and 16 The Gold Medal Mutation.
Positives:
1. Well-written, well-researched book. Epstein is very engaging and keeps the science at a very accessible level.
2. Fascinating topic that sports fans will enjoy. A look at elite athleticism through the eyes of science. Sports elites. I'm there!
3. Epstein does a fantastic job of skillfully handling the very sensitive topic of race and genetics. Any minor miscue and it would have derailed the book but Epstein never lets that happen and should be commended for his utmost care.
4.
Not too many years ago Malcolm Gladwell published 'Outliers,' asserting that the significant differences between so-so achievement and excellence was 10,000 hours of committed practice. (So even I, despite lacking significant talent, can be an NFL star, concert pianist, AND Nobel winner!) Similarly, we've also be deluged with articles contending that anyone can learn most anything, given enough support. Craig Venter, leader in the human genome project, said 'we are all essentially identical twins,' while geneticist Kenneth Kidd stated 'Race is not biologically definable, we are far too similar.' Despite the fact that such assertions fly in the face of common sense and experience (eg. selective breeding of animals, domination of professional sports by African-Americans), such nonsense continues to be perpetrated.
Finally, we have a bit of an antidote in David Epstein's 'The Sports Gene.' His conclusion, after extensive research and objective thought, is that 'it's much easier to have been born genetically gifted.' Establishing that conclusion, however, has taken some time - the human genome was only mapped a decade ago (23,000 'pages'), and single genes usually have effects too tiny to be undetectable in small studies.
Epstein, like others before him, doesn't conclude it's either 'nature or nurture,' but both. The question is, 'How much of each?' He concludes that athleticism is a complex trait with many dimensions, subject to numerous genetic and environment variables and their interactions.
Turns out that 17% of men over 7' and between 20 and 40 in the U.S. are playing in the NBA. This illustrates the ridiculousness of Gladwell's '10,000 hour rule.
No comments:
Post a Comment