The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

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Penguin, Aug 1, 2013 - Sports & Recreation - 352 pages
The New York Times bestseller – with a new afterword about early specialization in youth sports – by the author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.

The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?

In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and 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 athleticism.
 

Contents

A Tale of Two High Jumpers
18
Major League Vision and the Greatest Child
38
Why Men Have Nipples
56
5
67
The Talent of Trainability
75
6
95
7
114
The Vitruvian NBA Player
128
Race and Genetic Diversity
142
Malaria and Muscle Fibers
175
12
183
Death Injury and Pain on the Field
242
EPILOGUE
282
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
291
INDEX
329
Copyright

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About the author (2013)

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.

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