Hello All,
'The Sports Gene' by David Epstein sounds like an interesting book.
http://www.nytimes.com/...emc=edit_th_20130813
Excerpt:
Where Scott performed like a natural, David was a “talentless duffer” who would “chew through a crowbar” to gnaw a quarter-second off his time. “I just had to be tougher than him, I thought, because I didn’t have the talent,” Mr. Epstein writes.
But what exactly differentiated the two runners? Was Scott endowed with some gene for speed? Could David’s grit and determination overcome his apparent lack of innate ability? Where does the intersection between talent and practice lie?
These are the questions Mr. Epstein seeks to answer in this captivating book, which began as a feature in Sports Illustrated, where he is a senior writer. The book’s title misleads, since he forcefully argues that no single known gene is sufficient to ensure athletic success. His answer to the question “Nature or nurture?” is both.
If that sounds like a hedge, it isn’t: instead, it’s a testament to the author’s close attention to nuance. He approaches his subject like a scientist, stopping to examine the uncertainties and taking care not to overgeneralize.
Cheers,
Neal
+1 mph Faster
'The Sports Gene' by David Epstein sounds like an interesting book.
http://www.nytimes.com/...emc=edit_th_20130813
Excerpt:
Where Scott performed like a natural, David was a “talentless duffer” who would “chew through a crowbar” to gnaw a quarter-second off his time. “I just had to be tougher than him, I thought, because I didn’t have the talent,” Mr. Epstein writes.
But what exactly differentiated the two runners? Was Scott endowed with some gene for speed? Could David’s grit and determination overcome his apparent lack of innate ability? Where does the intersection between talent and practice lie?
These are the questions Mr. Epstein seeks to answer in this captivating book, which began as a feature in Sports Illustrated, where he is a senior writer. The book’s title misleads, since he forcefully argues that no single known gene is sufficient to ensure athletic success. His answer to the question “Nature or nurture?” is both.
If that sounds like a hedge, it isn’t: instead, it’s a testament to the author’s close attention to nuance. He approaches his subject like a scientist, stopping to examine the uncertainties and taking care not to overgeneralize.
Cheers,
Neal
+1 mph Faster