The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

From Barnes & NobleWe all know that even on our best day we are different from super athletes like Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, and Michael Jordan, but is that difference the result of nature or nurture? To answer the question, veteran Sports Illustrated journalist David Epstein queried scientists, athletes, and sports professionals and received, not surprisingly, a wide range of answers; some experts ascribing athletic ability to genetic endowments; others, to the 10,000 practice hours mantra that mentors regularly drill into their charges. The ultimate resolution to this puzzle remains, of course, unlikely, but that doesn't lessen the appeal of this honest, informed exploration. Now in trade paperback and NOOK Book.





Publishers WeeklyAre Tiger Woods, Jim Ryun, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan natural athletes whose success in their own sports would have occurred whether they developed their gifts or not? Are some individuals genetically disposed to some sports, while others lack the genetic predisposition to succeed at the same sports? Sports Illustrated senior writer Epstein probes these questions in a disjointed study.