Synopsis
Everyone knows that David Beckham crosses the ball better than anyone else and that Tiger Woods never chokes . But what are the hidden factors which allow the most successful sports stars to rise above their competitors and are they shared by virtuosos in other fields?
What are the real secrets of sporting success, and what lessons do they offer about life in general? Matthew Syed explains why Tiger Woods doesn t choke , why the best figure skaters are those that have fallen over the most and why one small street in Reading - his own - has produced more top table tennis players than the rest of the country put together.
As a three-time Commonwealth table-tennis champion and two-time Olympian, Matthew is perfectly placed to show just what it takes to get to the top in any discipline. And as an award-winning writer for the sports and comment pages of the Times - and holder of a prize-winning degree from Oxford University - he knows the facts, the science and the personalities better than anyone.
In his book Matt overturns myths and outdated thinking to show why it is that top sportsmen seem to perceive faster, smarter and deeper than the rest of us. He draws on the latest in neuroscience and psychology to discover why so many top athletes are superstitious, and meets the Hungarian man who turned his daughters into three of the best chess players in history - and explains how.
Along the way, he introduces an extraordinary cast of footballers, cricketers, baseball players, speedskaters, scientists and experts - and interviews the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband. Matthew s book is crammed full of fascinating stories and telling studies, insights and statistics, all brought together to make a wonderfully thought-provoking read.
Matthew s book is not simply the Freakonomics of sport though - it looks at big questions such as the nature of talent, what kind of practice actually works, how to achieve motivation, drugs in sport (and life) and whether black people really are faster runners. Fresh, ground-breaking and tackling subjects with wide appeal, Matthew s book is sure to be one of the most talked-about of the year.
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Présentation de l'éditeur
Everyone knows that David Beckham crosses the ball better than anyone else and that Tiger Woods never chokes . But what are the hidden factors which allow the most successful sports stars to rise above their competitors and are they shared by virtuosos in other fields?
What are the real secrets of sporting success, and what lessons do they offer about life in general? Matthew Syed explains why Tiger Woods doesn t choke , why the best figure skaters are those that have fallen over the most and why one small street in Reading - his own - has produced more top table tennis players than the rest of the country put together.
As a three-time Commonwealth table-tennis champion and two-time Olympian, Matthew is perfectly placed to show just what it takes to get to the top in any discipline. And as an award-winning writer for the sports and comment pages of the Times - and holder of a prize-winning degree from Oxford University - he knows the facts, the science and the personalities better than anyone.
In his book Matt overturns myths and outdated thinking to show why it is that top sportsmen seem to perceive faster, smarter and deeper than the rest of us. He draws on the latest in neuroscience and psychology to discover why so many top athletes are superstitious, and meets the Hungarian man who turned his daughters into three of the best chess players in history - and explains how.
Along the way, he introduces an extraordinary cast of footballers, cricketers, baseball players, speedskaters, scientists and experts - and interviews the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband. Matthew s book is crammed full of fascinating stories and telling studies, insights and statistics, all brought together to make a wonderfully thought-provoking read.
Matthew s book is not simply the Freakonomics of sport though - it looks at big questions such as the nature of talent, what kind of practice actually works, how to achieve motivation, drugs in sport (and life) and whether black people really are faster runners. Fresh, ground-breaking and tackling subjects with wide appeal, Matthew s book is sure to be one of the most talked-about of the year.
Quatrième de couverture
Why have all the sprinters who have run the 100 meters in under ten seconds been black?
What's one thing Mozart, Venus Williams, and Michelangelo have in common?
Is it good to praise a child's intelligence?
Why are baseball players so superstitious?
Few things in life are more satisfying than beating a rival. We love to win and hate to lose, whether it's on the playing field or at the ballot box, in the office or in the classroom. In this bold new look at human behavior, award-winning journalist and Olympian Matthew Syed explores the truth about our competitive nature—why we win, why we don't, and how we really play the game of life. Bounce reveals how competition—the most vivid, primal, and dramatic of human pursuits—provides vital insight into many of the most controversial issues of our time, from biology and economics, to psychology and culture, to genetics and race, to sports and politics.
Backed by cutting-edge scientific research and case studies, Syed shatters long-held myths about meritocracy, talent, performance, and the mind. He explains why some people thrive under pressure and others choke, and weighs the value of innate ability against that of practice, hard work, and will. From sex to math, from the motivation of children to the culture of big business, Bounce shows how competition provides a master key with which to unlock the mysteries of the world.
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