The Perfection Point - Couverture souple

Brenkus, John

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1447208153 ISBN 13 : 9781447208150

Editeur : Pan Books, 2012

Synopsis

Just forty years ago, Jim Hines ran the 100 metres in under 10 seconds. Now Usain Bolt is inching close to the 9.50 second mark, begging the question: exactly how fast can a human go? Utilizing cutting edge science to examine incredible physical feats in the most elite sports, John Brenkus uncovers what it takes to reach the 'perfection point' - that measurement of speed, distance or force that supreme athletes can inch closer to but never exceed. Shining a light on the crucial balance between physical stamina and emotional drive, this is the ultimate guide to the further limits of human performance. 'Lively and engaging...this stuff is catnip to sports fans' Wall Street Journal

A propos du livre

Quatrième de couverture

What's the fastest a human can run the 100-meter sprint?
What's the longest a human can hold his breath?
What are the limits of human performance?
Welcome to The Perfection Point.

Until 1954, common wisdom and scientific knowledge considered a sub-four-minute mile an impossible feat for a human. But then Roger Bannister broke that mark, followed quickly by a host of other athletes. Today the world record stands at 3 minutes, 43 seconds, yet even that number doesn't tell the full story of how fast humans can run a mile—records are a mark of how well people have done, not how well they can do. What's the actual limit? The answer lies in The Perfection Point.

In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, John Brenkus, the host, co-creator, and executive producer of ESPN's Sport Science, ventures across the sports world to provide an in-depth look at the absolute limits of human performance. Beginning with the current world records for a variety of sports, Brenkus finds the “perfection point” for each, zeroing in on the speeds, heights, distances, and times that humans will get closer to but never exceed.

Combining cutting-edge science with the fundamentals of each sport, Brenkus answers questions as old as competition itself, exploring the outer realm of what's possible in athletics. Using engrossing and accessible language, he applies statistics, physics, and physiology to uncover perfection points such as:

• the highest dunk
• the longest home run
• the fastest mile
• the longest golf drive
• the heaviest bench press

Intriguing, detailed, and controversial, the answers that Brenkus provides are essential reading for every sports fan. For years, coaches, pundits, and experts have speculated about the extremes of human ability. The Perfection Point finally provides the answers.

Revue de presse

“Fascinating...Sure to spark debate in sporting and scientific circles, the book is engagingly written, well argued, and-even when the conclusions seem almost science-fictiony-entirely plausible.” (Booklist (starred review))

“[Brenkus] busts out some Hawking-like equations in an effort to calculate the outer limits of human athletic performance.” (New York Times Book Review)

“This stuff is catnip to a sports fan.” (The Week)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Pan Books
• Date d'édition: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1447208153
• ISBN 13: 9781447208150
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 272