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The Sports Gene

Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance
ksoles
Sep 26, 2013ksoles rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Why, out of the 81 men who have run 100 meters in less than ten seconds, are 80 of them black? Why has a sub-Saharan African never won an Olympic weight lifting medal? And, more abstractly, what makes a great athlete? In "The Sports Gene," Sports Illustrated senior writer Epstein begins with Malcolm Gladwell’s premise from "Outliers" (2008): success owes less to inherited ability and more to intense practice (the famous 10,000 hours) and circumstance. In lucid and accessible prose, he proceeds to apply Gladwell’s approach to athletic prowess, citing an array of scientific studies and entertaining anecdotes. Epstein definitively concludes that "nature" contribute more to great performance than does "nurture." High jumpers benefit if born with a longer, stiffer Achilles tendon. Africans have longer legs and slimmer hips, allowing them to run faster. Caucasians are stockier, with thicker, stronger upper bodies. Of course, hours of dedicated practice help but even the will to train obsessively stems from inherited character traits. The book provides a sometimes-overwhelming barrage of studies proving that hundreds of sports genes exist though researchers still don't understand their interactions. But ultimately, "The Sports Gene" intrigues and engages with its exploration of great athletic achievements.