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The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance Hardcover – August 1, 2013

4.6 out of 5 stars 1,991

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“I can’t remember a book that has fascinated, educated—and provoked—me as much as The Sports Gene. Epstein has changed forever the way we measure elite athletes and their achievements.”
Malcom Gladwell

“Clear, vivid, and thought-provoking writing that cuts through science anxiety for rank-and-file sports fans.”
Bonnie Ford, Senior Writer, ESPN

“Many researchers and writers are reluctant to tackle genetic issues because they fear the quicksand of racial and ethnic stereotyping. To his credit, Epstein does not flinch.”
The Washington Post 

“Epstein’s rigour in seeking answers and insights is as impressive as the air miles he must have accumulated . . . his book is dazzling and illuminating.”
The Guardian

“Few will put down this deliciously contrarian exploration of great athletic feats.”
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
 
“The narrative follows Mr. Epstein’s search for the roots of elite sport performance as he encounters characters and stories so engrossing that readers may not realize they’re receiving an advanced course in genetics, physiology, and sports medicine.”
Christie AschwandenThe New York Times 

“An important book . . . 
The Sports Gene is bound to put the cat among the pigeons in the blank-slate crowd who think that we can all be equal as long as we equalize environmental inputs such as practice.”
Michael Shermer, The Wall Street Journal 

“This is the book I’ve been waiting for since the early 1960s. I can’t imagine that anyone interested in sports—particularly the fascinating question, ‘How do the best athletes become the best?’—will be any less enthralled than I.”
Amby Burfoot, (1968 Boston Marathon Champion), Runner's World 

“A must-read for athletes, parents, coaches, and anyone who wants to know what it takes to be great.”
George Dohrmann, author of Play Their Hearts Out
 

About the Author

David Epstein has a master’s degree in environmental science and is an award-winning senior writer for Sports Illustrated, where he covers sports science, medicine, and Olympic sports. His investigative pieces are among Sports Illustrated's most high-profile stories. An avid runner himself, he earned All-East honors on Columbia University's varsity track squad. This is his first book. He lives in Brooklyn.

For more information visit http://thesportsgene.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Current (August 1, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591845114
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591845119
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.27 x 1.19 x 9.27 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,991

About the author

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David Epstein
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David Epstein is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World , and of the New York Times best seller The Sports Gene, which has been translated in 18 languages. (To his surprise, it was purchased not only by his sister but also by President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.)

He was previously a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica, and prior to that a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he co-authored the story that revealed Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had used steroids. His writing has been honored by an array of organizations, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Center on Disability and Journalism, and has been included in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. His story “Following the Trail of Broken Hearts,” on sudden cardiac death in athletes, was chosen as one of the top 100 stories of the last 100 years by Columbia Journalism alumni.

David has given talks about performance science and the uses (and misuses) of data on five continents; his TED Talk has been viewed 8.5 million times, and was shared by Bill Gates. Three of his stories have been optioned for films: a Sports Illustrated story on the only living Olympian to have survived a concentration camp; an Atlantic/ProPublica piece detailing the DEA’s fraught pursuit of Chapo Guzman’s rivals; and a 2016 “This American Life” episode he wrote and narrated about a woman with two rare diseases who shares a mutant gene with an Olympic medalist.

David has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism, and is reasonably sure he’s the only person to have co-authored a paper in the journal of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research while a writer at Sports Illustrated. (Like many of the characters in Range, he has benefitted from a winding career.) He has worked as an ecology researcher in the Arctic, studied geology and astronomy while residing in the Sonoran Desert, and blithely signed up to work on the D-deck of a seismic research vessel shortly after it had been attacked by pirates.

David enjoys volunteering with the Pat Tillman Foundation and Classroom Champions. An avid runner, he was a Columbia University record holder and twice NCAA All-East as an 800-meter runner.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,991 global ratings
As expected
3 Stars
As expected
3/5 stars because the product is as expected. No missing pages. -2 star because it appears this was badly mishandled before shipping. This kind of damage would not have been due to the shipping given the package it was in. Either that, or it was not a new copy like I had paid for.I bought this book to give it a read as a recommendation. Otherwise, I would ask for a exchange/refund.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2013
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Top reviews from other countries

Martin Arguell
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book!
Reviewed in Brazil on November 29, 2021
Sir Rash
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book
Reviewed in Germany on February 20, 2022
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Spain on August 15, 2021
Sudhir B T
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent...
Reviewed in India on July 22, 2021
Edgars
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2018