Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success - Brossura

Syed; Matthew

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0062004743 ISBN 13: 9780062004741

Casa editrice: Harper, 2010

Riassunto

In the vein of the international bestselling FREAKONOMICS, award-winning journalist Matthew Syed reveals the hidden clues to success--in sports, business, school, and just about anything else that you d want to be great at.
BOUNCE has a straightforward objective: to change our perception of the world by transforming our understanding of the art of competition. Competition, be it in business, sports, school, or the arts, is one of the most vivid, primal, and dramatic of all human pursuits, revealing many of our innermost instincts and emotions. Among all of the models used in this book, sports and the arts offer some of the most powerful--but often overlooked--prisms through which to better understand many of our greatest challenges, whether in genetics, race, sex, politics or economics.

- What is greatness and how can it be achieved? Why do some people fail to improve with experience?
- How can our irrational beliefs surprisingly aid our performance? Is there a placebo effect in our thoughts about winning?
- What causes people to choke in business and sports and how can it be avoided?
- Are men really better than women at sports? Why are there so many lesbians who excel in sports, but so few gay men? Do certain races outperform others? Or is there another explanation for all of these differences in performance?

Dissecting the real reasons behind why some people excel at certain tasks shatters the long established, socially acceptable myth of meritocracy by proving that talent is not what we perceive it to be--an inborn ability to do something better than others. In fact, even early signs of promise or predilection for a skill set or talent have proved to have no predictive power whatsoever. Syed breaks down the reasons as to why some perform under pressure while others choke.

But BOUNCE is not a wishy-washy exercise in the power of positive thinking. It proves with recent revolutionary findings in cognitive neuroscience that the human mind and body can be transformed through practice, hard work, and determination. Through innovative science, detailed research, and personal accounts, Matthew Syed will change the way that readers see the world around them.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

“Sport is often used as an analogy for business, education, and personal relationships. In this insightful and entertaining book, Matthew Syed takes us a step deeper into the world of sports, showing us how much we can learn about our own behavior.” (Dan Ariely, New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational)

“A cutting edge dissection—and ultimate destruction—of the myth of innate talent in the pursuit of excellence. Syed synthesizes his evidence with the precision of an academic, writes with the fluidity of a journalist, and persuades with the drive of a sportsman. Read this book.” (Mark Thomas, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, University College London)

“Intellectually stimulating and hugely enjoyable at a stroke. . . . Challenged some of my most cherished beliefs about life and success.” (Jonathan Edwards, Olympic Gold Medal Winner in the Triple Jump)

“Compelling and, at times, exhilarating—Bounce explains high achievement in sport, business, and beyond.” (Michael Sherwood, Chief Executive, Goldman Sachs International)

L'autore:

Matthew Syed, 39, is an Oxford graduate who writes a column for the London Times. He is a commentator for the BBC and Eurosport, and was recently named British Sports Feature Writer of the Year by the Sports Journalists Association and Sports Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards. This is his first book.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Harper
• Data di pubblicazione: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0062004743
• ISBN 13: 9780062004741
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 272