Publishers Weekly
Syed, sportswriter and columnist for the London Times, takes a hard look at performance psychology, heavily influenced by his own ego-damaging but fruitful epiphany. At the age of 24, Syed became the #1 British table tennis player, an achievement he initially attributed to his superior speed and agility. But in retrospect, he realizes that a combination of advantages—a mentor, good facilities nearby, and lots of time to hone his skills—set him up perfectly to become a star performer. He admits his argument owes a debt to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, but he aims to move one step beyond it, drawing on cognitive neuroscience research to explain how the body and mind are transformed by specialized practice. He takes on the myth of the child prodigy, emphasizing that Mozart, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, and Susan Polgar, the first female grandmaster, all had live-in coaches in the form of supportive parents who put them through a ton of early practice. Cogent discussions of the neuroscience of competition, including the placebo effect of irrational optimism, self-doubt, and superstitions, all lend credence to a compelling narrative; readers who gobbled up Freakonomics and Predictably Irrational will flock to this one. (May)
From the Publisher
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
“Everything Matthew Syed writes is worth reading.” — Lynne Truss, bestselling author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves
“The most important book I’ve read over the past six months is Matthew Syed’s Bounce.” — Peter Orszag
“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 now—before its too late. There are no excuses!” — 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
“Cogent discussions of the neuroscience of competition, including the placebo effect of irrational optimist, self-doubt, and superstitions, all lend credence to a compelling narrative; readers who gobbled up Freakonomics and Predictably Irrational will flock to this one.” — Publishers Weekly
“Philosophical and thought-provoking.” — BookPage
Dan Ariely
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.
Mark Thomas
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 now—before its too late. There are no excuses!
BookPage
Philosophical and thought-provoking.
Lynne Truss
Everything Matthew Syed writes is worth reading.
Michael Sherwood
Compelling and, at times, exhilarating—Bounce explains high achievement in sport, business, and beyond.
Peter Orszag
The most important book I’ve read over the past six months is Matthew Syed’s Bounce.
Jonathan Edwards
Intellectually stimulating and hugely enjoyable at a stroke. . . . Challenged some of my most cherished beliefs about life and success.
