The Sports Gene

A wonderful book. Thoughtful… fascinating. – Malcolm Gladwell, author of OutliersProvides a powerful and convincing analysis of how genes influence all our lives, especially the careers of elite sportsmen * The Times *A fascinating, thought-provoking look at the leading edge of sports performance, written by a guy who knows the territory. David, besides being a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, was a collegiate runner for Columbia University. More to the point, he’s a terrific researcher and a fine, thoughtful writer – Dan Coyle, author of The Talent CodeFull credit to David Epstein, a Sports Illustrated journalist with a serious and deep knowledge of genetics and sports science, for his terrific and unblinking new book, The Sports Gene, a timely corrective to the talent-denial industry – Ed Smith * New Statesman *Endlessly fascinating – John Harding * Daily Mail *Epstein’s book does not try to simplify the argument, but it does provide a welcome corrective to those who have deliberately underplayed the notion that genetic make-up is irrelevant – Mike Atherton * The Times *David Epstein’s illuminating synthesis of the latest research into the nature v nurture debate as applied to sport – Simon Redfern * Independent *Provoking spirited debate about the merits of the 10,000 hour rule – Rick Broadbent * The Times *An important book on the relative roles of genes and environment—nature and nurture—in the building of a professional athlete … bound to put the cat among the pigeons * Wall Street Journal *Captivating…fascinating…His answer to the questions “Nature or nurture?” is both. If that sounds like a hedge, it isn’t: instead, it’s a testament to the author’s close attention to nuance. * New York Times *

David Epstein 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 honours on Columbia University’s varsity track squad. This is his first book.

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