Bounce - by Matthew Syed (Paperback)

About the Book

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. Fans of Predictably Irrational and Malcolm Gladwell s The Tipping Point will find many interesting and helpful insights in Bounce."

Book Synopsis

"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

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. Fans of Predictably Irrational and Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point will find many interesting and helpful insights in Bounce.

From the Back Cover

Why have all the sprinters who have run the 100 meters in under ten seconds been black?

What's one thing Mozart, Venus Williams, and Michelangelo have in common?

Why are baseball players so superstitious?

We love to win and hate to lose, whether it's on the playing field, in the office, or in the classroom. In this bold new look at human behavior, award-winning journalist and Olympian Matthew Syed explores the truth about our competitive nature--why we win, why we don't, and how we really play the game of life.

Bounce reveals how competition--the most vivid, primal, and dramatic of human pursuits--provides vital insight into many of the most controversial issues of our time. From biology and economics to psychology and culture, from genetics and race to sports and politics, Bounce shows how competition provides a master key with which to unlock the mysteries of the world.

Review Quotes

"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

"The most important book I've read over the past six months is Matthew Syed's Bounce." - Peter Orszag

"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