The Sports Gene

Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

By: David Epstein

Narrated by: David Epstein

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

"In high school, I wondered whether the Jamaican Americans who made our track team so successful might carry some special speed gene from their tiny island. In college, I ran against Kenyans, and wondered whether endurance genes might have traveled with them from East Africa. At the same time, I began to notice that a training group on my team could consist of five men who run next to one another, stride for stride, day after day, and nonetheless turn out five entirely different runners. How could this be?"

We all knew a star athlete in high school. The one who made it look so easy. He was the starting quarterback and shortstop; she was the all-state point guard and high-jumper. Naturals. Or were they? The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training?

The truth is far messier than a simple dichotomy between nature and nurture. In the decade since the sequencing of the human genome, researchers have slowly begun to uncover how the relationship between biological endowments and a competitor’s training environment affects athleticism. Sports scientists have gradually entered the era of modern genetic research. In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success, Sports Illustrated senior writer David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving this great riddle.

©2013 David Epstein (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

"Step by surprising step, David Epstein takes our hand, grips our mind, and leads us deeper and deeper into the fascinating jungle of sports and genetics... until we finally begin to see the miracle we've been watching in our stadiums and on our TV screens all our lives.” (Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated writer and four-time National Magazine Award winner)

Great book, distractingly read

Would you listen to The Sports Gene again? Why?

The Sports Gene is organized, scientific, and engaging. It artfully avoids the traps of racism by sticking to the facts and biology of extreme sports and related genetic studies.

Any additional comments?

Unfortunately, the narrator used voices to imitate various scientists and characters from other countries that he presumed were average affected accents. This was so peculiar as to be distracting. He would have been better off to have read the book straight and spent more time on the rhythm and melody of his tone.

2 thumbs up from "not a sports fan"

I've always been active, playing sports growing up and now train a bit to keep my health in check, but I've never been one to "watch the game" on tv or look for the sports section of a newspaper. Regardless, this book was a fascinating trip from start to finish, due mostly to the fantastic storytelling, but also because of my love for science and the discoveries that it leads us to. This book was great and I highly recommend it to anyone, not just the sports fanatics, but also those who just love a great story and who can handle an enquisical look in the mirror, at us, the human race, at our deepest level.

This book was so interesting!

I'm not really a sports fan, but am an information junkie and this was right up my alley. I really enjoyed listening to it and learned a lot.

Really interesting

This book has a lot of interesting data and stories on the impacts of genetics on human performance. Kept me interested and entertained throughout.

Excellent

One of the most interesting and well researched books I’ve read in long time. Many topics I’ve thought about for decades all wrapped into some very interesting anecdotes all over the world.

Former athlete

As a former athlete in the sport of track-and-field I greatly give much respect to this book. This book has great insight for someone who is currently getting into their skill set in any particular sport but it is also be great for someone who might be an up-and-coming coach.

Fabulous book, terrible narration

Fabulous book, terrible narration. So much interesting science. Too bad the narrator felt it necessary to speak in a “woman’s” voice and use terrible foreign accents when narrating direct quotes. I found this distracting and demeaning.

Interesting subject matter.

The reader shouldn't try to imitate accents when he reads quotes. It is very annoying.

Very informative and well researched

Would you listen to The Sports Gene again? Why?

Yes, this book is packed with so much interesting information I feel like I need to listen again and take notes.

Would you recommend The Sports Gene to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about sports and elite athletes.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was very appropriate and well done. However, I was a little distracted and turned off when the narrator tried to match the accents of the many individuals that were interviewed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was not. Sometimes I needed to stop listening to process the information that was being given. This isn't a Dan Brown or Vince Flynn page turner.

On the mark!

A really well written book that explains the influence of genetics, training, and adaption on athletic performance. I'm a marathon runner and am really into exercise physiology, but even if you're not, I think you'll find the author's explanations interesting, informative, and easy to understand.