Clutch

Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't

By: Paul Sullivan

Narrated by: Don Hagen

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sooner or later, everyone encounters a situation in which the stakes are high and the outcome is vital. And even top performers can crumble when faced with such extreme pressure. Consider the CEO who panics in a desperate attempt to shore up his company’s earnings, the veteran politician who grows overconfident and loses to the upstart candidate, the quarterback who carries his team to the Super Bowl but falls apart in the final quarter. All of them choked.

But then there are the performers who thrive under such conditions: the ER doctor racing the clock to save someone’s life, the lieutenant who leads his platoon to victory after an ambush, the young attorney who refuses to be intimidated in court and wins the crucial case. These people are clutch, and their ability to overcome extreme pressure consistently and beat the toughest odds fascinates us.

How do they do it? According to Paul Sullivan, clutch performance does not stem from an innate ability. It’s a learned skill—the art of operating in high-stress situations as if they were everyday conditions. Even some of the most experienced and talented performers lack this skill—but Sullivan shows that anyone can develop it.

Drawing on new research and interviews with stars across a range of fields, Sullivan uncovers the shared traits that define clutch performers and explains how anyone can apply their strategies. He builds his case through many inspiring true stories, including those of:

• A skinny sergeant who saved his battalion in Iraq
• A rookie baseball player who pitched his team into its first World Series
• An eccentric psychiatrist who trained a group of financial traders to become the best in the world
• A lawyer who struggled in school but became one of the top litigators in America

Full of powerful advice and real-world examples, Clutch will show you how to overcome extreme pressure and achieve greatness.

©2010 Paul Sullivan (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic Reviews

"Perceptive and original, Sullivan's account holds sound advice for everyone - athletes, politicians, and business people - looking to amplify their performance under any circumstances." ( Publishers Weekly)

Boring and doesn't deliver

I ordered this book with great anticipation and am extremely disappointed - I couldn't even get through it. The author gets bogged down in telling the reader the minute details of a play that are completely unnecessary to the concept he is presenting - it goes on, and on, and on. A complete disappointment and waste of time.

Really great book, worth listening to!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, absolutely. The information and stories in here can alter your whole career for the better, whatever it is.

I don't get this book

This book reminds me of sitting in a waiting room listening to someone tell me stories of their life, interesting but of no real account. It fills the time but after it is finished you feel a sence of relieve. This book is a rehash of old ideas, its the kind of book that makes you want to write your own as you know you could do a better job of it.