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The Resource The sports gene : inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance, David Epstein, senior writer, Sports illustrated

The sports gene : inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance, David Epstein, senior writer, Sports illustrated

Creator
Author
Narrator
Contributor
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. He investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence. Along the way, Epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel and explores controversial questions such as: Are black athletes genetically predetermined to dominate both sprinting and distance running, and are their abilities influenced by Africa's geography? Are there genetic reasons to separate male and female athletes in competition? Should we test the genes of young children to determine if they are destined for stardom? Can genetic testing determine who is at risk of injury, brain damage, or even death on the field? Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
Unabridged.
Extent
1 online resource (1 audio file (10hr., 15 min.))
Isbn
9781469025971
Link
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11217147
Instance
Label
The sports gene : inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance
Title
The sports gene
Title remainder
inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance
Statement of responsibility
David Epstein, senior writer, Sports illustrated
Creator
Contributor
Author
Narrator
Language
eng
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. He investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence. Along the way, Epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel and explores controversial questions such as: Are black athletes genetically predetermined to dominate both sprinting and distance running, and are their abilities influenced by Africa's geography? Are there genetic reasons to separate male and female athletes in competition? Should we test the genes of young children to determine if they are destined for stardom? Can genetic testing determine who is at risk of injury, brain damage, or even death on the field? Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism
Accompanying matter
technical information on music
Cataloging source
Midwest
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1980-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Epstein, David J.
Dewey number
613.7/1
Form of composition
not applicable
Format of music
not applicable
Literary text for sound recordings
other
PerformerNote
Read by David Epstein
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
  • Epstein, David
  • hoopla digital
Target audience
adult
Transposition and arrangement
not applicable
Label
The sports gene : inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance, David Epstein, senior writer, Sports illustrated
Link
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11217147
Instantiates
Publication
Distribution
Antecedent source
unknown
Capture and storage technique
digital storage
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
not applicable
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
spoken word
Content type code
  • spw
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
  • not applicable
  • unknown
Edition
Unabridged.
Extent
1 online resource (1 audio file (10hr., 15 min.))
File format
unknown
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Groove width / pitch
not applicable
Isbn
9781469025971
Isbn Type
(sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
Kind of cutting
not applicable
Kind of disc cylinder or tape
not applicable
Kind of material
unknown
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
digital.
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
11217147
Publisher number
MWT11217147
Quality assurance targets
unknown
Reformatting quality
access
Sound
sound
Special playback characteristics
digital recording
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
Speed
other
System control number
(MWT)MWT11217147
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Tape configuration
not applicable
Tape width
not applicable
Label
The sports gene : inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance, David Epstein, senior writer, Sports illustrated
Link
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11217147
Publication
Distribution
Antecedent source
unknown
Capture and storage technique
digital storage
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
not applicable
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
spoken word
Content type code
  • spw
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
  • not applicable
  • unknown
Edition
Unabridged.
Extent
1 online resource (1 audio file (10hr., 15 min.))
File format
unknown
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Groove width / pitch
not applicable
Isbn
9781469025971
Isbn Type
(sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
Kind of cutting
not applicable
Kind of disc cylinder or tape
not applicable
Kind of material
unknown
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
digital.
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
11217147
Publisher number
MWT11217147
Quality assurance targets
unknown
Reformatting quality
access
Sound
sound
Special playback characteristics
digital recording
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
Speed
other
System control number
(MWT)MWT11217147
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Tape configuration
not applicable
Tape width
not applicable

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