Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice [Paperback]

‘A gripping examination of the hidden forces that come together in the making of a champion.' Michael Atherton, former England cricket captain

'A fascinating subject and Syed is a dazzling writer.' Owen Slot, The Times

'I love this book. A must-read if you have ever wondered what sets the super-achievers and the rest of us apart – in any field, not just in sport. I only wish I had read it when I was fifteen.' Gabby Logan, BBC presenter and former international gymnast

'Intellectually stimulating and hugely enjoyable at a stroke … challenged some of my most cherished beliefs about life and success.' Jonathan Edwards, triple jump world record holder

'Cutting-edge analysis and devastatingly argued.' Mark Thomas, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at University College London

'Compelling and, at times, exhilarating – Bounce explains high achievement in sport, business and beyond.' Michael Sherwood, Chief Executive, Goldman Sachs International

'A fascinating subject and Syed is a dazzling writer .' Owen Slot - The Times

'A gripping examination of the hidden forces that come together in the making of a champion.' Michael Atherton - former England cricket captain

'I love this book. It is a must read if you have ever wondered what sets the super achievers and the rest of us apart, in any field not just in sport. I only wish I had read it when I was 15.' Gabby Logan - BBC TV Presenter

'A cutting edge dissection – and ultimate destruction – of the myth of innate talent in the pursuit of excellence. Syed synthesises 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 it’s too late.' Mark Thomas - Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at University College London

'Matthew Syed was an exceptionally fine table tennis player and he is an exceptionally fine sports writer.... In the end this book is about the human brain. It is funny and tragic, learned and urgent - the story of the extraordinary capacities we all possess, the irrationalities that drive us to succeed or fail, the opportunities we are given or miss out on.' Howard Jacobson – award-winning author of Kalooki Nights

'Intellectually stimulating and hugely enjoyable at a stroke... challenged some of my most cherished beliefs about life and success.' Jonathan Edwards - Triple Jump World Record Holder and Olympic gold medallist

'Compelling and, at times, exhilarating - Bounce explains high achievement in sport, business and beyond' Michael Sherwood - Chief Executive Goldman Sachs International

'When a book includes subject classifications as diverse as sport and outdoor recreation, Europe, mathematics and popular science, you know you’re not in for a run-of-the mill sports book. Indeed, it’s so wide-ranging that a chapter discussing motivation assesses strategies for understanding educational achievement, morphs onto an examination of Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy and ends with an analysis of Enron’s hiring and promotion strategies (yes, really)... It’s impressively researched, forcefully argued and... extraordinarily interesting and thought-provoking.’ The Bookseller

'Everything Matthew Syed writes is worth reading' Lynne Truss, best-selling author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves

'Cogent discussions of the neuroscience of competition, including the placebo effect of irrational optimism, 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

 

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Can we really ALL be the best? Is the idea of innate ability holding us back? Could the ability to fail – and then get over it – be fundamental to success?

Matthew Syed, bestselling writer and international table-tennis champion (after many hours of practice) takes us on a revelatory exploration of being the best and the true nature of talent. In so doing he debunks many cherished myths – that we can be born brilliant (and that child prodigies prove it); that we are restricted by our genetic make-up; and that social background matters. He also makes some surprising discoveries, including the impact on performance of intense religious belief, why athletes and others ‘choke’ and how a Hungarian man turned his daughters into three of the best chess players in history.

Entertaining, provoking and positive, BOUNCE reveals how we can ALL be exceptional.

BOUNCE

JUST WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE TOP?

What is the magic spark that sees David Beckham and Tiger Woods soar above all their competitors, and could the secret lie in the practice regime of Mozart? Matthew Syed's dazzling investigation of high achievement draws on the stories of sports stars and the most up-to-date science to uncover the surprising factors that lead to world beating success. Along the way he explains why the most successful figure skaters are those that have fallen over the most, how a Hungarian father turned his daughters into three of the best chess players the world has ever seen, and why one small street in Reading - Matthew's own - produced more top table tennis players than the rest of Britain put together. Bounce will revolutionise our ideas of what it takes to get to the top.

Matthew Syed is an award-winning journalist on the times, writing for both the sports pages and the comment pages.
He is a three-time Commonwealth table-tennis champion and competed in two Olympics.
He studied PPE at Balliol College Oxford where he was awarded a prize-winning first class degree.