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  • Bounce

  • Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success
  • By: Matthew Syed
  • Narrated by: James Clamp
  • Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,523 ratings)
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Bounce cover art

Bounce

By: Matthew Syed
Narrated by: James Clamp
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Summary

Winner of the Best New Writer category of the British Sports Book Awards 2011.

Why have all the sprinters who have run the 100 meters in under 10 seconds been black?

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

Is it good to praise a child's intelligence?

Why are baseball players so superstitious?

Few things in life are more satisfying than beating a rival. We love to win and hate to lose, whether it's on the playing field or at the ballot box, 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, to genetics and race, to sports and politics.

Backed by cutting-edge scientific research and case studies, Syed shatters long-held myths about meritocracy, talent, performance, and the mind. He explains why some people thrive under pressure and others choke, and weighs the value of innate ability against that of practice, hard work, and will. From sex to math, from the motivation of children to the culture of big business, Bounce shows how competition provides a master key with which to unlock the mysteries of the world.

p> PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Matthew Syed (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Bounce

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

so much more than the title suggests

I saw Matthew Syed first when interviewed after Rory McRoy meltdown at Augusta Georgia. I researched his book and it certainly looked worth reading given his background as a top table tennis player who had his own meltdown at the Olympics.

But this book goes well beyond what the title suggests. This book brings together a great deal of research which suggests that the notion of talent does not exist. As in another title called the talent myth there is a tremendous amount of research to suggest that hard work beats everything and talent is a myth created by people who play down the amount of effort they have put into achieving success.

Having read this book and lead me on to a great many other similar piece of work which is definitely changing the way I think.

being heavily dyslexic means I have had to work harder than most to achieve results, and this book has helped improve my self-esteem.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Bad start and end - good middle

As I started listening I thought the book was a disaster because it seemed to be a rehash of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. But then it offered rather more compelling evidence that Gladwell - such as the huge proportion of top British table tennis players coming out of Reading (one small town) and interesting take on the placebo effect (including religion) in sport. The end was a disappointing treatment of genetic influences in sporting prowess (Syed is keen to deny their existence completely), but he seemed to have forgotten that in just the previous chapter he was tentatively arguing for allowing athletes (and other humans) to experiment with genetic enhancements, such as resistance to cold viruses and raising intelligence. He does not offer any convincing explanation as to why certain groups of east africans dominate endurance races, and Jamaican do the same for sprints. It is facile to say that statements such as 'generally blacks are superior at sport' are false. Of course they are. But there is something to explain when only one white man (Lemaitre) has run 100m in under 10 secs. Syed's answer is 'stereotyping'. Hmm. Still, well worth reading.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A slow start....

I'm finding this quite a hard book to get into - although, after looking at reviews, I think I should persevere!!
I don't find the narrators voice very captivating. I think it may be a better book to read than listen to as I have dipped into various sections that have been more interesting.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing insight and blueprint to Success

This is an amazing audiobook. There is so much combined research to completely dispell the myth that success is based on talent.

It made such an impact that I went to interiew the book's author, Matthew Syed.

You can listen to it here: http://www.maximisepotential.co.uk/matthew-syed-author-of-bounce/

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Very insightful and thought provoking!

As someone who is deeply interested in sport and naturally the recipe for success, this book is an incredible listen which goes beyond anything I've heard before using data to back up the case for meaningful practice being of greater importance than physical talent. Great use of real life scenarios make Matthew Syed's arguments deeply compelling, and well worth your consideration!
A great listen!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Hugely Disappointing

I have enjoyed Black Box Thinking by the same author so thought I'd give this book a go.

I couldn't get over how similar it is to Malcom Gladwell, covering the same topics, but most frustratingly using the same stories and examples.

The above, coupled with a narrator I couldn't enjoy listening to means a refund was requested. Gladwell is a much better listen and much more interesting.

Shame, because I did enjoy Black Box Thinking.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must Read!

The first part of the books just seems like common sense that people ignore on a day to day basis. I would strongly recommend this for any young parents or soon to be parents.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A decent listen(audiobook)

Having read malcolm gladwells outliers was keen to find out syeds take on the issue. A decent explanation though nothing greatly new from outliers.

In agreement with the concept that true effort and work at gaining knowledge as the most important thing but think it does downplay the role of genetics somewhat. Too much is placed on genetics but it's undeniable that myself as a 5 7" white man was never going to play in the NBA no matter the graft and effort

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

good summary of other works

Great if you've not read Outliers, Deep Thinking or Thinking Fast and Slow. Alas, I have.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The book is a great read. The audio book is lousy

This book is an excellent read. Sadly, the audio book is awful, thanks to the monotonous drone of the narrator who has amateur and immature intonation, no subtlety, no irony and a timbre and metre that switches you off when it's not being highly annoying. His reading was more suited to advertisements for dodgy hair products or calling the Bingo than a serious audio book. Ruined it. I cannot recommend this product, although I CAN endorse the book

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1 person found this helpful