Mark McClusky

To most of us, rising to superathlete status means having a dream and then never giving up. However, the reality is that's not even remotely true. It only seems that way because the "hard work = success" narrative is so prevalent. The top performers of any athletic endeavor are simply blessed with a desirable combination of natural talent, the capacity for hard work and *a lot* of luck.

In Faster, Higher, Stronger, author Mark McClusky shows us how science is fine-tuning sports performance in show more a way that the world's never before seen. And there's no end in sight with how far scientific athleticism can go. You'll notice a number of parallels here with two other recent books, David Epstein's The Sports Gene and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, though Faster, Higher, Stronger is more compliment than duplicate. I especially recommend this one if you liked The Sports Gene. show less

What goes into making a superathlete? Is a matter of talent versus effort? mind over matter? genetics? fuel? The questions seem to never end and the factors that go into maximizing performance are dizzying. And it doesn't help much that the answer to so many of the questions is "it depends". Add to this confusion new technology; from sports gear and, yes, even here, data mining. All of this to find that one special edge that will cause the "win". Author Mark McClusky does a excellent job of show more clearing away the confusion by showing what works - and what isn't worth the effort.

While this book takes us into the rarified world of the elite athlete there are a number of ideas and methods that translate quite easily to those of us with less than elite aspirations. Particularly eye-opening to me was the debunking of the "10,000 hours of practice" rule. I also enjoyed how the author seamlessly mixed the science with anecdotal stories - making this a book for anyone interested in athletics. An intriguing (and somewhat disheartening) theory that McClusky puts forth is that we may be hitting the ceiling of what human physiology can accomplish (in other words - world records may become a thing of the past).

As mentioned before, anyone interested in athletics would enjoy this book. But the greatest benefit would be for parents of young athletes - this book lays out exactly what it takes to become a superathlete (which the author affectionately calls "very fit obsessive compulsive sociopaths") and the time and finiancial investment required. Personally, while neither my children or I had aspirations for that athletic pinnacle, the methods described in this book would have been most helpful when they were involved in high school athletics. Highly recommended. show less

Compelling, well-organized, and written with clarity. McClusky explained the science behind his topics clearly and with plenty of examples. The research and resources he used were also clearly referenced and easy to go find on my own, which is something I always appreciate in popular science books.

I always want to give him a thumbs up for including a section on biological sex and how it's not binary, even if the way our sports are organized doesn't reflect that.

(I received an advanced copy show more of this book from the publisher through the Early Reviewers program here at LibraryThing.) show less

The book looks into the making of the modern athlete. Sports figures are no longer just born, they are made and McClusky does a nice job briefing charting the development of the professional sports figure. He covers the changes in physiology. body structure, equipment, and methodology.
The book is organized into categories such as genetics, diet, statistics, fatigue, and drugs. While the book largely traces the growth of modern athletics, casual exercise participants will enjoy the show more scientific breakdown of exhaustion among other chapters.
The writing is friendly and colloquial but nicely intertwined with scientific backing for McClusky's position. The text doesn't largely make a stand or defend a point but is a more general summary of the evolution of sports science. It is a jaunty read and entertaining though there can be some repetition in the prose. This is far from a how-to guide even though some of the methodology described could be picked up by aspiring or young athletes with the supervision of a trained coach. Fans of sports and history alike would enjoy it. show less