• Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Date/Time
  • Login
  • Subscribe

logo

  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Puzzles
  • Events
Home
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Puzzles
  • Events
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Jonathan Derbyshire
  • The Books Interview: David Epstein

Jonathan Derbyshire

The world of ideas

The Books Interview: David Epstein

by Jonathan Derbyshire / September 20, 2013 / Leave a comment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

In the first of a new series on this blog, I talk to the American writer David Epstein about his book “The Sports Gene: What Makes the Perfect Athlete“. “The Sports Gene” has been seen as a riposte to Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers”, which popularised the view that the key to success, in sport as well as in other fields of endeavour, is not native talent but assiduous practice (Gladwell repeatedly invoked the so-called “10,000 hours rule” in this connection).

Did you conceive the book as a salvo in what one might call the “talent wars”?

That’s an interesting question. I think so. There was nothing in my book proposal about these other books, like Geoff Colvin’s Talent Is Overrated or Outliers. But as I began to investigate these questions of nature vs nurture, I realised that the popular writing narrative was all on one side of the issue. And that was where the public discussion was. It didn’t make much sense for me to discuss genes if the prevailing idea was that they didn’t matter at all. So that’s how I got into assessing the “10,000 hours rule” in the first place.

It is great to see that you are enjoying the Prospect website.

You have now reached your allowance of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
Don’t worry—to get another 7 articles absolutely free, just enter your email address in the box below.

You are in complete control of which 7 articles you choose to read. Register now to enjoy more of the finest writing on politics, economics, literature, the arts, philosophy and science.

When you register, we’ll also send you our free e-book—The past in perspective—which considers how reflecting on the past can give great insight into the present AND we’ll send you our free weekly newsletter. (If you prefer not to receive the newsletter you can unsubscribe at any time).

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

DEBUG messsage: regular

Related articles

Likud on the terraces
Tom Nuttall / May 27, 2008
If we are to expect anything at all from the dying months of George W Bush's lamest of...
Sporting life
David Goldblatt / July 23, 2009
Wimbledon provides a rare moment in the sun for women's sport. Yet media coverage focused...
Share with friends
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Comments

  1. Kyle
    September 20, 2013 at 16:23
    Geoff Colvin wrote Talent is Overrated, while Daniel Coyle wrote The Talent Code just to be clear.
    Reply

Leave a comment

You can log in to post a comment under your subscriber name.

Human verification - please type the words/numbers from the image:

Prospect's free newsletter

The big ideas that are shaping our world—straight to your inbox. PLUS a free e-book and 7 articles of your choosing on the Prospect website.

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.

This Month's Magazine

Perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus.

Prospect is the leading magazine of ideas. Each month it is packed with the finest writing on politics, culture, economics and ideas. Subscribe today and join the debate.

Subscribe

Most Popular

  • Read
  • Commented

America: the failed state

Reason and romance: The world's most cerebral marriage

How John Berger taught us to see

Prospect’s most read articles of 2016

What can't you do with a criminal record?

The one Brexit question that matters: is Article 50 revocable?

12 Comments

The UN—Israel's best friend

5 Comments

1917—365 days that shook the world

4 Comments

What are "British values"?

3 Comments

Authenticity is the missing ingredient in politics

2 Comments

About this author

Jonathan Derbyshire
Jonathan Derbyshire is Executive Comment Editor at the Financial Times, and former managing editor of Prospect
  • Follow Jonathan on:
  • Twitter
More by this author

More by Jonathan Derbyshire

Ian Kershaw—the fall and rise of modern Europe
December 26, 2015
How to beat Marine Le Pen
December 11, 2015
The big ideas of 2016: bipolar Britain
December 10, 2015

Next Prospect events

  • Details

    Prospect at LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2017

    London, 2017-02-20

  • Register

    Prospect Book Club - Elif Shafak

    London, 2017-02-20

  • Register

    Earthquake America

    London, 2017-01-18

See more events

Top cartoons

  • Collins_trident_final
  • collinshebdo
  • USEDcartoon_richer
  • 225_cartoon6
  • 217_cartoon_7
  • 217_cartoon_4
  • 217_cartoon_6
  • 217_cartoon_10
  • 217_cartoon_8
  • Collins_trident_final
  • collinshebdo
  • USEDcartoon_richer
  • 225_cartoon6
  • 217_cartoon_7
  • 217_cartoon_4
  • 217_cartoon_6
  • 217_cartoon_10
  • 217_cartoon_8

Sponsored features

  • Mind the gap: cutting poverty among disabled people

  • Manufacturing: how much of it depends on the single market?

  • Wine: What is minerality?

  • Providing the means for regions to trade internationally

  • Data as infrastructure: driving growth in devolved regions

Our Top Writers

  • Sam Tanenhaus

    Sam Tanenhaus is Prospect's US Writer-at-Large

  • George Magnus

    George Magnus is a well known economist, former Chief Economist at UBS and author of "Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy?" (John Wiley)

  • John Kay

    John Kay is an economist and author. His most recent book "Other People's Money" is published by Profile

  • Philip Collins

    Philip Collins is an associate editor of Prospect

  • Diane Roberts

    Diane Roberts is an American author, columnist, essayist, radio commentator, reviewer and professor of English at Florida State University.

  • John Harris

    John Harris is a journalist and broadcaster

  • Frances Cairncross

    Frances Cairncross is Chair of Court of Heriot-Watt University and Honorary Fellow of Exeter

See more writers
PrimeTime

Prospect has established itself as a must-read title with key figures in government, journalism, policy making and business. People turn to Prospect for the ideas and trends behind the headlines and for a contrarian view of topics.

Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • RSS

Editorial

Editor: Tom Clark
Deputy Editor: Jay Elwes
Arts and Books Editor: Sameer Rahim
Assistant Editor: Ian Irvine
Assistant Digital Editor: Alex Dean
Design: Mike Turner
Production Editor: Chris Tilbury
US Writer-at-Large: Sam Tanenhaus

Commercial

Commercial Director: Alex Stevenson
Finance Manager: Pauline Joy
Head of Marketing: Paul Mortimer
Marketing & Circulation Executive: James Hawkins
Head of Engagement: David Tripepi-Lewis
Head of Events: Charlotte Stone
Events Assistant: Keith Leon
Editorial roundtables: Penny Cranford
Head of Advertising Sales: Adam Kinlan 020 3372 2934
Senior Account Manager: Johnnie Norton 020 3372 2931

  • Home
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Acceptable Use Policy
© Prosp Publishing Limited
×
Login
Login with your subscriber account:
You need a valid subscription to login.
I am
Remember Me


Forgotten password?

Or enter with social networking:
Login to post comments using social media accounts.
  • With Twitter
  • Connect
  • With Google +
×
Register Now

Register today and find out about the big ideas that will shape our world—with Prospect’s FREE newsletter sent to your inbox.
PLUS we’ll send you Prospect’s e-book—The past in perspective and you’ll be able to access any 7 articles of your choosing on the Prospect website over the next 30 days!

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

×
You’ve got full access!

It looks like you are a Prospect subscriber.

Prospect subscribers have full access to all the great content on our website, including our entire archive.

If you do not know your login details, simply close this pop-up and click 'Login' on the black bar at the top of the screen, then click 'Forgotten password?', enter your email address and press 'Submit'. Your password will then be emailed to you.

Thank you for your support of Prospect and we hope that you enjoy everything the site has to offer.