Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success

By Matthew Syed

Categories: Self-Help

Bounce is a 2010 book by journalist and former table tennis champion Matthew Syed. Syed argues that excellence comes from purposeful practice rather than innate talent, drawing on sport, music and psychology research.

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• Fareed Zakaria: “The "Book of the Week" is "Bounce" by Matthew Syed. The author and former table tennis world champion looks at why people like him get to the top of their fields. Syed is now a columnist for "The London Times," and he says our obsession with talent rather than hard work has caused more harm than we imagine, leading to blow-outs like the collapse of Enron. He explains why athletes choke. He looks at whether blacks are better runners and much more. As a parent, I was struck by the section on education. Syed says telling your kids you are so smart is actually detrimental to their education and development. And if you want to know why, read the book.”