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A review by _walter_
The Other Talent: The Curiously Complex Role of Mental Health in Athletic Greatness and Why It's Never Too Late to Harness Your Potential by Matt Fitzgerald
3.0
I really enjoy Matt Fitzgerald's writing, [b:80/20 Running|20821042|80/20 Running Run Stronger and Race Faster By Training Slower|Matt Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398027298l/20821042._SX50_.jpg|40166946] and [b:Running the Dream|49342140|Running the Dream One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age|Matt Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575591906l/49342140._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73796231] are some of my all-time favorites in terms of training programs and sports writing, respectively. Matt is also a great dude, I contacted him once through email with some questions and he actually got back to me the same day and offered solid advice (at no cost :)).
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book as compelling as the others, in fact, I think it's a bit of a reach. The problem is not with the writing itself, which is top-notch, but with the examples and the reported science Fitzgerald leans on to make his point.
What we get are some cherry-picked cases that exemplify some key mental-toughness indicators and attributes such as early struggles, resilience, cruel-parenting, good-parenting, etc. And therein lies the problem.
Matt spends not an insignificant amount of time detailing the lives of athletes whose parents ruled on them with an iron fist. And this, of course, is presented as a method that seems to provide results, though the author makes it plain-and-clear that no parent should seek to terrorize their children into greatness, nor pick a sport for them to excel at an early age without their input.
So, ok, "tough love" breeds competitive greatness it seems but then, in the last few chapters, SURPRISE!!! It turns out great, caring, loving parenting is also a solid method for instilling and developing a healthy competitive and athletic drive. For these, he chooses to rely on the stories of Andre Agassi (who had a cruel dad) vs. Tatiana McFadden (who had very supporting parents).
So, at the end of the day, his whole thesis just struck me as inconclusive. There's really no shortage of great athletes we could pick from if we wanted to make either case. And until there's a comprehensive study of top-flight athletes from all over, the evidence will have to remain inconclusive.
So, if you come for the stories and the studies - right on! But if you are expecting to close the book having been convinced - then you might be disappointed. I do applaud Fitzgerald for his message regarding everyone's ability to find their greatness even if they think their time has passed. We need more of that!
Recommended (w/ above caveats).
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book as compelling as the others, in fact, I think it's a bit of a reach. The problem is not with the writing itself, which is top-notch, but with the examples and the reported science Fitzgerald leans on to make his point.
What we get are some cherry-picked cases that exemplify some key mental-toughness indicators and attributes such as early struggles, resilience, cruel-parenting, good-parenting, etc. And therein lies the problem.
Matt spends not an insignificant amount of time detailing the lives of athletes whose parents ruled on them with an iron fist. And this, of course, is presented as a method that seems to provide results, though the author makes it plain-and-clear that no parent should seek to terrorize their children into greatness, nor pick a sport for them to excel at an early age without their input.
So, ok, "tough love" breeds competitive greatness it seems but then, in the last few chapters, SURPRISE!!! It turns out great, caring, loving parenting is also a solid method for instilling and developing a healthy competitive and athletic drive. For these, he chooses to rely on the stories of Andre Agassi (who had a cruel dad) vs. Tatiana McFadden (who had very supporting parents).
So, at the end of the day, his whole thesis just struck me as inconclusive. There's really no shortage of great athletes we could pick from if we wanted to make either case. And until there's a comprehensive study of top-flight athletes from all over, the evidence will have to remain inconclusive.
So, if you come for the stories and the studies - right on! But if you are expecting to close the book having been convinced - then you might be disappointed. I do applaud Fitzgerald for his message regarding everyone's ability to find their greatness even if they think their time has passed. We need more of that!
Recommended (w/ above caveats).