THE SPORTS GENE by David Epstein

Narrated by David Epstein

Play the Hand You Are Dealt

I listened to this immediately after finishing INHERITANCE by Sharon Moalem, another fine book concerning genetics and its impact to our lives. This was a great follow-up and interesting in its own right; focusing of athletic ability.  I really enjoyed Epstein’s foray into this topic, which provided some plausible explanations for what even we amateurs can plainly see: that different disciplines in sport favor certain body types.

Towards the end of the book Epstein investigates the effects that breeding for endurance can have on Alaskan sled dogs. One breeder tailored his team by breeding for dogs that had the trait that they pulled for the shear love of running, and not for top speed, as was the conventional wisdom. His team won that thousand-mile race and changed the sport of sled dog racing forever. The results are instructive to understanding the genetically based differences in athletic ability between different people groups: Yes there are some genetic advantages some people groups have over others—but also, yes, these distinctions are essentially the result of breeding to select for genetic characteristics, and potential, that are already present within the genome. What Epstein does not realize is that this is far from support for evolution—it is a problem—because is does not explain how that genetic trait, which when expressed became so beneficial, was present in the genome long before it was needed.

Another lesson I learned form Epstein’s account of sled-dog breeding was that: dogs are much better athletes than are humans. Sometimes I go to Manitou Springs, Colorado and hike up the Manitou Incline. I am always amazed how the people are always pushing themselves at the very limit of their ability, joking with one another about just trying to survive, but that every dog I have ever seen is just running up and down the railroad ties as if to say to their master, “this is fun, come on go faster so we can have more fun!” Some abilities are genetic.

David Epstein narrates his own book. This is an advantage, since he is clearly familiar with the material. I always prefer this when the author of a non-fiction book is capable of narrating. Epstein is easy to understand and knows just what words to emphasize to make his point. What is more: Epstein is that rare non-fiction narrator who will even attempt doing different character voices; oftentimes for people he has met. For this he gets kudos. His accents are always distinctive, and at times, provide some unintentional, but welcome, comic relief.