Auction Ends: Aug 24, 2012 08:00 PM EDT

Books

First Edition Autographed "The Sports Gene"

Item Number: 310

Estimated Value: 35 USD
Sold: 45 USD to nswansonkc

Number of Bids: 8 - Bid History

Item Description

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance traces all that we have learned in the decade since the sequencing of the human genome as to what genetic science can tell us about athleticism. The Sports Gene shows us that some amazing traits of elite athletes that appear innate--like the bullet-fast reactions of Major League hitters--are actually learned skills, while others that seem to be entirely voluntary, like the will to train, have important genetic components. And because geneticists have ventured into the bramble patches of sensitive topics like race and gender, this book does as well. The Sports Gene immediately became a New York Times best seller, and through on the ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, and interviews with world-leading scientists and athletes with rare gene mutations or physical traits, it will force you to rethink your very notion of athleticism.

(The author signed this copy of the book using a pen given to him as a gift Se-Jin Lee. Lee discovered the myostatin gene, which regulates muscle growth, and is a character in chapter six of the book. Lee was recently awarded the Ho-Am prize, colloquially known as "Korea's Nobel.")

Author BIO:

David Epstein is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated where he covers sports science, medicine, and Olympic sports. His investigative pieces have been among the most high-profile in sports, including the 2009 revelation that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids.