An interesting collection of stories about different personalities in all areas of sports. Syed is able to shed a little bit of light into the psyche behind some of the sports stories of the last few decades. It’s an overall interesting read but really only for a few short stories in between and nothing special.

Some interesting topics in there and some of the essays were worthwhile.However, I'm not sure where the essays were originally published or if this was the style of the book and I felt the flow of the book was a little forced, if not confused.

My second book by Matthew Syed. So many happy and inspired moments reading his take on the mental necessity of competition.

3.75

I loved Matthew Syed's previous books, Bounce and Black Box Thinking. Two of my favourite all-time non-fiction books. I picked the paperback version up without reading the back page blurb. I was disappointed to find it was simply a collection of articles (although very well written) he had previously published. My mistake. I was expecting to find another ground breaking work on how success works. I had read several of the articles before, so I felt somewhat disappointed. That said it is very wel...

A book about what makes someone the greatest. What do they do that makes them stand apart from the crowd in the world of sport?Matthew Syed's best book so far. I found this fascinating and particularly liked the interviews at the end. A lot of the knowledge Syed shares is transferable to life/other professions. A really well structured book with some useful tips on how to make yourself the best if not better.

This book differs from Bounce and Black Box Thinking by using Matthew's newspaper articles to create the narrative of what makes sporting perfection. This means that it's broken down into nice bite size chunks with 5 overarching chapters. There's something about sports writing that makes it come alive and is so evocative, and this book ticks a lot of those boxes. Some great stories as well which I never knew.

The wordsmith sportsmanMatthew Syed reaches greater heights with his writing than he ever did as a sportsman. His ability to paint the pictures of genius, usually flawed, sets him apart as a sports writer. Flaws and triumphs are celebrated in equal measure. This book should be essential reading for all aspiring professional sportsmen and women.

Bought this for the man pictured playing Chetan Baboor in the pages of Sportstar in the early 2000s, as much as the writer. Didn't quite do it for me. Syed's knowledge of multiple sports and characters is obvious; passion (romance?) seems to be the missing ingredient.

Recommended to be kept on the front reading shelf for repeated reads.

I was given this book for Christmas but took a while to pick it up because I have issues with some of the ignorant and prejudiced views that the author has expressed in the past about Roman Abramovich.This book is highly readable in that it comprises a series of newspaper articles of a couple of pages each which the author had previously written. They've been stuck together in this book in a more or less coherent order. As such, the book can either be read in one go as a continuous narrative or

This is not a book about success, or anything else it promises to deliver in the introduction or its title. This book is a collection of articles, published by the author in the past. He takes a theme, juxtaposes it over a sporting figure or event, and develops it to his conclusion. I loved the book as I discovered many sporting heroes and villains I had no knowledge of. I discovered a former boxer, that hid his bisexuality, by “adopting” his male lover and thereby avoiding any criticism from th...

Not bad, and good in parts. Syed uses a number of written stories / diary entries to form a book about his observations / opinions on sport and some of the sporting heroes and anti-heroes. At times the book is revealing and insightful, at others it seems a regurgitation of previous books or 'old facts'. He talks a lot about the 'what' of the 'Greatest', but falls short on the 'why' and the how'....giving many facts, but little in the way of instruction for others. The best parts surround the men...

It has taken me weeks to finish this book! It is a collection of extremely well written and thought provoking essays on the myriad aspects of greatness in sports. And just as the subtitle tells us “What sport teaches us about achieving success”. The essays become like a collection of Aesop’s fables using stories of sports luminaries to teach us life lessons. Engagingly and intelligently written. I highly recommend, even if you need to read it in short bursts over the course of a few weeks as I d...

Great truths. Very accurate person of the goods and bads of the pursuit of singular greatness.Not perfectly spoken in audio.. Steve Ballesteros for example..Also could have been better curated to trying a single take rather than just simply clips from a column.. He's a better author than this collection shows..

For someone who enjoys and works in sports, I found this book quite cool. Especially how it shares clever insight that you would never think about in the world of sport. Also if I was thinking of becoming a manager of my son/daughter's non-league football in the future (if that's what they want) then I for sure will be using some tips the book has taught me.

“May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation, when the winds of changes shift. May your hear always be joyful, and may your song always be sung. May you stay for ever young. “ - Bob Dylan

Brilliant in partsI chose the stars as the booked lacked flow, it is a collection of writing which in itself is very good and can be read in sections. I enjoyed the book and will be looking for more from this author.

very good, although found it a bit repetitive with others by Matthew Syed. Enjoyed it nevertheless.

This is an interesting book, especially if you are a sports enthusiast. Pleased to have won this book in a recent Goodreads First Reads giveaway.