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The Gold Mine Effect: Crack the Secrets of High Performance
"The business world owes Rasmus much gratitude."— Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, The Lego Group How can we identify and develop business talent? Ex-professional footballer and high performance anthropologist Rasmus Akersen quit his job and traveled the world for six months, visiting "gold mines" of talent; living and training with the planet's best athletes in an attempt to answer this question and adapt his findings into a revolutionary business context. Rasmus Ankersen —born in 1983—is an author and motivational speaker who published his first book, the bestseller The DNA of a Winner , at twenty-two years old.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2012
109 people are currently reading
892 people want to read
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April 4, 2013
Jamaican sprinters and Kenyan marathon runners are so common, that we think everyone from these countries is simply born with talent. But why do particular countries – even individual villages – produce winning athletes over and over again? Rasmus Ankersen, an author and motivational speaker, has travelled to six star-producing places and chronicles their reasons for success in The Gold Mine Effect. He shows what people and businesses can learn from these athletes.
The book would have been more appealing to me if the author didn't stretch to link his findings to business. But it is still provides interesting insights into athletes' mental strengths and should end lingering ideas that countries or races possess "athletic genes". Ankersen's focus on mental hunger and toughness as key to winning occasionally skirts too close to self-help positive-thinking for me, but that's just my reading. His key message, that you have to want it, champions underdogs, their clever coaches, and the inspiration they provide to others. I can always get behind that.
Follow me on Twitter: @Dr_A_Taubman
The book would have been more appealing to me if the author didn't stretch to link his findings to business. But it is still provides interesting insights into athletes' mental strengths and should end lingering ideas that countries or races possess "athletic genes". Ankersen's focus on mental hunger and toughness as key to winning occasionally skirts too close to self-help positive-thinking for me, but that's just my reading. His key message, that you have to want it, champions underdogs, their clever coaches, and the inspiration they provide to others. I can always get behind that.
Follow me on Twitter: @Dr_A_Taubman
February 20, 2016
The fact that I finished reading "Bounce" by Matthew Syed colours my opinion about this book. Both books borrow heavily from the works of George Anders, Anders Ericcson , Carol Dweck and Malcolm Gladwell. A good read if you are a huge sports follower. However if you have read "Bounce" which is a better book in my opinion, you won't miss much. But the book does dispel a lot of myths about what exactly drives world class performance in the world of sport. You would be surprised by what you find. I was shocked by the number of typos and grammatical errors in the book. If you are looking for a nice quick read that's easy on the mind - you will like this.
January 25, 2024
I am not a fan of this kind of books. Books that take a number of cases and use these cases as basis for proving the secrets of succes and glory. As well the book uses a number of successful stories of sportsmen and sportswomen in developing countries and is extrapolating this stories tonl8fe in general and especially business. Although I also believe that business and team sports in general have a lot of common features, the metrics for measuring succes in the world of sports and business is very different. Overall the book is not discovering something new - grit, the right motivation, effort and practice (10000 hours rule), start from an early age and so on - and become world champion. The problem that I see is that there are a lot factors that influence the final result. In the book the conclusions reached from the examples used are suffering from many cognitive biases - survivorship bias, cherry picking and so on, so they do not prove the point. The style of the author is more of pop science and is not convincing. This book might be of help if you want to grow your kids as young prodigies in sports, but definitively nothing else.
As well the author, it seems to me, does not know that especially in sport no win is final and no loss is fatal, so champions change and competitiveness of specific people coming from a specific region is changing all the time and the reasons for a successful challenge is always a new page. No single success story are identical to others, all of them are unique with hundreds of influences and reasons for success. And this is sport, something that can be quantified by records and championships and so on, business is much more difficult to quantify.
As well the author, it seems to me, does not know that especially in sport no win is final and no loss is fatal, so champions change and competitiveness of specific people coming from a specific region is changing all the time and the reasons for a successful challenge is always a new page. No single success story are identical to others, all of them are unique with hundreds of influences and reasons for success. And this is sport, something that can be quantified by records and championships and so on, business is much more difficult to quantify.
September 29, 2018
"Most people believe that you can only be really great at something if you love it. I don't agree with that. Love can certainly help, as it will make you more likely to spend time training, but many people still stink at the things they love. Loving something doesn't mean you'll be great at it."
"Here in Iten nobody is in doubt, because if you don't believe in yourself in Kenya, nobody else will, and belief doesn't cost you anything. Everybody can afford it."
"Honest feedback is frequently like getting into a very hot bath. It scalds to begin with, but then you get used to it and begin to like it. Eventually you start thriving on it!"
"A winner to me is a loser who has evaluated himself."
"Here in Iten nobody is in doubt, because if you don't believe in yourself in Kenya, nobody else will, and belief doesn't cost you anything. Everybody can afford it."
"Honest feedback is frequently like getting into a very hot bath. It scalds to begin with, but then you get used to it and begin to like it. Eventually you start thriving on it!"
"A winner to me is a loser who has evaluated himself."
October 7, 2020
Although not all parts of the book merit a 5-star review - Ankersen’s insights made a profound and lasting impression that makes this an all time favorite for me.
December 24, 2024
Good but very tedious to read
November 20, 2020
An injury at 19 ended Rasmus Ankerssen's football career even before he got started. He did the next best thing. He became a football coach, which led him to become an author and then to become a football administrator. He is currently in David Benham's project as a Director of Brentford and Chairman of Midtjylland.
Ankersen's interest is in high performance. He wanted to answer a confounding question he faced as a coach. How is it that certain countries produce sporting superstars when the conditions do not predispose them to do so? How does:
1. Jamaica, as a small country of under 3m people, produce a series of top class sprinters over two decades in spite of having no sophisticated training infrastructure?
2. South Korea, a country with relatively few golf courses, and with no tradition in the game, suddenly have 30% of the top 100 women players in the world?
3. Brazil have more footballers playing in the Champions League in Europe than any other nationality?
4. Russia, in the space of 20 years produce more world class women tennis players when they did not even have proper courts thirty years ago?
5. Kenya (aka Eluid Kipchoge) dominate long distance running for decades?
Ankerssen tries to answer these questions in eight short chapters. The answers he offers are certainly not scientific and can be argued against. But they do offer a source for reflection. You may well be surprised at some of his assertions.
Well worth a read.
Ankersen's interest is in high performance. He wanted to answer a confounding question he faced as a coach. How is it that certain countries produce sporting superstars when the conditions do not predispose them to do so? How does:
1. Jamaica, as a small country of under 3m people, produce a series of top class sprinters over two decades in spite of having no sophisticated training infrastructure?
2. South Korea, a country with relatively few golf courses, and with no tradition in the game, suddenly have 30% of the top 100 women players in the world?
3. Brazil have more footballers playing in the Champions League in Europe than any other nationality?
4. Russia, in the space of 20 years produce more world class women tennis players when they did not even have proper courts thirty years ago?
5. Kenya (aka Eluid Kipchoge) dominate long distance running for decades?
Ankerssen tries to answer these questions in eight short chapters. The answers he offers are certainly not scientific and can be argued against. But they do offer a source for reflection. You may well be surprised at some of his assertions.
Well worth a read.
February 7, 2018
While not digging very deep in the underlying science, this book gives a great overview of the theories behind high performance/excellence and spotting potential in performers, whether it be in sports, business, or any field for that matter. Rasmus Ankersen does a great job telling the stories behind high performing athletes and the people who spot and train them. It is sprinkled with great quotes and presents the reader with key findings in studies done on high performance. I found the points Rasmus Ankersen make to be clear, thought provoking, and well articulated with easy references for further in-depth studies if you so desire.
If you work with other people, as a manager or otherwise, I would definitely give this a read.
If you work with other people, as a manager or otherwise, I would definitely give this a read.
July 19, 2025
Kenyan hills, Jamaican school tracks, a Russian tennis bunker in mid-winter—Rasmus Ankersen chases raw ambition across the globe in The Gold Mine Effect, then swears talent is basically a side dish to hunger and brutal feedback. 🏃♀️🔥
At the heart of his story beats one emotion: survival. Every young athlete he meets runs, jumps or swings a racket because winning is the straightest line out of poverty or obscurity. That desperate energy leaps off the page and, yes, makes you question why you ever whined about spin class.
The kids themselves are impossible to dismiss. They’re not saintly role models; they’re scrappy, cocky, sometimes downright ruthless—exactly the mix that keeps you rooting for them, even when a coach times sprints with trash-talk instead of a stopwatch. Ankersen’s quick-cut style keeps the suspense high. Each chapter ends just shy of a finish-line gasp, so you keep turning pages to see whose lungs or dreams give out first.
Does his argument hold? Mostly. He proves that the right environment and relentless practice beat “natural” talent nine times out of ten, though he politely sidesteps the thousands who work just as hard and stay anonymous. When he pivots to boardroom advice—suggesting a Monday stand-up meeting can mimic Kenyan grit—you’re allowed an eye-roll, but the overall logic survives.
The prose is fast, bright, occasionally a little too TED-talk, yet never dull. Typos pop up like rogue hurdles, but the momentum yanks you over them. By the last page I wanted to dig for my own half-forgotten skills and give them a harsher coach.
Verdict: Forget fairy-dust genes—real gold medals belong to the hungry, the sweaty, and anyone stubborn enough to show up while the gifted kids are still snoozing.
Similar vibes? Try Matthew Syed’s Bounce for a smoother science dive, Angela Duckworth’s Grit if you prefer psychology to sprint spikes, or Christoph Biermann’s Football Hackers for a data-nerd spin on performance.
At the heart of his story beats one emotion: survival. Every young athlete he meets runs, jumps or swings a racket because winning is the straightest line out of poverty or obscurity. That desperate energy leaps off the page and, yes, makes you question why you ever whined about spin class.
The kids themselves are impossible to dismiss. They’re not saintly role models; they’re scrappy, cocky, sometimes downright ruthless—exactly the mix that keeps you rooting for them, even when a coach times sprints with trash-talk instead of a stopwatch. Ankersen’s quick-cut style keeps the suspense high. Each chapter ends just shy of a finish-line gasp, so you keep turning pages to see whose lungs or dreams give out first.
Does his argument hold? Mostly. He proves that the right environment and relentless practice beat “natural” talent nine times out of ten, though he politely sidesteps the thousands who work just as hard and stay anonymous. When he pivots to boardroom advice—suggesting a Monday stand-up meeting can mimic Kenyan grit—you’re allowed an eye-roll, but the overall logic survives.
The prose is fast, bright, occasionally a little too TED-talk, yet never dull. Typos pop up like rogue hurdles, but the momentum yanks you over them. By the last page I wanted to dig for my own half-forgotten skills and give them a harsher coach.
Verdict: Forget fairy-dust genes—real gold medals belong to the hungry, the sweaty, and anyone stubborn enough to show up while the gifted kids are still snoozing.
Similar vibes? Try Matthew Syed’s Bounce for a smoother science dive, Angela Duckworth’s Grit if you prefer psychology to sprint spikes, or Christoph Biermann’s Football Hackers for a data-nerd spin on performance.
November 26, 2019
Helpful and convincing
The ideas in the book are presented clearly and references are made to books and ideas I have already read so in a way it has just strenghtened my confirmation bias.
The book could do with better editing as many words are not completely spelled and some sentences/ideas already pointed out has been rehashed.
Overall though I found it very useful and enlightening.
The ideas in the book are presented clearly and references are made to books and ideas I have already read so in a way it has just strenghtened my confirmation bias.
The book could do with better editing as many words are not completely spelled and some sentences/ideas already pointed out has been rehashed.
Overall though I found it very useful and enlightening.
June 21, 2025
Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! Got more than I bargained for. Been reading this as part of my Book Club, since the beginning of the year. It has been educative, revealing, and life transformational. I have as part of reading it read three (3) other books, as referenced in the book. And, I am about to order a fourth one. Now to continue applying the principles learned, as I have been doing all year. Comes well recommended.
February 2, 2022
For anyone interested in talent sports and the psychology of elite athletes this is the one. Being a coach this is certainly given me a new way and how to perceive what talent might look like.
They make it very relevant for everyone in their own profession; business, labour, other sports etc.
A must read for anyone trying to create talent.
They make it very relevant for everyone in their own profession; business, labour, other sports etc.
A must read for anyone trying to create talent.
May 10, 2024
Gold Mine Effect: Crack the Secrets of High Performance | Rasmus Ankersen
Scoring Rubric
1: baseline
2: creative contextualization bcs of approaching ecologically in football
2: creative conceptualization bcs of new holistic and groundbreaking comprehension on high performance in any skill especially football
5: total points by 5
Scoring Rubric
1: baseline
2: creative contextualization bcs of approaching ecologically in football
2: creative conceptualization bcs of new holistic and groundbreaking comprehension on high performance in any skill especially football
5: total points by 5
August 2, 2017
Fascinating insight into performance and talent
Rasmus Ankersen does a wonderful job of exploring all the talent hotbeds you may have wondered about, where his discoveries might just surprise you. Worth reading especially for the personalised accounts of the coaches interviewed.
Rasmus Ankersen does a wonderful job of exploring all the talent hotbeds you may have wondered about, where his discoveries might just surprise you. Worth reading especially for the personalised accounts of the coaches interviewed.
April 9, 2019
A gold mine of information
Fantastic book, with original research and the scar tissue of experience. I got a lot from it, as a parent, a husband and a human wanting to make an impact.
Fantastic book, with original research and the scar tissue of experience. I got a lot from it, as a parent, a husband and a human wanting to make an impact.
March 30, 2019
A quick read. Some points are quite good and worth gaining the insights. At some parts book is stretched a bit and can skip or skimmed. Performance has lot of factors and the book lists them quite well and that is a good part.
April 3, 2019
Great research efforts
Author certainly makes you think beyond well set/ publicised notions & breaks them with elaborate examples. Really eye opening insights. However author could have avoided too many repetitions & verbose writing.
Author certainly makes you think beyond well set/ publicised notions & breaks them with elaborate examples. Really eye opening insights. However author could have avoided too many repetitions & verbose writing.
November 5, 2019
How to identify the persons who became world class? The book is about the inquiries pursued by the author by visiting Kenya which produces world class runners, Korea which produces world class Golfers, Russia which produces world class female tennis players etc.
February 4, 2020
Some really insightful nuggets (no pun intended) of information inside the hotspots in the world which product world class competitors. Would certainly recommend for any young person getting into sports or anyone who wants an idea of what it takes to be the very best.
June 27, 2020
Simply amazing, this book dives deep into the talent mines and gives an amazing insight about what makes exceptional people standout and shine.
Not a single place where if felt slow, the entire way the research is put is very good.
Highly recommended.
Not a single place where if felt slow, the entire way the research is put is very good.
Highly recommended.
October 7, 2023
Handler meget om det er den der vil det mest og bruger mest tid der får succes og ikke nødvendigvis kun talent. relaterbar til min ungdom i Bordtennis skub til grænserne og mere effort end andre og toppen er at finde.
February 1, 2020
Quite interesting although I would challenge some of the findings.
May 20, 2020
Controversial as it should be...great read
This book opens your eyes and will challenge talent recruiter in the western world. A must read to shake your convictions
This book opens your eyes and will challenge talent recruiter in the western world. A must read to shake your convictions
January 22, 2022
4.5 stars, would have been 5 but for the need for a fair bit of editing in the kindle edition.
March 1, 2022
Enjoyable read on world class performers and what motivates them to achieve what they have.
It’s time to “rinse your eyes” and learn.
It’s time to “rinse your eyes” and learn.
March 26, 2024
Pushing kids.
Success is about mindset, not facilities.
Talent exists everywhere. Talent whispers.
Performance = potential - interference.
Paradox of choice.
You can't buy your way.
Success is about mindset, not facilities.
Talent exists everywhere. Talent whispers.
Performance = potential - interference.
Paradox of choice.
You can't buy your way.
December 9, 2025
Los casos de estudio son tan relevantes como interesantes
November 10, 2018
Several topics of success in life for which author uses examples from the sport "gold mines". Not much new information but many good sport anecdotes and good language.
Book is also good motivator to improve.
Book is also good motivator to improve.
September 3, 2016
To jest moja pierwsza recenzja książki, która nie jest powieścią. Kopalnie Talentów w ogólnym słowa znaczeniu nie posiadają fabuły, bohaterów ani narratora, bo są poradnikiem o tym, jak pracować nad talentem swoim, swoich dzieci lub podopiecznych. Zdecydowałam się go przeczytać głównie ze względu na fakt, że sama go posiadam, a nie umiem sobie poradzić z jego rozwijaniem. Nie umiem usiąść i raz porządniej napisać chociażby całego rozdziału swojej książki tylko wymyślam, że mi się nie chce albo nie mam weny lub napiszę ledwie jeden akapit. Miałam nadzieję, że tekst Rasmusa Ankersena natchnie mnie do częstszego rozwijania swojego talentu i teraz po lekturze jego książki powinnam przekazać wam, czy się udało. Jesteście ciekawi?
Szczerze powiedziawszy przekaz Kopalń Talentów niesamowicie trafił do mnie poprzez użycie przykładów z kilku najbardziej kojarzących się ze słowem talent dziedzin. Sam autor jest niespełnioną gwiazdą piłki nożnej, która doznała poważnej, wykluczającej ze sportowej kariery kontuzji w bardzo młodym wieku. Po uzyskaniu odpowiedniego wykształcenia stał się trenerem, a w późniejszych latach przypadek jednego z jego podopiecznych natchnął go do badań nad talentem. Odwiedził osiem ośrodków sportowych na świecie, z których wywodzą się przede wszystkim same wielkie gwiazdy i medaliści olimpijscy, a w tej książce przedstawił nam swoje wrażenia oraz wnioski z tej podróży dokoła świata, nawiązując do wcześniejszych badań innych osób z innych dziedzin, jak sztuka czy nauka. Jest to przede wszystkim skarbnica wielu niesamowitych, dodających kopa cytatów życiowych, z których jeden wylądował na mojej tablicy korkowej - Prawdziwy potencjał nie jest idealny, ponieważ mam problem z tym, że chciałabym, aby moje teksty były bez skazy. Poza tym zainspirować nas mają historię sportowców, którzy pomimo słabego początku i niskich rokowań na przyszłość odnieśli sukces, dzięki swojej ciężkiej pracy.
Poradnik Rasmusa Ankersena jest niewielkich rozmiarów i czyta się go naprawdę bardzo szybko, ponieważ mężczyzna posługuje się językiem prostym oraz zrozumiałym. Nie ma tam zbyt wielu profesjonalizmów, a jeżeli już się jakieś pojawiają to bardzo łatwe do zrozumienia. Każdy rozdział jest jednocześnie jakimś wnioskiem, postawioną tezą, którą udowadnia na podstawie przykładów, które spotkał w trakcie swoich badań, a na koniec jeszcze podsumowuje je krótką listą rad dla czytelników szukających pomocy w jego książce.
Kopalnie Talentów to świetna lektura dla osób zmęczonych bezsensownym życiem lub niezdeterminowanych do rozwijania swoich umiejętności. Uczy, że nie liczy się tylko i wyłącznie sam talent, ale również ciężka praca włożona w jego rozwijanie. Jeśli osiądziemy na laurach to pewnego dnia możemy obudzić się z ręką w nocniku oraz zaprzepaszczoną przyszłością. Natchnął mnie nie tylko do rozwijania treści mojego bloga, ale również do przelania w końcu na papier pomysłu, z którym chodzę od kilku tygodni.
Szczerze powiedziawszy przekaz Kopalń Talentów niesamowicie trafił do mnie poprzez użycie przykładów z kilku najbardziej kojarzących się ze słowem talent dziedzin. Sam autor jest niespełnioną gwiazdą piłki nożnej, która doznała poważnej, wykluczającej ze sportowej kariery kontuzji w bardzo młodym wieku. Po uzyskaniu odpowiedniego wykształcenia stał się trenerem, a w późniejszych latach przypadek jednego z jego podopiecznych natchnął go do badań nad talentem. Odwiedził osiem ośrodków sportowych na świecie, z których wywodzą się przede wszystkim same wielkie gwiazdy i medaliści olimpijscy, a w tej książce przedstawił nam swoje wrażenia oraz wnioski z tej podróży dokoła świata, nawiązując do wcześniejszych badań innych osób z innych dziedzin, jak sztuka czy nauka. Jest to przede wszystkim skarbnica wielu niesamowitych, dodających kopa cytatów życiowych, z których jeden wylądował na mojej tablicy korkowej - Prawdziwy potencjał nie jest idealny, ponieważ mam problem z tym, że chciałabym, aby moje teksty były bez skazy. Poza tym zainspirować nas mają historię sportowców, którzy pomimo słabego początku i niskich rokowań na przyszłość odnieśli sukces, dzięki swojej ciężkiej pracy.
Poradnik Rasmusa Ankersena jest niewielkich rozmiarów i czyta się go naprawdę bardzo szybko, ponieważ mężczyzna posługuje się językiem prostym oraz zrozumiałym. Nie ma tam zbyt wielu profesjonalizmów, a jeżeli już się jakieś pojawiają to bardzo łatwe do zrozumienia. Każdy rozdział jest jednocześnie jakimś wnioskiem, postawioną tezą, którą udowadnia na podstawie przykładów, które spotkał w trakcie swoich badań, a na koniec jeszcze podsumowuje je krótką listą rad dla czytelników szukających pomocy w jego książce.
Kopalnie Talentów to świetna lektura dla osób zmęczonych bezsensownym życiem lub niezdeterminowanych do rozwijania swoich umiejętności. Uczy, że nie liczy się tylko i wyłącznie sam talent, ale również ciężka praca włożona w jego rozwijanie. Jeśli osiądziemy na laurach to pewnego dnia możemy obudzić się z ręką w nocniku oraz zaprzepaszczoną przyszłością. Natchnął mnie nie tylko do rozwijania treści mojego bloga, ale również do przelania w końcu na papier pomysłu, z którym chodzę od kilku tygodni.
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