Skill: 40 Principles that Surgeons, Athletes, and Other Elite Performers Use to Achieve Mastery

by Christopher S. Ahmad

Skill — of every sort — is an integral part of who we are and how we navigate the world. It feeds our success and fuels our failures (which is a good thing). However, too few of us embrace the notion that acquiring skill is a skill in itself.

How we develop skill; the effort we put in; our attitudes even, as we work to improve, requires specific attributes of its own. In his book, SKILL, Christopher Ahmad, MD, provides 40 clear and compelling tips on how to achieve mastery — regardless of your pursuits.

Dr. Ahmad is the Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, as well as an internationally recognized Orthopaedic Surgeon — he is also an aspiring competitive chess player, skier, chef, oenophile, soccer player, coach, friend, husband, son, brother and parent. To excel in each of these endeavors, he has dedicated his life to skill acquisition — from the hard skills required to save a multimillionaire athlete’s career to the soft skills of parenting. Dr. Ahmad consciously strives to be better at everything at all times. He will tell you he is not naturally gifted; that practice, patience and persistence have led him through this journey.

Based on the life lessons he absorbed reading NY Times best-selling author Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code, Chris fashioned his own take on how to achieve excellence by focusing on the best ways to acquire and master skills as much as the skills themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Medicine, Business

212 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Christopher S. Ahmad, M.D. is the Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees and a member of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association. He is a Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Ahmad grew up in Long Island with a passion for playing soccer and played in the New York Empire State Games, the Eastern Region Olympic Development Team, and four years of varsity soccer at nationally ranked Columbia University. His background in soccer stimulated his career path that is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of youth sports injuries.

He currently serves as the Chief of Adolescent and Pediatric Sports Medicine and as the Director of Biomechanics Research at the Center for Orthopedic Research. He has authored more than 100 articles and book chapters related to knee, shoulder, elbow, and sports medicine and has given more than 100 lectures nationally and internationally. He is the
author of the textbooks Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Injuries and Minimally Invasive Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Dr. Ahmad has received many awards for outstanding research in the field of sports medicine.

Dr. Ahmad has served on MLB research committees to address the high incidence of Tommy John Surgeries in professional baseball. He is also the Head Team Physician for the expansion Major League Soccer New York City Football Club and for local high schools and serves as consultant to local metropolitan gymnastics and swim teams. He also is the official medical provider to the Football Club Westchester Soccer Academy. For more information,
visit http://www.elbowsportssurgeon.com.

Reviews

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14396092

[Claudia Blanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations from this book - after all, it was supposed to come from the viewpoint of a highly-skilled surgeon, talking about how professionals, even in the highest level of sports achieve their goals. Instead, it was a standard re-hashing of what is already known to most who read self-help books on a regular basis, just worked a little differently. Considering what it promised I gave it three starts, but I do think it has a lot of valid points. If you need your self-help message packaged a little differently, then you will get some useful information out of this book. It is just nothing special, not like what is sounded like from the blurb.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was written by one of the smartest people. Yet, it is an easy read of tips, anecdotes and general advise. One caption, "For every pound you lose, it takes four pounds of pressure off your knees and six pounds off your hips." resonated with me. Very simple sentence that puts things into perspective. Have read this book several times. My book is dog eared, has several passages highlighted and there are post it notes with personal comments on many pages.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very hesitant when I was offered a copy of this book. I'm not a surgeon, I'm not interested in professional sports, and I don't usually like self-help books. And yet I read this one in one gulp and wanted to give a copy to everyone I know and force them to read it.

This book explains the difference between mediocre and outstanding. And that difference is humility, attention to detail, and a relentless drive to improve.

This is a man who opens his book with four words on an otherwise blank page. "I am not gifted...." This is a man who wanted to play soccer both because he loved the game and because he knew that trying to be the best player he could be was excellent training for a stellar career. This is a man who insisted on studying engineering and then going to medical school because he wanted to be a surgeon and knew that knowing engineering concepts would help him develop innovative ways to repair the human body.

And yet, his approach to medicine is far from being the sterile, arrogant attitude that we associate with surgeons. He acknowledges the need for confidence, but he also stresses the equal importance of "soft skills" and interpersonal relationships. In any field, there are those who have reached a certain level and spend the remainder of their working lives hanging on to the status quo. Dr. Ahmad believes that everyone at every level must always be striving to improve. To do less is unfair to your patients (or clients, or partners) and unfair to yourself.

Anyone who can read this book without becoming excited and motivated is beyond hope and help. It's a great book.

[Brad Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book, and I think there is some good insight to be gained from it. However, the author's ego is apparent on almost every single page and really detracted from my overall enjoyment in reading it.

[John P. Avendano · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s great about Skill is not only the fact that it breaks down a world renowned Orthopaedic Surgeon’s approach to achieving mastery, but also that it’s applicable to whatever domain you may work in. Whether you’re an athlete, musician, or business mogul— this book lays out, very simply, Dr. Ahmad’s mindset towards how to avoid plateauing and continue to improve in whatever you seek to master. As a personal note to myself (or any other residents in surgical subspecialties)— this is CERTAINLY the type of book to read, reread several times, and actively apply the principles it espouses to your own training.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on achieving mastery

[Frank Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for anyone attempting to master or learn a new skill

[Nelya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surgeons would definitely find this book very useful. The author gives lots of great advice on how to become the best. Although he includes many descriptions of his experiences both in OR and personal life, it could really be applied to anyone. The book is great and is quick to read.

I won this book through Goodreads Firstreads.

[Madhavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago because a surgeon I worked for recommended it to me. It is an easy read and kept me motivated throughout college. Will definitely revisit this one in the future.